Trial Using CogWatch for Tea Making Training in Stroke Apraxia and Action Disorganisation Syndrome (CogWatchTea)

University of Birmingham

Status: Completed

Conditions: Stroke; Apraxias

Treatments: Behavioral: Task model (CogWatch)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04044911

ERN_12-0683B

Details and patient eligibility

About

Apraxia and action disorganization syndrome after stroke can disrupt activities of daily living (ADL). Occupational therapy has been effective in improving ADL performance, however, inclusion of multiple tasks means it is unclear which therapy elements contribute to improvement. This study evaluates the efficacy of a task model approach to ADL rehabilitation, comparing training in making a cup of tea with a gait training control condition.

Full description

Apraxia and action disorganization syndrome (AADS) after stroke can disrupt activities of daily living (ADLs). Occupational therapy has been effective in improving ADL performance, however, inclusion of multiple tasks means it is unclear which therapy elements contribute to improvement.

This trial evaluates the efficacy of a task model approach to ADL rehabilitation, comparing training in making a cup of tea with a stepping training control condition.

Stroke survivors with AADS participate in a cross-over randomized controlled study. Participants attend five 1-hour tea making training sessions in which progress is monitored and feedback given using a computer-based system which implements a Markov Decision Process (MDP) task model (CogWatch). In a control condition participants receive five 1-hour stepping sessions.

Analysis compares tea making training with stepping training effects on error reduction and time taken in making 4 different tea types. A complex tea preparation task (making two different cups of tea simultaneously) is used to test for generalisation of training effects.

Enrollment: 29 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 90 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• greater than 2 months post stroke; medically stable; failing at least one of four praxis items in the Birmingham Cognitive Screen (BCoS) or a document filing task.

Exclusion criteria

• recent stroke (less than 2 months post stroke); not medically stable

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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29 participants in 2 patient groups

Tea making followed by stepping

Active Comparator group

Description:

Five 1-hour weekly tea making training sessions in which progress is monitored and feedback given using a computer-based system that implements a Markov Decision Process (MDP) task model (CogWatch) is followed after a 3-week break by a control condition in which participants receive five 1-hour weekly stepping training sessions.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Task model (CogWatch)

Stepping followed by tea making

Active Comparator group

Description:

A control condition comprising five 1-hour weekly stepping training sessions is followed after a 3-week break by five 1-hour weekly tea making training sessions in which progress is monitored and feedback given using a computer-based system that implements a Markov Decision Process (MDP) task model (COgWatch)

Treatment:

Behavioral: Task model (CogWatch)