Understanding Neurocognitive Impairment After Trauma Exposure (UNITE)

University of Otago

Status: Completed

Conditions: Earthquake; Trauma, Psychological

Treatments: Other: Trauma exposure

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05090046

11896201PQF

Details and patient eligibility

About

Individuals living in Canterbury (New Zealand) have experienced significant stress related to the Canterbury earthquake sequence. Previous research conducted at the Department of Psychological Medicine (Christchurch, New Zealand) has shown significant cognitive difficulties in a group of Cantabrians exposed to high levels of earthquake trauma. A high proportion (30%) perceive themselves to have significant cognitive difficulties, even seven years post-earthquake. People who perceive that they have cognitive difficulties find this distressing and tend to function less well in work and parenting. Understanding pathways underlying cognitive difficulties in the population is vital for developing appropriate treatments and strategies to help with this.

This will be the first study to investigate rates of, and factors contributing to, perceived cognitive difficulties in a large population exposed to multiple stressors and is important for the population of Canterbury, and populations affected by natural and man-made disasters worldwide.

Four hundred and sixty people who were exposed to the Canterbury earthquake sequence will be recruited from the Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS). Psychological, cognitive, functional and biological factors will be compared between those with the greatest levels of perceived cognitive difficulty and those with the lowest levels of difficulty. This will determine what factors relate most strongly to perceived cognitive difficulties, which will in turn be used to develop treatments for this population.

Enrollment: 128 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 44 to 46 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Cohort member of the Christchurch Health and Development Study (born in 1977)
• Exposed to the Canterbury earthquake sequence
• In the highest or lowest quartile with regards to score on the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire

Exclusion criteria

• lifetime diagnosed psychotic disorder
• previous moderate to severe head injury (> 30 minutes loss of consciousness)
• current pregnancy
• intellectual disability (IQ < 80)
• residing outside of Canterbury

Trial design

128 participants in 1 patient group

Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS)

Description:

The Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS) is a birth cohort study comprising 1265 people born in Christchurch in 1977. Participants have been followed to age 40, with 75-80% retention at data collection points.

Treatment:

Other: Trauma exposure