Developing Cognitive Training for Tourette Syndrome

January 13, 2015 updated by: Han Joo Lee, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Developing Effective Response Inhibition Training for Symptom Relief in Tourette Syndrome

Many researchers suspect that individuals with Tourette Syndrome (TS) may have a poor cognitive ability (i.e., response inhibition; RI) that is essential to inhibit inappropriate response such as vocal or motor tics. The investigators aim to test whether a well-established behavior therapy for TS can be improved by increasing the individual's RI capabilities. To this end, 20 children will be randomly assigned to behavior therapy with computer-based RI training or behavior therapy with placebo computer-based cognitive training. The investigators will test the hypothesis that computer-based RI training can be a useful addition to the well-established behavior therapy to enhance its therapeutic effect.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The current research seeks to examine the feasibility of using a computer-based RI training program as an adjunctive intervention for the Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT). Our central hypothesis is that cognitive training designed to enhance RI will potentiate treatment outcomes of CBIT. To this end, the investigators will conduct a two-arm placebo-controlled double-blind trial, in which 20 children with TS will be randomly assigned to CBIT with computerized RI training (CBIT+RIT; n=10) or CBIT with placebo computer training (CBIT +PLT; n=10). CBIT consists of eight weekly sessions that present awareness training, competing response training, relaxation training and functional contingency management in a manualized format. The adjunctive computer training (RIT or PLT) will be delivered during the first 4 weeks of CBIT/HRT (i.e. 8 twice-weekly 40-min sessions). Tic symptoms and RI capabilities will be assessed at baseline, mid-treatment, post-treatment, and 1 month follow-up. This project is expected to increase our understanding about the nature of response inhibition deficits in TS and generate knowledge that will guide the development of effective cognitive interventions for TS.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
20

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Wisconsin
      • Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, 53211
        • The Psychology Clinic, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

9 years to 17 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • age between 9 and 17
  • a diagnosis of TS or chronic tic disorder on the structured diagnostic interview
  • moderate to severe levels of tic symptoms (YGTSS total score > 13 for TS, or > 9 for CTD), and (d) IQ > 80.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • current substance abuse or dependence
  • current or past psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia
  • 4 or more previous sessions of behavioral treatments for tic
  • significant suicidal ideation and/or attempts within the past 3 months
  • any recent (in the previous month) or planned change in medication for tic symptoms.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: CBIT + Response Inhibition Training
CBIT is an 8 session treatment protocol held over 10 weeks. In CBIT, core components are implemented across the various therapy sessions. These core components include habit reversal training (HRT), functional assessment/function-based interventions, and a behavioral reward program for the child. Each core component is briefly described below. HRT/CBIT involves three components, awareness training, competing response training, and social support training (Woods, Twohig, Roloff, & Flessner, 2003). For this condition, CBIT will be combined with adjunctive computerized response inhibition training, which will be delivered over the first 4 weeks of the CBIT treatment.
Behavioral: Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT)
CBIT is an 8 session treatment protocol held over 10 weeks. Its core components are implemented across the various therapy sessions. These core components include habit reversal training (HRT), functional assessment/function-based interventions, and a behavioral reward program for the child.
Other Names:
  • Habit Reversal for Tourette Syndrome
Behavioral: Computerized Response Inhibition Training
Twice-weekly 45 minute computerized sessions for cognitive training focused on enhancing response inhibition capabilities.
Placebo Comparator: Experimental: CBIT + Placebo Computer Training
In this condition, participants receive the same package of CBIT treatment, which consists of awareness training, competing response training, and social support training (Woods, Twohig, Roloff, & Flessner, 2003). Additionally, the standard CBIT treatment is combined with computer-based placebo cognitive training that is irrelevant to the target cognitive ability (i.e., response inhibition). During the first 4 weeks of the CBIT treatment, participants will receive 8 sessions of placebo cognitive training.
Behavioral: Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT)
CBIT is an 8 session treatment protocol held over 10 weeks. Its core components are implemented across the various therapy sessions. These core components include habit reversal training (HRT), functional assessment/function-based interventions, and a behavioral reward program for the child.
Other Names:
  • Habit Reversal for Tourette Syndrome
Behavioral: Computerized Placebo Cognitive Training
Twice-weekly 45 minute computerized sessions for placebo cognitive training, which has been designed to be irrelevant for response inhibition capabilities.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in scores on the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) across baseline, 4-week, 8-week, and 12 week assessments. during and after the treatment from baseline
Time Frame: At baseline, 4 week (mid-treatment), 8 week (post-treatment), and 12 week (1-month follow-up)
The YGTSS is a well-validated instrument that produces severity ratings for motor and vocal tics, impairment caused by the tics, and an overall severity score of tic symptoms.
At baseline, 4 week (mid-treatment), 8 week (post-treatment), and 12 week (1-month follow-up)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in scores on the Clinical Global Impression Severity and Improvement (CGI-S and CGI-I) across baseline, 4-week, 8-week, and 12 week assessments.
Time Frame: At baseline, 4 week (mid-treatment), 8 week (post-treatment), and 12 week (1-month follow-up)
The CGI-S and CGI-I are clinicianadministered rating scales that have been widely used in treatment outcome research for over 25 years. The current research will use the CGI scale to evaluate the overall severity and improvement in tic symptoms.
At baseline, 4 week (mid-treatment), 8 week (post-treatment), and 12 week (1-month follow-up)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Tourette Association of America

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 1, 2011

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 1, 2014

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 2, 2011

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 22, 2011

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 23, 2011

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
January 15, 2015

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 13, 2015

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
January 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • TSA-2011-Lee
  • TSA (Other Identifier: Tourette Syndrome Association)

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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