Computer-Based Intervention in HIV-Positive Young Adults

January 20, 2017 updated by: Melissa Pinto, Emory University
The purpose of this study is to investigate how working with a computer program may affect mood, feelings, overall health, and markers in blood in young adults with HIV.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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Withdrawn

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

Depression frequently occurs in young adults with HIV infection. When young adults with HIV experience depression, they are less likely to take their prescribed antiretroviral therapy (ART). When HIV occurs simultaneously with depression, individuals are more likely to have indicators in their blood that are linked risk for developing other illnesses in the future. The purpose of this project is to examine the ability of an avatar-based intervention, called eSMART-MH, to decrease depressive symptoms in HIV-positive depressed young adults.

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

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.
  • Not Applicable

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

23 years to 35 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 23-53 years of age
  • Fluent in English
  • Be able to view images and text on a computer screen and hear audio using a headset
  • Have a diagnosis of unipolar depression or have significant depressive symptoms noted in the electronic medical record (EMR) or referred to the study by a provider at the Grady Ponce de Leon Clinic because of their depressive symptoms
  • Receive care at Ponce de Leon Center and at least 1 scheduled HIV medical appointment in the last 6 months
  • Reside in the Atlanta, Georgia area
  • Have a valid telephone number and email address
  • Answer all items correctly on consent post-test

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosis of bipolar depression
  • Deaf, blind or unable to understand spoken English
  • Currently pregnant, history of pregnancy within the last year or plan to become pregnant within the next 4 months
  • Plan to move from the Atlanta, Georgia area within four months of study enrollment
  • Taking corticosteroids or disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs
  • If on antidepressant medication, taking it for less than 1 month
  • Fail to pass post-consent test after three attempt

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: Single

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: eSMART-MH
HIV+ young adults will be randomized to receive Electronic Self-Management Resource Training for Mental Health (eSMART-MH)
Device: Electronic Self-Management Resource Training for Mental Health
eSMART-MH is a software, which is set in a 3-D virtual primary care office environment in which a subject interacts with avatar virtual healthcare staff (medical receptionist, medical assistant, providers, and a virtual healthcare coach). The avatars are programed to behave like humans. The subject moves through the 3-D virtual primary care office and encounters virtual healthcare staff and providers. The subject practices discussing depressive symptoms with avatar healthcare providers and practices self-management skills related to symptoms of depression.The subject also interacts with the health care coach. The health care coach provides the subject with real-time strategies to enhance communication with healthcare providers during their virtual office visit. Overtime, coaching is decreased to build the the subject's self-confidence. eSMART-MH will be used once a month, for three months.
Other Names:
  • eSMART-MH
Active Comparator: Attention Control
HIV+ young adults will be randomized to receive screen-based health education
Behavioral: Screen-based health education
Screen-based health education will be used and cover topics like depression, nutrition, physical activity, and sleep hygiene at the same frequency as the eSMART-MH intervention, which is used once a month, for three months.

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 the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 months
The PHQ-9 is a 9-item self-report measure of depressive symptoms which asks participants to rate the frequency of depression symptoms over the past 2 weeks from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day). Scores range from 0 to 27, with higher scores reflecting greater severity of depressive symptoms.
Baseline, 3 months
Change in the General Well-Being Schedule (GWS)
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 months
The GWS is an 18-item self-report measure that examines the subjective feelings of psychological well-being and distress which asks participants to rate each question in relationship to their feelings over the past 4 weeks on a 6-grade Likert scale. The last four items ask respondents to supply ratings on a 1-10 scale. Score range will be transformed into a the scale score on a continuum from 0 to 100, with higher scores reflecting a better well being of the participant.
Baseline, 3 months
Change in Center for Disease Control Health Related Quality of Life-4 (CDC HRQOL-4)
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 months
CDC HRQOL-4 is self-report measures quality of life over the last 30 days in the domains of physical and mental health and asks participants 4 core questions including one health status measure (self-rated health) and three HRQOL measures (recent physical health, recent mental health, and recent activity limitation). The scoring used is with a summary "unhealthy days" index, computed by adding a respondent's physically and mentally unhealthy days, with a maximum of 30 for one person.
Baseline, 3 months
Change in the Quality of Life Enjoyment Scale (Q-LES-Q-SF)
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 months
Q-LES-Q-SF is a 16 item self-report measure that assesses the quality of life satisfaction in multiple domains of functioning which asks participants to rate how satisfied they have been with various aspects of their life over the last week, rating on a 1-5 Likert-type scale. Scores range from 16 to 80, with higher scores reflecting less enjoyment and satisfaction.
Baseline, 3 months

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
Medication Adherence
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 months
Pill counts for antiretroviral therapy (ART) and medication for mood (if ordered) will be measured through examining pills consumed compared to the doses prescribed.
Baseline, 3 months
Change in plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 months
IL-6 is circulating inflammatory biomarker. The plasma concentrations of IL-6 will be assessed using commercial enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) kits.
Baseline, 3 months
Change in cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) Count
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 months
CD4 is a glycoprotein found on the surface of immune cells such as T helper cells, monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells and is a measure for how well the immune system is working. CD4 T-cell will be assessed using flow cytometry and healthy adult/adolescent ranges from 500 cells/mm^3 to 1,200 cells/mm^3.
Baseline, 3 months
Change in Log HIV Viral Load
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 months
Viral load measures the amount of HIV's genetic material in a blood sample. The results of a viral load test are described as the number of copies of HIV RNA in a milliliter of blood. For example, a viral load of 10,000 would be considered low; 100,000 would be considered high. Viral load changes can be very large, so they are sometimes quantified using the powers of ten, or 'log scale'. A 1-log change is the same as a ten-fold change (so 5000 to 50,000 or vice versa).
Baseline, 3 months
Change of plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 months
BDNF is a protein that acts on certain neurons of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system, helping to support the survival of existing neurons, and encourage the growth and differentiation of new neurons and synapses. The plasma concentrations of BDNF will be assessed using commercial enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) kits.
Baseline, 3 months
Change in Fibrinogen levels
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 months
Fibrinogen is a hepatic-derived factor directly involved in clotting and in the viscosity characteristics of blood flow. It binds to platelets and contributes to their aggregation, promotes fibrin formation and is also an acute phase reactant that is increased in inflammatory states. The plasma concentrations of fibrinogen antigen will be assessed using the immunochemistry.
Baseline, 3 months
Change in plasma oxytocin levels
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 months
Oxytocin, a chemical composed of a chain of amino acids, is a substance that has multiple physiological functions within the human body. These functions include roles as both a hormone as well as a neurotransmitter. The plasma concentrations of oxytocin will be assessed using commercial enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) kits.
Baseline, 3 months

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.
Emory University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Melissa D Pinto, PhD,RN,FAAN, Emory University

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.
September 1, 2015

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.
August 1, 2016

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.
August 1, 2016

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 4, 2015

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 4, 2015

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 9, 2015

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 24, 2017

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 20, 2017

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, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

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.
  • IRB00080145

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.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings