Katharine Huynh, Sharna D Jamadar, Amit Lampit, M Navyaan Siddiqui, Julie C Stout, Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Huntington's disease (HD) is a rare neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive cognitive, physical, and psychiatric symptoms. Computerised cognitive training (CCT) is a novel intervention that aims to improve and maintain cognitive functions through repeated practice. The effects of CCT have yet to be established in HD. This randomised pilot trial examined the feasibility of a large scale trial to assess efficacy of multidomain CCT in pre-manifest and early-stage HD.
Methods: 28 participants were randomised to either at-home CCT (2 × 60 min sessions per week for 12 weeks; n = 13) or lifestyle education through monthly newsletters (n = 15). Participants completed cognitive tasks and questionnaires at baseline and follow up, either in person (n = 18) or via video teleconferencing (n = 10).
Results: All participants were retained at follow up, and adherence to CCT ranged from 96 to 100%, with 11/13 participants completing all sessions. Preliminary analyses showed evidence of a large effect of CCT on task switching and response inhibition, compared to lifestyle education. There was no evidence of specific benefit to other cognitive domains (processing speed, basic and divided attention, working memory), or psychosocial functions (subjective cognition, mood, health-related quality of life).
Discussion: Whilst retention and adherence rates were high, recruitment rates were low, suggesting that a large scale trial may be feasible with some modifications to increase recruitment rates, such as by reducing time burden associated with the study, and using a multi-site trial design. Potential effects on cognitive functioning warrant further investigation.
Clinical trial registration: The trial was prospectively registered on the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12622000908730).
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Neurology is an international peer-reviewed journal which provides a source for publishing original communications and reviews on clinical neurology covering the whole field.
In addition, Letters to the Editors serve as a forum for clinical cases and the exchange of ideas which highlight important new findings. A section on Neurological progress serves to summarise the major findings in certain fields of neurology. Commentaries on new developments in clinical neuroscience, which may be commissioned or submitted, are published as editorials.
Every neurologist interested in the current diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders needs access to the information contained in this valuable journal.