Evaluation of a Visual Remediation Intervention for Schizophrenia
| Status: | Recruiting |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Schizophrenia |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Psychiatry / Psychology |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 18 - 60 |
| Updated: | 4/17/2018 |
| Start Date: | February 23, 2017 |
| End Date: | February 28, 2019 |
| Contact: | Judy L. Thompson, Ph.D. |
| Email: | judy.thompson@rutgers.edu |
| Phone: | 732-235-9297 |
Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric condition that is associated with significant distress
and disability. In addition to cognitive difficulties in domains such as attention, memory,
and problem-solving, individuals with schizophrenia can experience visual-processing
abnormalities, including impairments in visual acuity, low-contrast stimulus detection, and
perceptual organization (i.e., perceiving visual information in an organized "perceptual
whole"). These visual impairments are clinically significant, with research indicating that
specific visual-processing alterations are significantly related to poorer performance on
higher-level cognitive tasks, impaired facial emotion recognition, impaired reading ability,
and worse functional outcomes. Despite such findings, very few studies have evaluated the
therapeutic potential of interventions that are specifically designed to improve visual
processing ("visual remediation") for individuals with schizophrenia. Thus the aim of this
study is to evaluate the efficacy of a computerized visual perceptual training program that
targets low- and mid-level visual processes to improve visual, cognitive, and
emotion-recognition functions in outpatients with schizophrenia through a small randomized
controlled trial. The investigators will recruit up to 40 individuals with schizophrenia or
schizoaffective disorder who are receiving treatment in Rutgers University Behavioral Health
Care (UBHC) Partial Hospital Program; half will be randomized to receive the computerized
visual training, which will be delivered in small groups over a period of 12-14 weeks. The
specific aims of this study are to collect preliminary data on: 1) the feasibility of
participant recruitment and retention, and tolerability of the treatment components of the
study; and 2) the efficacy of computerized visual training (VT) to improve low- and mid-level
visual processes, and higher-level cognitive and social-cognitive performance. Based on
preliminary data, the investigators hypothesize that the target number of participants will
be successfully recruited and engaged in the VT intervention (n=16) and control condition
(n=16), and that the participants who receive VT will demonstrate greater improvements on
measures of low- and mid-level visual, higher-level cognitive, and social-cognitive functions
compared to those who receive standard partial-hospital care without VT. The results of this
initial trial will be used to inform the design and application for funding of a larger-scale
investigation of visual remediation for individuals with schizophrenia.
and disability. In addition to cognitive difficulties in domains such as attention, memory,
and problem-solving, individuals with schizophrenia can experience visual-processing
abnormalities, including impairments in visual acuity, low-contrast stimulus detection, and
perceptual organization (i.e., perceiving visual information in an organized "perceptual
whole"). These visual impairments are clinically significant, with research indicating that
specific visual-processing alterations are significantly related to poorer performance on
higher-level cognitive tasks, impaired facial emotion recognition, impaired reading ability,
and worse functional outcomes. Despite such findings, very few studies have evaluated the
therapeutic potential of interventions that are specifically designed to improve visual
processing ("visual remediation") for individuals with schizophrenia. Thus the aim of this
study is to evaluate the efficacy of a computerized visual perceptual training program that
targets low- and mid-level visual processes to improve visual, cognitive, and
emotion-recognition functions in outpatients with schizophrenia through a small randomized
controlled trial. The investigators will recruit up to 40 individuals with schizophrenia or
schizoaffective disorder who are receiving treatment in Rutgers University Behavioral Health
Care (UBHC) Partial Hospital Program; half will be randomized to receive the computerized
visual training, which will be delivered in small groups over a period of 12-14 weeks. The
specific aims of this study are to collect preliminary data on: 1) the feasibility of
participant recruitment and retention, and tolerability of the treatment components of the
study; and 2) the efficacy of computerized visual training (VT) to improve low- and mid-level
visual processes, and higher-level cognitive and social-cognitive performance. Based on
preliminary data, the investigators hypothesize that the target number of participants will
be successfully recruited and engaged in the VT intervention (n=16) and control condition
(n=16), and that the participants who receive VT will demonstrate greater improvements on
measures of low- and mid-level visual, higher-level cognitive, and social-cognitive functions
compared to those who receive standard partial-hospital care without VT. The results of this
initial trial will be used to inform the design and application for funding of a larger-scale
investigation of visual remediation for individuals with schizophrenia.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Between the ages of 18-60.
- Meets DSM-5 criteria for schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or schizophreniform
disorder.
- Currently attends the Rutgers UBHC Partial Hospital Program and plans to continue
attending for at least the next 16 weeks.
- If the participant is treated with antipsychotic medication, he/she is on stable
treatment with this medication (i.e. no change in medication type, or substantial
change in dose, for at least 4 weeks prior to participating in the study and no
anticipated change for the next 16 weeks).
- Has capacity to provide informed consent.
- Is fluent in English.
- Has a minimum binocular visual acuity of 20/100, as assessed at baseline using a
standard eye chart, with the participant's typical vision correction (e.g., with
glasses if the participant typically wears glasses).
Exclusion Criteria:
- Has met DSM-5 criteria for a substance-use disorder within the last 12 months (with
the exception of tobacco use disorder, which will be permitted).
- Has a verbal IQ score of < 70 per the Wechsler Test of Adult Reading (WTAR).
- Current or recent history of a medical condition that significantly affects the
structure or function of the brain or eye (e.g., ocular or retinal disease, thyroid
disease, untreated hypertension, uncontrolled diabetes).
- Current or past neurological or neurodevelopmental disorder such as seizure disorder,
cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, or pervasive developmental disorder.
- Has a "lazy eye" or history of severe eye injury.
- Has received electroconvulsive therapy within the last 8 weeks.
- Has a history of head injury with loss of consciousness lasting more than 10 minutes
or with neurobehavioral consequences of the injury (e.g., need for follow-up
treatment, cognitive or behavioral changes following the injury, etc.).
- Any current use (last month) of non-prescribed amphetamines, opiates, cocaine,
sedative-hypnotics, and/or cannabis.
We found this trial at
1
site
671 Hoes Lane West
Piscataway, New Jersey 08854
Piscataway, New Jersey 08854
Phone: 732-235-9297
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