Clinical trial NCT06242704: Train Your Brain 2.0 - Improving Memory and Decision Making Among Youth
Official title: Train Your Brain 2.0: Improving Memory and Decision Making to Improve Outcomes Among Youth - A Randomized Controlled Trial
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Behavior, Health
Keywords: delay discounting
computer-based intervention
executive functioning
substance use
working memory
Lead sponsor: Wayne State University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2024-02-05
Enrollment: 72
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 11
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: The goal of this clinical trial is to deliver a computer-based working memory training program to improve delay discounting (DD) and prevent substance misuse among at-risk adolescents in a traditionally underserved area. Results from the study will inform future substance use prevention efforts targeted at youth exposed to adverse childhood experiences. Findings will also refine future models of intervention delivery in traditionally underserved communities.

The main aims of the project are are:

1) To examine to examine changes in hypothesized mechanisms of substance use initiation and escalation, and 2) to assess whether changes in DD are a mechanism for reducing substance misuse during early adolescence. The investigators will evaluate whether changes in DD following active treatment predict substance use outcomes over the three-month follow-up period.

Detailed description: Youth exposed to early childhood adversity are at increased risk for engaging in problematic substance use, leading to myriad negative health outcomes, including HIV exposure, injury, and impaired driving. Adolescents from low-resource communities evidence elevated rates of exposure to adverse childhood experiences, yet have limited access to evidence-based preventative interventions. Thus, there is a critical need for services that can feasibly target specific mechanisms linking early adversity to the onset and escalation of substance use in traditionally underserved communities.

One such target is delay discounting (DD), the tendency to select small, immediately available rewards relative to larger, delayed, rewards. DD has been linked to early substance use initiation and more frequent and severe use across adolescence. Moreover, youth exposed to early childhood adversity evidence more problematic levels of DD, indicating that DD may be a pathway by which early trauma exposure leads to drug and alcohol use.

Research from the investigative team suggests that computer-based interventions targeting proximal cognitive skills, specifically working memory, can improve rates of DD. Moreover, computerized interventions are highly transportable and scalable, making them ideal for dissemination in low-resource communities. The current project proposes to pilot a computer-based working memory (WM) training program to improve DD and prevent substance use among at-risk adolescents in a traditionally underserved area.

Eligibility criteria: Adolescent Inclusion Criteria:

1. Between the ages of 11 and 15 and have a parent/guardian willing to provide consent for their participation
2. Proficient in English
3. Willing to commit to participate in computer-based trainings over the course of 5-8 weeks (duration dependent on site)
4. Access to internet services, cell phone, and/or email
5. Willing to receive/send study-related text messages

Adolescent Exclusion Criteria:

1. Self-disclosure or identification with psychological disturbance, suicidality, or evidence of active suicide ideation
2. Self-disclosure of current substance use disorder

Parent Inclusion Criteria:

1. Provide consent for child's participation in study
2. Proficient in English
3. Access to internet services, cell phone, and/or email
4. Willing to receive/send study-related text messages

Parent Exclusion Criteria:

1. Self-disclosure or identification with psychosis, suicidality, or evidence of active suicide ideation
2. Self-disclosure of current substance use disorder

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in Monetary Choice Questionnaire
timeFrame: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change in Consideration of Future Consequences Scale
timeFrame: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
measure: Change in Digit Span
timeFrame: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
measure: Change in Stop Signal Task
timeFrame: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
measure: Changes in Letter Number Sequencing Test
timeFrame: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
measure: Change in Alcohol Effect Expectancies (Breif)
timeFrame: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
measure: Change in Marijuana Effect Expectancies
timeFrame: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
measure: Change in Youth Risk Behavior Survey
timeFrame: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
measure: Change in Balloon Analogue Risk Test - Youth
timeFrame: Baseline, 2 Weeks, 3 Months
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Flint
country: United States
facility: Freedom Schools Collaborative
state: Michigan
city: Highland Park
country: United States
facility: Ernest T. Ford Recreation Center
state: Michigan
Study officials:
References: