Clinical trial NCT02540772: Neuropsychological Rehabilitation of Spontaneous Confabulation
Official title: Study of the Neuroanatomical Circuits, Predictors and Prognostic Factors of Spontaneous Confabulation: Designing an Assessment and Rehabilitation Program
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Memory Disorders
Keywords: Confabulations
Neuropsychological rehabilitation
Memory
Lead sponsor: San Rafael University Hospital, Granada, Spain
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2015-09-04
Enrollment: 20
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 35
Maximum age (years): 86
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: Confabulators consistently generate false memories without intention to deceive and with great feeling of rightness. However, there is currently no known effective treatment for them. In order to fill this gap, the aim of this trial was to design a neuropsychological treatment based on the current theoretical models and test it experimentally in two groups of confabulators: experimental vs. control. The treatment consisted of some brief material that patients had to learn and recall at both immediate and delayed moments. After both recollections, patients were given feedback about their performance (errors and correct responses). Pre-treatment and post-treatment baselines were administered. Confabulators in the control group performed the baselines without treatment, and were then offered the treatment after the second baseline.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* The presence of spontaneous confabulations after acute brain injury, for at least three months and without clinical improvement (interfering with the patient's daily life with frequent arguments and exhaustive supervision).
* The presence of momentary confabulations in the Spanish adaptation of Dalla Barba provoked confabulation interview.
* Prior to injury, all patients should be completely independent for daily living.

Exclusion Criteria:

* The presence of impairment in alertness.
* Dementia.
* Acute confusional state.
* A history of alcohol or drug abuse.
* Psychiatric antecedents.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Number of Confabulations
timeFrame: Measures were recorded during 3 sessions administered in 1 week before (pre-baseline) and during 3 sessions after the treatment (post-baseline). In the control group, pre and post baselines were also recorded but without any treatment between them
measure: Number of Correct Responses
timeFrame: Measures were recorded during 3 sessions administered in 1 week before (pre-baseline) and during 3 sessions after the treatment (post-baseline). In the control group, pre and post baselines were also recorded but without any treatment between them
measure: Number of Non-responses
timeFrame: Measures were recorded during 3 sessions administered in 1 week before (pre-baseline) and during 3 sessions after the treatment (post-baseline). In the control group, pre and post baselines were also recorded but without any treatment between them
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Number of Errors in Source Attribution
timeFrame: Measures were recorded during 3 sessions administered in 1 week before (pre-baseline) and during 3 sessions after the treatment (post-baseline). In the control group, pre and post baselines were also recorded but without any treatment between them
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Granada
country: Spain
facility: San Rafael University Hospital
Study officials:
affiliation: San Rafael University Hospital
name: Monica Triviño, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Gilboa A, Alain C, Stuss DT, Melo B, Miller S, Moscovitch M. Mechanisms of spontaneous confabulations: a strategic retrieval account. Brain. 2006 Jun;129(Pt 6):1399-414. doi: 10.1093/brain/awl093. Epub 2006 Apr 25.
citation: Moscovitch M, Melo B. Strategic retrieval and the frontal lobes: evidence from confabulation and amnesia. Neuropsychologia. 1997 Jul;35(7):1017-34. doi: 10.1016/s0028-3932(97)00028-6.
citation: Schnider A. The confabulating mind. How the brain creates reality. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2008.
citation: Nahum L, Bouzerda-Wahlen A, Guggisberg A, Ptak R, Schnider A. Forms of confabulation: dissociations and associations. Neuropsychologia. 2012 Aug;50(10):2524-34. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2012.06.026. Epub 2012 Jul 7.
citation: Ciaramelli E, Ghetti S, Borsotti M. Divided attention during retrieval suppresses false recognition in confabulation. Cortex. 2009 Feb;45(2):141-53. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2007.10.006. Epub 2008 Feb 6.
citation: Dayus B, Van den Broek MD. Treatment of stable delusional confabulations using self-monitoring training. Neuropsychol Rehabil, 2000; 10(4):415-427.
citation: Del Grosso Destreri N, Farina E, Calabrese E, Pinardi G, Imbornone E, Mariani C. Frontal impairment and confabulation after herpes simplex encephalitis: A case report. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2002 Mar;83(3):423-6. doi: 10.1053/apmr.2002.29646.
citation: Dalla Barba G, Decaix C. "Do you remember what you did on March 13, 1985?" A case study of confabulatory hypermnesia. Cortex. 2009 May;45(5):566-74. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2008.03.009. Epub 2008 Jun 5.