Clinical trial NCT06828471: Social Cognition Training in Individuals With Huntington's Disease
Official title: Social Cognition Training in Individuals With Huntington's Disease: A Feasibility Study
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Huntington&#39;s Disease (HD)
Keywords: Huntington&amp;#39;s Disease
Social Cognition
Caregiver Burden
Lead sponsor: Rush University Medical Center
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2025-02-14
Enrollment: 20
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 65
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: OTHER

Brief summary: Individuals with Huntington's Disease have impaired social cognition, which is the domain of cognition that allows individuals to understand others' perspectives so that they can navigate interpersonal actions successfully (e.g., understanding someone may be sad based of their facial emotion or tone of voice and then responding in a sympathetic manner). Impaired social cognition is associated with impaired social functioning, poor psychological wellbeing and increased caregiver burden, which is known to be significant among those who care for individuals with Huntington's Disease. Computerized social cognition training has been shown to improve social cognition in individuals with schizophrenia, who, like individuals with Huntington's disease, have cognitive impairments. The investigators propose a pilot study of computerized social cognition training in individuals with Huntington's disease. This will be a feasibility study that aims to show that social cognition training in HD can be studied in preparation for a larger randomized controlled trial. The investigators hypothesize that social cognition training can improve social cognition, social functioning, and quality of life in individuals with Huntington's Disease and decrease caregiver burden among those who care for individuals with Huntington's Disease.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria for Individual with Huntington's Disease

* Diagnosed with Huntington's Disease based on genetic testing
* Must be between 18 and 65 years of age
* Native English speaker who is literate in English
* Stable psychotropic medication regimen for 4 weeks
* Must have a score of "somewhat easily" on all items in the CPQ-12
* MOCA \>18
* Completed 12 years of schooling
* Access to laptop or mobile device
* Willingness to come in person 6-12 weeks after first visit

Inclusion Criteria for Caregiver of Individual with Huntington's Disease

* Lives with patient
* Must be between 18 and 65 years of age
* Native English speaker who is literate in English
* MOCA \>26
* Willingness to come in person within 6-12 weeks after first visit

Exclusion Criteria for Individual with Huntington's Disease

* Any known neurological condition (other than Huntington's Disease).
* History of learning and/or intellectual disabilities
* Currently actively involved in any other interventional trial (i.e. have begun the intervention) or within 4 weeks of completing the final assessments of an interventional trial.
* Currently regularly completing a computerized cognitive training intervention.
* Active suicidal ideation with some intent

Exclusion Criteria for Caregiver of Individual with Huntington's Disease

* Inability to provide informed consent
* Active suicidal ideation with some intent

Primary outcomes:
measure: Proportion of participants willing to consider study out of those who have been approached
timeFrame: 32 months
measure: Number of participants who adhered and completed the study
timeFrame: 32 months
measure: Ease of program on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being "very easy."
timeFrame: 32 months
measure: Participant satisfaction with the program
timeFrame: 32 months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change in accuracy on a facial emotion recognition task
timeFrame: 6-12 weeks
measure: Change in accuracy on an empathic accuracy task
timeFrame: 6-12 weeks
measure: Change in score on the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities (scores range from 45 to 225; higher score indicates better outcome)
timeFrame: 6-12 weeks
measure: Change in score on the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities Questionnaire (scores range from 45 to 225; higher score indicates better outcome)
timeFrame: 6-12 weeks
measure: Change in score on the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders Positive Affect and Wellbeing Questionnaire (scores range from 23 to 115; higher score indicates better outcome)
timeFrame: 6-12 weeks
measure: Change in score on the Caregiver Burden Inventory (scores range from 0-96; lower score indicates better outcome)
timeFrame: 6-12 weeks
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Chicago
country: United States
facility: Rush University Medical Center
state: Illinois
Study officials:
References: