Matching Cognitive Remediation to Cognitive Deficits in Substance-Abusing Inmates

Sponsor

University of Wisconsin, Madison (Other)

Overall Status

Completed

CT.gov ID

NCT01428349

Collaborator

(none)

180

Enrollment

Locations

Arms

Duration (Months)

Patients Per Site

3.7

Patients Per Site Per Month

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

This is a 2 -year NIDA funded grant (Co-PIs: Joseph P. Newman, John Curtin, and Carl Lejuez) that examines whether recent progress in characterizing the cognitive deficits associated with psychopathic and externalizing offenders may be used to develop better therapeutic interventions to treat their substance abuse and other self-control problems. Inmates with externalizing or psychopathy will receive one of two computer-based interventions to remediate the core cognitive skills that have been linked to self-regulation deficits in the two groups. One intervention (ACC) targets the affective cognitive control deficits associated with externalizing offenders whereas the other intervention (ATC) targets the attention to context deficits associated with psychopathic offenders. The specific components of the project include: selection and randomization of inmates; pre- and post-treatment behavioral and brain-related (ERP and Startle) measures to evaluate the impact and specificity of the ACC and ATC treatments; and 6 sessions of behavioral (e.g. computerized) and verbal training in ACC or ATC.

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment	Phase
Psychopathy Personality Disorders	Other: Cognitive Remediation Other: Cognitive Remediation	N/A

Study Design

Study Type:

Interventional

Actual Enrollment :

180 participants

Allocation:

Randomized

Intervention Model:

Crossover Assignment

Masking:

Single (Participant)

Primary Purpose:

Treatment

Official Title:

Matching Cognitive Remediation to Cognitive Deficits in Substance-Abusing Inmates

Study Start Date :

May 1, 2011

Actual Primary Completion Date :

May 1, 2013

Actual Study Completion Date :

May 1, 2013

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/Treatment
Experimental: Attention to Context	Other: Cognitive Remediation Computer training on 3 tasks that targets the attention to context deficits associated with psychopathic offenders. Participants complete 6 training sessions, that include the tasks, feedback and real-world translational examples.
Experimental: Affective Cognitive Control	Other: Cognitive Remediation Computer training on 3 tasks that targets the affective cognitive control deficits associated with externalizing offenders. Participants complete 6 training sessions, that include the tasks, feedback and real-world translational examples.

Arm

Intervention/Treatment

Experimental: Attention to Context

Other: Cognitive Remediation

Computer training on 3 tasks that targets the attention to context deficits associated with psychopathic offenders. Participants complete 6 training sessions, that include the tasks, feedback and real-world translational examples.

Experimental: Affective Cognitive Control

Other: Cognitive Remediation

Computer training on 3 tasks that targets the affective cognitive control deficits associated with externalizing offenders. Participants complete 6 training sessions, that include the tasks, feedback and real-world translational examples.

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

Psychophysiological change from pre-treatment to post-treatment [6 weeks after pre-testing]
We will measure electrophysiology (EEG), startle responses (EMG measured in microvolts), and behavioral responses on six tasks that measure such processes as affective regulation, distress tolerance, cognitive control, selective attention, and attending to context.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Frequency of Conduct Reports [within 3 months of participation]
Assess change in the frequency of institution conduct reports post-treatment. We will compare frequency of these reports pre-treatment and post-treatment.