Metacognitive Training as a Serious Game
- Conditions
- Schizophrenia and Related DisordersPsychotic DisordersDelusions
- Interventions
- Device: Control gamesDevice: Metacognitive training game
- Registration Number
- NCT04631939
- Lead Sponsor
- Christina Andreou
- Brief Summary
The project aims to evaluate the efficacy of a therapeutic video game that incorporates elements from metacognitive training on delusions and jumping-to-conclusions in patients with psychotic disorders.
- Detailed Description
The study is an international, multicenter study and is being conducted in Switzerland (University of Basel) as well as in Germany (University of Lübeck). A total of 36 participants will be included. The estimated duration of the study is 15 months. All participants play a video game from the genre "Third Person Adventure". A character is navigated through a fantasy world using a keyboard and mouse. In the fantasy world, "stations" in the form of glowing gems are sought where players have to solve different tasks.
Participants are randomized to receive either the therapeutic video game with metacognitive training content or another video game with attention and memory tasks ("control intervention"). The control intervention does not include metacognitive tasks. Metacognitive training is an approach for the treatment of psychotic disorders, particularly delusions. The focus of metacognitive training is on thought distortions (so-called "cognitive biases") that are more pronounced in people with psychosis. The control intervention includes easily understandable, playful tasks. The intervention will take 4 appointments within 2 weeks.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 36
- aged between 18 and 40
- diagnosis of a psychotic disorder and current delusions or a history of delusions
- Language skills insufficient for assessments
- IQ < 70
- Secondary psychotic disorders that are clearly induced by general medical conditions or substance use.
- Previous participation in meta-cognitive training for psychosis
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description control intervention Control games The control intervention consists of a puzzles focused exclusively on dexterity and accuracy. study intervention Metacognitive training game The intervention consists of a puzzle adventure game, in which players have to explore the fantasy world "Macu'ta". The puzzles are based on Metacognitive Training for Psychosis (MCT), an intervention using playful, entertaining exercises to increase awareness of reasoning biases in patients and 'sow the seeds of doubt' through corrective ('aha!') experiences. The tasks will address reasoning biases associated with the emergence and maintenance of delusions.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change of delusion severity Change from pre- to post-intervention (4 weeks) Item P1 of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Min score = 1, max score = 7, where lower scores indicate better outcome.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Fish Task: change of probability threshold to decision Change from pre- to post-intervention (4 weeks) Probability threshold to decision, assessed with the 'Fish task'
Change of total PANSS Score Change from pre- to post-intervention (4 weeks) Total score on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Lower scores indicate better outcome.
Change of delusional conviction Change from pre- to post-intervention (4 weeks) Total score on the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales, delusion part (PSYRATS). Lower scores indicate better outcome.
Fish Task: change of number of draws to decision Change from pre- to post-intervention (4 weeks) Number of draws to decision, assessed with the 'Fish task'
Trial Locations
- Locations (2)
University Psychiatric Clinics Basel
🇨🇭Basel, Basel-Stadt, Switzerland
Center for Integrative Psychiatry Lübeck
🇩🇪Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany