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Long-Covid: Treatment of Cognitive Difficulties

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Cognitive Dysfunction
COVID-19
Interventions
Behavioral: Psychoeducation
Registration Number
NCT05167266
Lead Sponsor
University of Liege
Brief Summary

The purpose of the study is to explore the potential effectiveness of two common low-dose interventions, one targeting cognitive difficulties and the other targeting affective difficulties on quality of life and cognition in people suffering from long-COVID with cognitive complaints.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
130
Inclusion Criteria
  • Subjects able to understand the information and consent forms;
  • Medically stable and at least 3 months after positive PCR for Covid-19;
  • Self-reported sufficiently good physical condition to attend the appointment;
  • No major hearing or vision disorders;
  • Cognitive complaints that place the person in the top 20% of dissatisfied functioning on the BRIEF or MMQ questionnaires;
  • Poor objective performance supported by a score below the 20th percentile on one task of the cognitive battery.
Exclusion Criteria
  • Any chronic or remote neurological disorder (i.e. stroke, head trauma, epilepsy, tumor);
  • Cognitive impairment (minor or major neurocognitive disorder; intellectual disability) preexisting to the Covid-19 episode;
  • Acute brain injury or acute encephalopathy from another aetiology than covid (e.g., sepsis, liver or renal failure, alcohol or drug withdrawal, drug toxicity);
  • Documented preexisting history of psychiatric illness, including substance abuse; Open-heart cardiac surgery or cardiac arrest during the last 6 months;
  • Current hospitalization;
  • Current revalidation care with cognitive treatment

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Cognitive psychoeducationPsychoeducation1) The cognitive intervention is a 4-session, psycho-educative, integrative and multidimensional intervention designed to prevent post-acute cognitive symptoms. Each individual session will last 90' and will concern a specific cognitive domain: * Cognition in covid, fatigue and sleep * Working memory and attentional functioning * Executive functioning * Memory functioning The structure of the sessions will be similar: (1) explanation about (dys)functioning of processes associated to the domain of interest: (2) identification of problems in daily life translated into functional objectives (e.g. keeping papers organized; scheduling activities to avoid fatigue); (3) discovery and application of (meta)cognitive strategies. Material (videos, tips,...) will be provided that the patients can consult when needed. The patients will have a diary to complete to explain when they applied the content of the intervention in daily life, and how successful it was.
Affective psychoeducationPsychoeducation2) The affective intervention is also a psychoeducation program based on four sessions, in which different strategies and resources will be proposed to increase self-efficacy for emotion management: * Recognizing emotions and affective states * Accepting and communicating emotions and difficulties * Accepting the uncertainty associated with difficulties * Behavioural activation Material (videos, tips,...) will be provided that the patients can consult when needed. The patients will have a diary to complete to explain when they applied the content of the intervention in daily life, and how successful it was.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Comparison of change in subjective cognitive difficulties between the two intervention armsTwo months post-intervention

Subjective report of difficulties experienced by patients in daily life: BRIEF (Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function) and MMQ (Multifactorial Memory Questionnaire) questionnaires.

The BRIEF summary index scales (Behavioral Regulation Index and Metacognition Index) and the scale reflecting overall functioning (Global Executive Composite) are expressed at t-scores (M=50, SD=10) ranging from 30 to 100. Higher scores indicates better outcome.

There are three scales in the MMQ : Satisfaction Scale, Ability Scale and Strategy Scale. The individual score will range from 0 to 72, from 0 to 80 and from 0 to 76 respectively for each scale. Higher scores indicate better ratings.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Comparison of change in quality of life assessment between the two intervention arms2 and 8 months post-intervention

Subjective report of quality of life experienced by patients in daily life: scores from ISQV (Inventaire Systématique de Qualité de Vie) and EQ-5D (from the EuroQol Group).

Scores at ISQV range from 1 (smallest possible gap between 'desired situation' and 'current situation' ) to 100 (largest possible gap). Scores at the EQ-5D range from 5 (full health) to 25 (worst health).

Comparison of changes in cognitive performance between the two intervention arms2 and 8 months post-intervention

Cognitive scores in the domains of attention, working memory, long term memory and executive functions, as well as global cognitive efficiency.

Comparison of change in subjective cognitive difficulties between the two intervention armsEight months post-intervention

Subjective report of difficulties experienced by patients in daily life: scores from BRIEF and MMQ questionnaires

The BRIEF summary index scales (Behavioral Regulation Index and Metacognition Index) and the scale reflecting overall functioning (Global Executive Composite) are expressed at t-scores (M=50, SD=10) ranging from 30 to 100. Higher scores indicates better outcome.

There are three scales in the MMQ : Satisfaction Scale, Ability Scale and Strategy Scale. The individual score will range from 0 to 72, from 0 to 80 and from 0 to 76 respectively for each scale. Higher scores indicate better ratings.

Trial Locations

Locations (5)

ULB - CHU Erasme

🇧🇪

Bruxelles, Belgium

CHR Citadelle

🇧🇪

Liège, Belgium

ULiège - CHU

🇧🇪

Liège, Belgium

ULiège - CPLU

🇧🇪

Liège, Belgium

CHC Mont Légia

🇧🇪

Liège, Belgium

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