Cognitive Enhancement Therapy for Adult Autism Spectrum Disorder

NCT00902798 | Completed

• 7 other identifiers: MH085851R33MH085851R21MH085851AR100344053812008NF-AutismARI2014
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 54
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study will investigate and contrast the effects of two psychological treatments for adults with autism spectrum disorder. Cognitive Enhancement Therapy (CET) is a cognitive remediation intervention that aims to help adults with problems in thinking, planning, and socialization. Enriched Supportive Therapy (EST) is an individual supportive therapy that aims to help adults learn about their condition, manage their emotions and stress, improve their social skills, and cope with everyday problems.

Conditions

Autistic Disorder; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Asperger's Syndrome; Pervasive Developmental Disorder

Keywords

Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorders; Asperger's Syndrome; Pervasive Developmental Disorder; Cognition; Social Cognition; Psychosocial Treatment; Cognitive Enhancement Therapy; Enriched Supportive Therapy; Therapy; Psychotherapy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Neurocognition

  Composite measure of neuropsychological tests designed to assess neurocognitive function

  Pre-treatment, 9, 18, and 30 months

• Social cognition

  Composite measure of performance-based and interview tests designed to assess social-cognitive function

  Pre-treatment, 9, 18, and 30 months

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Functional outcome

  Pre-treatment, 9, 18, and 30 months

Study Arms (2)

Cognitive Enhancement Therapy

EXPERIMENTAL

This research treatment aims to help with problems in thinking, planning, and socialization. Participants begin with cognitive training using computer software programs. They also participate in a small social-cognitive group to learn about their condition and how to act wisely in social situations by developing the abilities needed to understand another person's perspective, evaluate social contexts, and be foresightful. Time commitment: about 3½ hours per week; Location: Pittsburgh, PA only

Behavioral: Cognitive Enhancement Therapy

Enriched Supportive Therapy

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

This research treatment uses individual supportive therapy to help adults learn about autism spectrum disorder, manage their emotions and stress, improve their social skills, and cope with everyday problems. Participants will learn about the impact of stress on their lives, and how to identify their own early cues of distress and apply effective coping strategies. Time commitment: about 1 hour per week; Location: Pittsburgh, PA only

Behavioral: Enriched Supportive Therapy

Interventions

Cognitive Enhancement Therapy BEHAVIORAL

An 18-month comprehensive, small group approach for the remediation of cognitive deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders consisting of individual sessions and 45 group training sessions in social cognition that are integrated with approximately 60 hours of computer assisted training in attention, memory, and problem solving skills.

Cognitive Enhancement Therapy

Enriched Supportive Therapy BEHAVIORAL

An 18-month intervention that uses individual supportive therapy to help adults learn about autism spectrum disorder, manage their emotions and stress, improve their social skills, and cope with everyday problems. Participants will learn about the impact of stress on their lives, and how to identify their own early cues of distress and apply effective coping strategies.

Enriched Supportive Therapy

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 16 Years - 45 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Age 16-45 years
• Diagnosis of autism, Asperger's syndrome, or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (NOS) verified by the autism diagnostic observation schedule (ADOS) or autism diagnostic interview-revised (ADI-R)
• Presence of significant social and cognitive disability, based on the Cognitive Style and Social Cognition Eligibility Interview (Hogarty et al., 2004)
• Intelligence quotient (IQ) greater than 80
• Ability to read and speak fluent English
• Availability of a family member or close friend allowed to provide information on the participant
• Ability to attend weekly treatment sessions in Pittsburgh, PA

You may not qualify if:

• Organic brain syndrome
• IQ \< 80
• English language skills below a sixth grade level
• Persistent suicidal or homicidal behavior
• History of substance abuse or dependence within the past 3 months
• Comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Comorbid personality disorder
• History of disruptive or violent behavior
• Any magnetic resonance imaging contraindications

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Pittsburgh: lead
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): collaborator
• Autism Speaks: collaborator
• United States Department of Defense: collaborator
• Pennsylvania Department of Health: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States

Location

Related Publications (4)

• Hogarty GE, Flesher S, Ulrich R, Carter M, Greenwald D, Pogue-Geile M, Kechavan M, Cooley S, DiBarry AL, Garrett A, Parepally H, Zoretich R. Cognitive enhancement therapy for schizophrenia: effects of a 2-year randomized trial on cognition and behavior. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2004 Sep;61(9):866-76. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.61.9.866.

  PMID: 15351765 BACKGROUND

• Hogarty GE, Greenwald DP, Eack SM. Durability and mechanism of effects of cognitive enhancement therapy. Psychiatr Serv. 2006 Dec;57(12):1751-7. doi: 10.1176/ps.2006.57.12.1751.

  PMID: 17158490 BACKGROUND

• Eack SM, Hogarty GE, Greenwald DP, Hogarty SS, Keshavan MS. Cognitive enhancement therapy improves emotional intelligence in early course schizophrenia: preliminary effects. Schizophr Res. 2007 Jan;89(1-3):308-11. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2006.08.018. Epub 2006 Oct 19.

  PMID: 17055227 BACKGROUND

• Eack SM, Hogarty SS, Greenwald DP, Litschge MY, Porton SA, Mazefsky CA, Minshew NJ. Cognitive enhancement therapy for adult autism spectrum disorder: Results of an 18-month randomized clinical trial. Autism Res. 2018 Mar;11(3):519-530. doi: 10.1002/aur.1913. Epub 2017 Dec 29.

  PMID: 29286586 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Autistic Disorder; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Asperger Syndrome; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Shaun M. Eack, PhD

  University of Pittsburgh

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Nancy J. Minshew, MD

  University of Pittsburgh

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor of Social Work and Psychiatry

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 13, 2009
• First Posted: May 15, 2009
• Study Start: August 1, 2010
• Primary Completion: April 1, 2016
• Study Completion: June 1, 2017
• Last Updated: April 13, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share

Locations

US (1)