Counterfactual Thinking and Decision-making in OSA Syndrome

NCT05768633 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 23C211
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 70
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The aim of this research is to verify the ability of counterfactual thinking about medical decisions in individuals with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome when compared with healthy individuals

Conditions

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Keywords

counterfactual thinking; decision-making; neuropsychological assessment; clinical setting

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• CIT score

  Score at the Counterfactual inference test (CIT). The questionnaire is a four question forced choice test based on past research regarding factors that enhance counterfactual thinking. For each of the four questions, events experienced by two individuals are presented, and three response options are given. Only one option is the valid: the score is 1. For the not valid options, the score will be 0. Overall, the score range for the questionnaire is from 0 (worse performance) to 4 (best performance).

  Baseline

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Decision-making index

  Baseline

Study Arms (2)

Cases

Individuals diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome recruited at the beginning of rehabilitative treatment at the Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, San Giuseppe Hospital (Italy).

Behavioral: Counterfactual Inference Test

Controls

Age-matched healthy individuals recruited outside the hospital through personal contacts of the researchers and word-of-mouth.

Behavioral: Counterfactual Inference Test

Interventions

Counterfactual Inference Test BEHAVIORAL

All participants will be asked to complete the Counterfactual Inference Test - CIT (McNamara et al., 2003), a neuropsychological test that measures the ability to produce counterfactual-derived inferences. Moreover, the decision-making ability will be specifically tested through ad-hoc questionnaire (i.e., the Decision-Making Questionnaire). Finally, all participants will be screened with an extensive neuropsychological assessment, particularly on executive functioning.

Cases; Controls

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 20 Years - 75 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Participants with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome consecutively recruited at the beginning of their rehabilitative treatment at the IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano.

You may qualify if:

• \- Diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, according to the clinical assessment.

You may not qualify if:

• \- Concurrent neurological, neurodevelopmental (e.g., autism), motor, and/or psychiatric disorders

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Istituto Auxologico Italiano: lead

Study Sites (1)

IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano - Ospedale San Giuseppe

Piancavallo, VCO, 28824, Italy

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Sleep Apnea, Obstructive

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Sleep Apnea Syndromes; Apnea; Respiration Disorders; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic; Dyssomnias; Sleep Wake Disorders; Nervous System Diseases

Study Officials

• Sofia Tagini, PhD

  IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: CASE CONTROL
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 22, 2023
• First Posted: March 14, 2023
• Study Start: March 2, 2022
• Primary Completion: March 1, 2024
• Study Completion: March 1, 2024
• Last Updated: August 27, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-08

Locations

IT (1)