Protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial evaluating feasibility and acceptability of cognitive remediation group therapy compared with mutual aid group therapy for people ageing with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) in Toronto, Canada

Introduction HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) may affect 30%–50% of people ageing with HIV. HAND may increase stress and anxiety, and impede coping. Psychosocial group therapy may ameliorate HAND’s symptoms, yet the ideal intervention is unclear. This protocol outlines a pilot randomise...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Andrew David Eaton, Shelley L Craig, John W McCullagh, Sharon L Walmsley, Sean B Rourke, Teresa Sota, Barbara A Fallon
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2019-10-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/10/e033183.full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850247981595361280
author Andrew David Eaton
Shelley L Craig
John W McCullagh
Sharon L Walmsley
Sean B Rourke
Teresa Sota
Barbara A Fallon
author_facet Andrew David Eaton
Shelley L Craig
John W McCullagh
Sharon L Walmsley
Sean B Rourke
Teresa Sota
Barbara A Fallon
author_sort Andrew David Eaton
collection DOAJ
description Introduction HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) may affect 30%–50% of people ageing with HIV. HAND may increase stress and anxiety, and impede coping. Psychosocial group therapy may ameliorate HAND’s symptoms, yet the ideal intervention is unclear. This protocol outlines a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT)—designed using community-based participatory research—to pilot cognitive remediation group therapy (CRGT) against an active comparator.Methods and analysis This is a pilot, parallel design, two-arm RCT that will recruit participants diagnosed with the mild neurocognitive disorder form of HAND from a neurobehavioural research unit at a tertiary care hospital in Toronto, Canada. Eligibility criteria include age ≥40 years, known HIV status for 5+ years, English fluency, able to consent and able to attend 8 weeks of group therapy. Eligible participants will be randomised to one of two treatment arms, each consisting of eight-session group interventions delivered once weekly at 3 hours per session. Arm 1 (novel) is CRGT, combining mindfulness-based stress reduction with brain training activities. Arm 2 (active control) is mutual aid group therapy. The primary outcomes are feasibility, measured by proportions of recruitment and completion, and acceptability, determined by a satisfaction questionnaire. The secondary outcome is intervention fidelity, where content analysis will be used to assess facilitator session reports. A between-group analysis will be conducted on exploratory outcomes of stress, anxiety, coping and use of intervention activities that will be collected at three time points.Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval was obtained from the Research Ethics Boards of St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and community reporting. This study could provide insight into design (eg, recruitment, measures) and intervention considerations (eg, structure, content) for a larger trial to lessen the burden of cognitive decline among people ageing with HIV.Trial registration number NCT03483740; Pre-results
format Article
id doaj-art-9977d581fb024b2088bfccc72a26d625
institution OA Journals
issn 2044-6055
language English
publishDate 2019-10-01
publisher BMJ Publishing Group
record_format Article
series BMJ Open
spelling doaj-art-9977d581fb024b2088bfccc72a26d6252025-08-20T01:58:48ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552019-10-0191010.1136/bmjopen-2019-033183Protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial evaluating feasibility and acceptability of cognitive remediation group therapy compared with mutual aid group therapy for people ageing with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) in Toronto, CanadaAndrew David Eaton0Shelley L Craig1John W McCullagh2Sharon L Walmsley3Sean B Rourke4Teresa Sota5Barbara A Fallon61 Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaFactor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada4 Ontario AIDS Network (OAN), Toronto, Ontario, Canada9 Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada3 Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael`s Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada3 Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael`s Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada1 Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaIntroduction HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) may affect 30%–50% of people ageing with HIV. HAND may increase stress and anxiety, and impede coping. Psychosocial group therapy may ameliorate HAND’s symptoms, yet the ideal intervention is unclear. This protocol outlines a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT)—designed using community-based participatory research—to pilot cognitive remediation group therapy (CRGT) against an active comparator.Methods and analysis This is a pilot, parallel design, two-arm RCT that will recruit participants diagnosed with the mild neurocognitive disorder form of HAND from a neurobehavioural research unit at a tertiary care hospital in Toronto, Canada. Eligibility criteria include age ≥40 years, known HIV status for 5+ years, English fluency, able to consent and able to attend 8 weeks of group therapy. Eligible participants will be randomised to one of two treatment arms, each consisting of eight-session group interventions delivered once weekly at 3 hours per session. Arm 1 (novel) is CRGT, combining mindfulness-based stress reduction with brain training activities. Arm 2 (active control) is mutual aid group therapy. The primary outcomes are feasibility, measured by proportions of recruitment and completion, and acceptability, determined by a satisfaction questionnaire. The secondary outcome is intervention fidelity, where content analysis will be used to assess facilitator session reports. A between-group analysis will be conducted on exploratory outcomes of stress, anxiety, coping and use of intervention activities that will be collected at three time points.Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval was obtained from the Research Ethics Boards of St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and community reporting. This study could provide insight into design (eg, recruitment, measures) and intervention considerations (eg, structure, content) for a larger trial to lessen the burden of cognitive decline among people ageing with HIV.Trial registration number NCT03483740; Pre-resultshttps://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/10/e033183.full
spellingShingle Andrew David Eaton
Shelley L Craig
John W McCullagh
Sharon L Walmsley
Sean B Rourke
Teresa Sota
Barbara A Fallon
Protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial evaluating feasibility and acceptability of cognitive remediation group therapy compared with mutual aid group therapy for people ageing with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) in Toronto, Canada
BMJ Open
title Protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial evaluating feasibility and acceptability of cognitive remediation group therapy compared with mutual aid group therapy for people ageing with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) in Toronto, Canada
title_full Protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial evaluating feasibility and acceptability of cognitive remediation group therapy compared with mutual aid group therapy for people ageing with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) in Toronto, Canada
title_fullStr Protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial evaluating feasibility and acceptability of cognitive remediation group therapy compared with mutual aid group therapy for people ageing with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) in Toronto, Canada
title_full_unstemmed Protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial evaluating feasibility and acceptability of cognitive remediation group therapy compared with mutual aid group therapy for people ageing with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) in Toronto, Canada
title_short Protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial evaluating feasibility and acceptability of cognitive remediation group therapy compared with mutual aid group therapy for people ageing with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) in Toronto, Canada
title_sort protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial evaluating feasibility and acceptability of cognitive remediation group therapy compared with mutual aid group therapy for people ageing with hiv associated neurocognitive disorder hand in toronto canada
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/10/e033183.full
work_keys_str_mv AT andrewdavideaton protocolforapilotrandomisedcontrolledtrialevaluatingfeasibilityandacceptabilityofcognitiveremediationgrouptherapycomparedwithmutualaidgrouptherapyforpeopleageingwithhivassociatedneurocognitivedisorderhandintorontocanada
AT shelleylcraig protocolforapilotrandomisedcontrolledtrialevaluatingfeasibilityandacceptabilityofcognitiveremediationgrouptherapycomparedwithmutualaidgrouptherapyforpeopleageingwithhivassociatedneurocognitivedisorderhandintorontocanada
AT johnwmccullagh protocolforapilotrandomisedcontrolledtrialevaluatingfeasibilityandacceptabilityofcognitiveremediationgrouptherapycomparedwithmutualaidgrouptherapyforpeopleageingwithhivassociatedneurocognitivedisorderhandintorontocanada
AT sharonlwalmsley protocolforapilotrandomisedcontrolledtrialevaluatingfeasibilityandacceptabilityofcognitiveremediationgrouptherapycomparedwithmutualaidgrouptherapyforpeopleageingwithhivassociatedneurocognitivedisorderhandintorontocanada
AT seanbrourke protocolforapilotrandomisedcontrolledtrialevaluatingfeasibilityandacceptabilityofcognitiveremediationgrouptherapycomparedwithmutualaidgrouptherapyforpeopleageingwithhivassociatedneurocognitivedisorderhandintorontocanada
AT teresasota protocolforapilotrandomisedcontrolledtrialevaluatingfeasibilityandacceptabilityofcognitiveremediationgrouptherapycomparedwithmutualaidgrouptherapyforpeopleageingwithhivassociatedneurocognitivedisorderhandintorontocanada
AT barbaraafallon protocolforapilotrandomisedcontrolledtrialevaluatingfeasibilityandacceptabilityofcognitiveremediationgrouptherapycomparedwithmutualaidgrouptherapyforpeopleageingwithhivassociatedneurocognitivedisorderhandintorontocanada