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Spinal Cord InjuriesPhase 2/3SCINCT00148239

Health Interventions for Survivors and Primary Support Persons of Spinal Cord Injury

A Phase 2/3 study testing Caregiver Only Intervention and Dual Treatment in people with Spinal Cord Injuries, run by University of Pittsburgh at 2 sites in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The overall objective of this project is to test the efficacy of an innovative multi-component intervention aimed at reducing the risk for adverse health outcomes among caregivers of older survivors with spinal cord injury or disability, and to improve the well being of the spinal cord-injured survivor. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 30 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Spinal Cord Injuries
What is being tested?
Caregiver Only Intervention and Dual Treatment
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
380 participants
Where
2 sitesUnited States
Study dates
Sep 2002to Jul 2008
Phase
Phase 2/3
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 30 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • have adult-onset disability resulting from spinal cord injury, trauma, or disease,
  • be survivors with complete or incomplete injury as defined by the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale
  • require and use some type of assistance for getting around (e.g., wheelchair, cane, etc.) be 30 years old or older be living at home for a minimum of 1 year post-injury (to avoid the acute trauma phase) speak English.
  • Is a family member/partner (e.g. spouse, child, or fictive kin)
  • is 18 years of age or older
  • is or is not living with the care recipient
Show all 10Show fewer
  • speaks English
  • has a telephone at home
  • plans to live in the area for at least 6 months.
  • self-identifies as white, African American or Hispanic.

Who cannot join

  • has a terminal illness with life expectancy of less than 6 months
  • is in active treatment for cancer (except for tamoxifen and lupron)
  • is blind or deaf
  • if the survivor is cognitively impaired due to brain injury or dementia and/or has no use of their hands and severe limitations in speech production

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country.

United States2 sites
  • University of Miami

    Miami, Florida, 33136

  • University of Pittsburgh (UCSUR)

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15260

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Caregiver Intervention for Caregivers of SCI Patients

The overall objective of this project is to test the efficacy of an innovative multi-component intervention aimed at reducing the risk for adverse health outcomes among caregivers of older survivors with spinal cord injury or disability, and to improve the well being of the spinal cord-injured survivor. In a three-group, randomized, controlled design providing access to information, resources, and support, we predict that the dual target approach will have a greater positive impact on both the caregiver and survivor than the caregiver-only approach, and that both active treatments will be superior with respect to caregiver outcomes than an information-only control condition.

Read the detailed description

The specific aims of this project are to:

  1. Assess the impact of a dual target (caregiver and care recipient) intervention compared to a traditional caregiver-only intervention strategy.
  2. Assess causal linkages between the treatment components (e.g. knowledge, social support) of a multi-component intervention and specific treatment outcomes (e.g. caregiver depression, quality of life).
  3. Explore cultural and racial differences in the evaluation of and effectiveness of the different treatment approaches.

Overall, the issues affecting management of SCI/D in later life are complex and hold critical implications for the health of the long-term survivor as well as for those who provide care in the home environment. Large numbers of individuals are living with the effects of SCI/D for decades post-injury. In addition to the health-related complications that typically accompany older age, these individuals are especially vulnerable to co-occurring medical conditions that require high degrees of support and maintenance. Consequently, older caregivers face multiple and often extreme challenges in providing support to the SCI/D survivor at a time in their lives when their own abilities may be compromised due to age-related changes in health and functioning.

The multi-faceted burden faced by caregivers is associated with high levels of depression and anxiety as well as the onset of deleterious physical symptoms. The cumulative effects of such multiple stressors over time all too frequently leave the caregiver unable to continue providing the level of support necessary to maintain their partner's health in the home environment. In order to circumvent the additional distress certain to accompany such a family separation, Elliott et al. (2001, p. 230) recently concluded that "there is a pressing need for interventions that help family [SCI] caregivers address the routines and tasks essential to maintaining family functioning."

Being tested
Caregiver Only Intervention, Dual Treatment, Control
Keywords
SCI, Caregiving, Aging, Disability, Paralysis
Medical subject headings
Spinal Cord Injuries, Paralysis

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Caregiver Only InterventionBehavioural

    A multi-component psycho-educational intervention designed to reduce the negative emotional and behavioral responses of the caregiver and reduce the risk of mental and physical health problems.

  • Dual TreatmentBehavioural

    Complements the caregiver only intervention by targetting both caregiver and SCI person with multi-component psycho-educational intervention

  • ControlBehavioural

    Participants given written educational materials at beginning of study; no treatment beyond this

Study groups in NCT00148239
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Caregiver OnlyExperimentalA multi-component psycho-educational intervention designed to reduce the negative emotional and behavioral responses of the caregiver and reduce the risk of mental and physical health problems.
Receives: Behavioral: Caregiver Only Intervention
Dual TreatmentExperimentalComplements the caregiver only intervention by targetting both caregiver and SCI person with multi-component psycho-educational intervention
Receives: Behavioral: Dual Treatment
ControlActive comparatorParticipants are provided with written materials at beginning of study; nothing thereafter
Receives: Behavioral: Control

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Depressive symptoms caregivers and SCI

    Measured: 6 and 12 months post-randomization

  2. Caregiver Burden

    Measured: 6 and 12 months

  3. Social support caregiver and SCI

    Measured: 6 and 12 months

  4. Health symptoms caregiver and SCI

    Measured: 6 and 12 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted7 Sep 2005 (estimated)
  2. Study startSep 2002
  3. Primary completionJul 2007
  4. Study completionJul 2008

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 2/3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
380 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00148239
Sponsor's protocol ID
5R01NR008272
Acronym
SCI
Status last verified
Nov 2015
First submitted
2 Sep 2005
Last updated
2 Dec 2015
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes

Publications

  • Schulz R, Czaja SJ, Lustig A, Zdaniuk B, Martire LM, Perdomo D. Improving the quality of life of caregivers of persons with spinal cord injury: a randomized controlled trial. Rehabil Psychol. 2009 Feb;54(1):1-15. doi: 10.1037/a0014932.

    PubMed 19618698

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2/3 study testing Caregiver Only Intervention and Dual Treatment in people with Spinal Cord Injuries, run by University of Pittsburgh at 2 sites in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 10 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Dec 2015. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 2 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this combined phase mean?

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Phase 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Depressive symptoms caregivers and SCI (time frame: 6 and 12 months post-randomization). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00148239, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Dec 2015.

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