RightFit
RecruitingNot applicable

Enhancing Rehabilitation for Veterans With Serious Mental Illness

Enhancing Rehabilitation for Veterans With Serious Mental Illness Via Biomarker-Informed Cognitive Training

Who can join

As published by the study on ClinicalTrials.gov. "Not stated" means the study hasn't said — ask the study team.

Age
18 Years to 83 Years
Sex
All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Not accepted
Compensation
Not stated

Other requirements are listed under Eligibility below. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.

What to expect

No one can promise a trial will help you personally — that is what the research is trying to find out.

What participation involves

Not stated in the study description — ask the study team about visits and procedures.

Compensation
Not stated
  • Study-related exams and procedures are typically provided at no cost. This is how many trials work in general — confirm the details for this study with the study team.
  • Participants are monitored closely by the research team throughout the study.
  • Some participants may receive access to an investigational treatment, which is still being studied.
  • Your participation helps researchers learn whether this approach could help future patients.

About this study

In plain language

This study tests Targeted Cognitive Training, a therapy to help the brain process information from the senses. It is for Veterans with serious mental illness who get care at VA recovery centers or rehab services at the same location. The study uses EEG tests, which measure brain activity, to help find who may benefit most.

This study addresses the critical need for innovative therapeutic interventions in Veterans with serious mental illnesses (SMI) receiving care in VA Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Centers (PRRCs). The vast majority of individuals with SMI suffer from cognitive impairments, leading to chronic functional disability, and impaired outcomes, causing a significant strain on support networks and the VA healthcare system. This study aims to introduce an innovative mental health therapy, Targeted Cognitive Training (TCT), to Veterans struggling with serious mental illnesses (SMI). TCT works to improve basic sensory information processing and, ultimately, clinical, cognitive, and psychosocial functioning. By using EEG biomarkers to identify Veterans with SMI receiving care within VA Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Centers who are most likely to benefit from this treatment, and by understanding how best to implement this therapy, the investigators hope to enhance care and improve life quality for Veterans with SMI.

Compensation is read from the study's own description and may be missing — always confirm with the study team.

Eligibility

Who can join

  • Have a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, or PTSD, and get care at a VA recovery center or rehab service at the same location.
  • Be age 18 to 83.
  • Speak and read English fluently.
  • Be able to hear a 1,000 Hz tone at 40 decibels in both ears during a hearing test.
  • Have vision of 20/40 or better with both eyes tested together. Glasses or contacts may be used.

Who can't join

  • Have an estimated IQ below 70 before the illness began, based on a reading test.
  • Have used substances other than cannabis in the past 30 days, based on medical records, your report, or a urine drug test.
  • Have a history of a major medical illness or an illness affecting the brain or nerves.
  • Be unable to understand the study or give informed consent, which means agreeing to join after learning about it.

Simplified for readability. The official criteria below are what the study team uses.

Official eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria: * Veterans with SMI (e.g., schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, PTSD) being treated at PRRCs or co-located rehabilitative services. * Age 18 and 83 years. * Fluency in spoken and written English. * Ability to detect 1000 Hz tones binaurally at a 40-dB sound pressure level. * Ability to see with an acuity of 20/40 with both eyes tested together (corrected if applicable) by a standard printed Snellen eye chart reading card. Exclusion Criteria: * Estimated premorbid IQ below 70, as estimated via the WRAT-4 Reading subtest. * Active substance use other than cannabis within the last 30 days as determined by CPRS review, self- report, or positive urine drug screen (obtained as part of the screening process). * History of significant medical or neurological illness. * Inability to comprehend or provide informed consent.

Study sites (1)

CA