Completed

NCT Number: NCT07484048

A Modified Test of Goal-directed Behaviour: a Feasibility Study

Cognitive assessment plays an important part in decision making in acute neurological settings, partly because difficulties with cognitive skills such as attention, memory and executive functioning (which includes planning and problem-solving) have direct implications for patents' levels of independence and safety upon discharge.

A bedside cognitive task that could shed light upon a patient's ability to demonstrate effective goal-directed behaviour (potentially along with other aspects of executive functioning such as cognitive flexibility) would be a useful addition to the existing repertoire of bedside cognitive assessments.

One such test could be 'Link's Cube'. The Link's Cube Test is impractical for bedside use in an acute ward setting, as it comprises 27 small blocks. The feasibility study aims to preserve the information that is provided by Link's Cube Test (i.e. an indication of the patient's ability to engage in goal-directed behaviour) whilst altering the testing material such that only nine, slightly larger blocks are used.

The objectives for the feasibility study are:

* To identify any practical difficulties in administration of the tests that may not be apparent without trialling them * To generate information regarding the timing and sequence of overall administration and in particular the proposed modified Link's Cube test * To obtain feedback from neuropsychologists about ease of administration of the proposed new test and to obtain their views regarding potential benefits

Completed

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Key information

Conditions

Cognitive Impairment Coginitive Assessment Cognition Disorders Cognitive Dysfunction Mental Disorders Neurocognitive Disorders

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Cheltenham General Hospital, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

for the main (non-neuropsychologist) element include:

General population. For convenience at this feasibility study stage this will be largely comprised of colleagues working with GHT, above the age of 18, with no upper age limit.
Have given informed consent having followed the procedure in the protocol
Have the physical/sensory abilities to undertake the test procedures (e.g. use of both hands, adequate vision)
Sufficient English language to be able to follow test instructions

Exclusion criteria

for the main (non-neuropsychologist) element include:

Under the age of 18
Refusal/inability to give informed consent
Insufficient English language to be able to follow test instructions
Using cognitive testing as part of their clinical work, or ongoing familiarity with cognitive tests.
Working directly with the main investigator.
Presence of a self-reported cognitive difficulty/neurological condition - not because that in itself would be problematic for test administration or for the information generated, but rather to avoid potential distress to participants were they to find the tests administered challenging.
Presence of any physical/sensory/cognitive difficulty that would confound administration of the tasks, e.g. being partially sighted or having use of only one upper limb
There are no exclusion criteria based on gender identity, ethnicity or handedness.
There are no exclusion criteria relating to medication.

Inclusion criteria

for the PPI (neuropsychologist) element include:

clinical psychologists in GHT who have or have had a role that involves the administration of cognitive tests
Have given informed consent having followed the procedure in the protocol
Have the physical/sensory abilities to undertake the test procedures (e.g. use of both hands, adequate vision)
Sufficient English language to be able to follow test instructions

Exclusion criteria

for the PPI (neuropsychologist) element include:

Under the age of 18
Refusal/inability to give informed consent
Insufficient English language to be able to follow test instructions
Presence of a self-reported cognitive difficulty/neurological condition - not because that in itself would be problematic for test administration or for the information generated, but rather to avoid potential distress to participants were they to find the tests administered challenging.
Presence of any physical/sensory/cognitive difficulty that would confound administration of the tasks, e.g. being partially sighted or having use of only one upper limb
There are no exclusion criteria based on gender identity, ethnicity or handedness.
There are no exclusion criteria relating to medication.

Treatment and study plan

Five cognitive tasks

Other

The five tests are:

Link's Cube: participants are asked to construct a large cube from 27 smaller cubes such that the outer surface is all the same colour
Modified Links' Cube: participants are asked to construct a large cube from 9 smaller blocks such that the outer surface is all the same colour, and then amend their response according to 2 further instructions
D-KEFS Tower Test - participants are asked to move discs of varying sizes across three pegs to build a target tower in as few moves as possible
Weigl test - participants are asked to sort blocks into one group according to shape/colour and then shift mental set by sorting them according to the second characteristic
Brixton Spatial Anticipation test - participants are asked to detect rules and rule changes when presented a targets that changes location

Primary outcomes

Procedural obstacles of the modified Link's Cube test.

Time frame: Day 1

Assessed using the Link's Cube Scoring Matrix (total score between 0-30)

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Feasibility Study for Development of a Modified Bedside Test of Goal-directed Behaviour

Important dates

Study start: 2025
Primary completion: 2026
Study completion: 2026
First posted: Mar 19, 2026
Registry last updated: Apr 27, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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Completed