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Completed

NCT Number: NCT06031701

Neuro-psychosocial Teleassistance for Neuromuscular Diseases

This is a clinical trial to assess the effect of a neuropsychosocial intervention by means of telecare aimed at children and adolescents aged 7-16 years with neuromuscular diseases. The intervention is carried out in groups of 5 participants and is organised in 12 sessions: 1 session per week of 1h duration. The intervention is aimed at strengthening aspects of social cognition, self-esteem, social skills and aims at a reduction of symptomatology and a general improvement of psychological well-being.

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Key information

Age range

7 year–16 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Deusto

Bilbao, Bizkaia, 48007, Spain

About this study

Development of a neuro-psychosocial tele-assistance programme for groups of children and adolescents affected by various neuromuscular diseases, including Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy, limb-girdle dystrophy, etc. In this project the variables of interest and intervention include social cognition, quality of life, psychological symptomatology and coping strategies. The aim of this study is to test whether this programme improves the indicators in the mentioned variables.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • To be diagnosed with a neuromuscular disease by a specialist
  • Being between 7 and 16 years old
  • Having signed an informed consent form through their legal guardians prior to participation in the study
  • Having Spanish as one of their main languages
  • Having access to a computer (with a camera, microphone and speakers integrated) and Internet connection to take part in the videoconferences

Exclusion criteria

  • Presence of any other diagnosis or sensory deficit that would prevent the application of the tests or hinder the correct performance of the intervention´s activities
  • Being illiterate

Treatment and study plan

Neuro-psychosocial teleassistance program

Behavioral

The intervention is carried out in groups of 5 participants and is organised in 12 sessions: 1 session per week of 1h duration. The intervention is aimed at strengthening aspects of social cognition, self-esteem, social skills and aims at a reduction of symptomatology and a general improvement of psychological well-being.

Primary outcomes

  1. Social cognition - Emotion Recognition

    Time frame: 3 months after the intervention

    Affect Recognition subtest of the Social Perception Domain of the NEPSY-II in the Spanish edition (Korkman et al., 2014) measures the capacity to identify emotions (happy, sad, neutral, afraid, irrationally angry, and disgust) in various images of children

  2. Social cognition - Theory of mind - NEPSY-II

    Time frame: 3 months after the intervention

    Theory of Mind subtest of the Social Perception Domain of the NEPSY-II in the Spanish edition (Korkman et al., 2014) assesses figurative language, imitation skills, and the capacity to comprehend the thoughts, ideas, and beliefs of others and it also evaluates a person's capacity to comprehend how emotions relate to the social context.

  3. Social cognition - Theory of mind - Happé's Strange Stories

    Time frame: 3 months after the intervention

    The Happé's Strange Stories Test is a well-known test of ToM (Happé, 1994; Spanish version: Pousa, 2002). In this study, we used the White et al. (2009) version that has eight story-types. This test evaluates participants capacity to comprehend nonliteral meanings through the reading of brief vignettes.

  4. Social cognition - Theory of mind - RMETC

    Time frame: 3 months after the intervention

    The Reading the Mind in the Eyes test Child version (RMETC) (Baron-Cohen et al., 2001; Spanish version: Rueda et al., 2013), is a TOM test that features 28 photos of individuals. The participant's task is to match the picture with one of the four adjectives that best describes the feelings and thoughts of the person in the picture.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Health-related quality of life

    Time frame: 3 months after the intervention

    How an individual's health status impacts their overall well-being and ability to lead a satisfying life

    The perception of HRQoL is assessed in both healthy and chronically ill children using the Spanish version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQLTM 4.0) (Varni et al., 2001). We used the self-report questionnaire in this study for three age ranges: 5-7, 8-12, and 13-18. Physical functioning, emotional functioning, social functioning, and academic functioning are the four dimensions covered by the 23-item assessment. The PedsQL 4.0 provides a physical and a psychosocial summary score in addition to a total score. It is answered through a likert scale with 5 response options that are then converted into quantitative scores ranging from 0-100 points, with a higher score being a better HRQoL.

  2. Psychopathology

    Time frame: 3 months after the intervention

    Behavioral and emotional symptoms

    The Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 6-18 (CBCL/6-18) (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001) is a multiaxial assessment tool for identifying behavioral and emotional issues in children and adolescents that is aligned with the ASEBA (Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment). It has 113 items total, broken down into eight scales for the following syndromes: anxious/depressed, withdrawn/depressed, somatic complaints, social problems, thinking problems, attention problems, rule-breaking behavior and aggressive behavior. Scores for internalizing, externalizing, and overall difficulties are also provided by the items.

  3. Coping strategies - EAN

    Time frame: 3 months after the intervention

    Different styles to deal with stressful situations

    Coping Scale for Children (EAN) (Morales-Rodríguez et al., 2012) is a self-report scale assesses coping strategies and is intended for children aged nine to 12 years. In the instrument, four problems related to the family context, health, schoolwork and social relationships are posed. The nine coping strategies assessed are distinguished between problem-focused coping and unproductive coping.

  4. Coping strategies - ACS

    Time frame: 3 months after the intervention

    Different styles to deal with stressful situations

    Adolescent Coping Scales (ACS) (3rd edition) (Frydenberg and Lewis, 2000): assesses different coping strategies in adolescents aged 12-18 years to cope with their problems. The inventory assesses 18 different coping strategies and consists of 80 items, 79 closed-ended and one open-ended. Furthermore, the 18 strategies are classified into three basic coping styles: problem-directed coping, coping in relation to others, and unproductive coping.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Deusto

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effects of a Neuro-psychosocial Teleassistance Programme for Children With Neuromuscular Diseases

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2022
Study completion
2023
First posted
Sep 11, 2023
Registry last updated
Jan 17, 2024

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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