Mnemic neglect in dementia
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN30485698 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN30485698 |
| Protocol serial number | 17952 |
| Sponsor | University of the West of England, Bristol |
| Funder | Alzheimer's Society |
- Submission date
- 08/01/2015
- Registration date
- 12/01/2015
- Last edited
- 09/02/2023
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Nervous System Diseases
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
An area of research called "mnemic neglect" has shown that when given information that in some way threatens our self-concept (our own view of ourselves), we tend to remember less of this information later on. If we are told exactly the same information, but asked to imagine that it applies to someone else called "Chris", then we tend to remember more about it. These findings suggest that the amount of information that we remember often depends on the extent to which this information, then we can help them to remember more about it. This study will look at how mnemic neglect operates amongst people with dementia using research techniques which have already been used to study the phenomenon in people without dementia. If the findings are similar then we may be able to find better ways of talking to people with dementia about their illness.
Who can participate?
Patients with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease, Vascular Dementia or a mixed form of these from memory clinics from three sites in South West England
What does the study involve?
Participants are asked to carry out a number of memory tests to examine:
Study A - recall of neutral versus illness related words
Study B - recall of negative and positive behavioural statements
Study C - recall of statements related to dementia
Participants taking part in in studies B and C are randomly allocated to one of two groups. Those in group 1 are asked to imagine the statements as “applies to yourself". Those in group 2 are asked to imagine that the statement “applies to someone called Chris”. Study A and B take roughly an hour to complete including consent and debrief. Study C takes around 50 minutes to complete including consent and debrief.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Advantages of taking part in the study include adding to scientific knowledge about dementia and how information about diagnosis is communicated. Disadvantages of taking part include memory tasks that may be upsetting or cause some participants to feel tired.
Where is the study run from?
University of the West of England, Bristol (UK)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
December 2014 to October 2016
Who is funding the study?
Alzheimer's Society (UK)
Who is the main contact?
Miss Emily Dodd
Contact information
Scientific
Frenchay Campus
University of the West of England
Coldharbour Lane
Bristol
BS16 1QY
United Kingdom
 ORCID ID |
0000-0002-9505-257X |
|---|
Scientific
Frenchay Campus
University of the West of England
Coldharbour Lane
Bristol
BS16 1QY
United Kingdom
| ORCID ID |
0000-0002-7466-3777 |
|---|
Study information
| Primary study design | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Study design | Both; Interventional and Observational; Design type: Not specified, Case-controlled study |
| Secondary study design | Randomised controlled trial |
| Study type | Participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | Mnemic neglect in people affected with mild Alzheimer's disease and dementia: replicating and extending findings from experimental social psychology |
| Study objectives | There are three studies within this project, each with their own question: Study A - do people with dementia show a preferential recall of neutral rather than illness-related words? Study B - do people with dementia show mnemic neglect? Study C - is there a bias towards recall descriptions of dementia for the self, compared to descriptions of dementia relating to others? |
| Ethics approval(s) | NRES Committee South West – Frenchay, 18/12/2014, ref: 14/SW/1142 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Topic: Dementias and neurodegeneration; Subtopic: Dementia; Disease: Dementia |
| Intervention | Participants have either been diagnosed with a form of dementia or are healthy volunteers (control group). Participants are asked to carry out a number of memory tests to examine: Study A - recall of neutral versus illness related words Study B - recall of negative and positive behavioural statements Study C - recall of statements related to dementia Study A is a simple memory test of words with no randomisation, everyone gets the same word list. Participants taking part in in studies B and C are randomly allocated to one of two groups. Those in group 1 are asked to imagine the statements as “applies to yourself". Those in group 2 are asked to imagine that the statement “applies to someone called Chris”. Study A and B take roughly an hour to complete including consent and debrief. Study C takes around 50 minutes to complete including consent and debrief. |
| Intervention type | Behavioural |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
Current primary outcome measures as of 11/01/2017: |
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) |
Current secondary outcome measures as of 11/01/2017: |
| Completion date | 01/10/2016 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Mixed |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 18 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Target sample size at registration | 110 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. A diagnosis made within the previous 18 months by a consultant psychiatrist of either probable Alzheimer’s disease according to the NINCDS-ADRDA criteria (McKhann et al, 1984) or probable vascular dementia according to the NINDS-IREN criteria (Román et al, 1993) or a mixed form of these 2. Mild levels of cognitive impairment (e.g. MOCA score over 12 or equivalent score on an alternative assessment tool) 3. The capacity to consent to be part of the research 4. Sufficient communication skills to be able to take part in the research Control group: Healthy volunteers recruited from Join Dementia Research (JDR) register, students and staff at the University of the West of England |
| Key exclusion criteria | 1. They have a significant history of pre-morbid psychiatric problems 2. They have a diagnosis of dementia with Lewy Bodies (McKeith, 2002) or frontal-temporal dementia (Snowden, Neary and Mann (2002) 3. If deficits in short-term memory are not a primary cause of disability |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/02/2015 |
| Date of final enrolment | 31/07/2016 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- United Kingdom
- England
Study participating centre
Glenside Campus
Blackberry Hill
Bristol
BS16 1DD
United Kingdom
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan summary | Data sharing statement to be made available at a later date |
| IPD sharing plan | The current data sharing plans for the current study are unknown and will be made available at a later date. |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results article | results | 01/08/2018 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | 26/03/2019 | 09/02/2023 | Yes | No | |
| Basic results | 15/11/2016 | 11/01/2017 | No | No | |
| HRA research summary | 28/06/2023 | No | No | ||
| Participant information sheet | Participant information sheet | 11/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | No | Yes |
Additional files
- ISRCTN30485698_BasicResults_15Nov16.docx
- Uploaded 11/01/2017
Editorial Notes
09/02/2023: Publication reference added.
30/08/2018: Publication reference added.
11/01/2017: The following changes were made to the trial record:
1. The overall trial end date was changed from 30/11/2015 to 01/10/2016.
2. A basic results summary was added.
