Online education to help dementia caregivers apply and teach ways to manage behavioral symptoms
Exploration of Structure Retrieval Practice to Support Caregivers' Knowledge Transfer
This project will test whether a short online training called Structured Retrieval Practice helps adult informal caregivers of people with dementia better apply and explain strategies for managing behavioral and psychological symptoms.
Quick facts
| Phase | Phase 1 |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 60 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Texas Christian University Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Fort Worth, Texas and 1 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT07377331 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This Phase 1 interventional pilot delivers a brief online educational intervention (Structured Retrieval Practice) to informal caregivers of people with dementia to extend prior work on caregiver training. Participants complete remote or site-based activities designed to strengthen memory for management strategies and to practice applying those strategies to real-world examples of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). The study enrolls adult, English-speaking informal caregivers without cognitive impairment who are currently providing care, and excludes professional or former caregivers not actively caregiving. Activities are conducted through Texas Christian University and Virginia Wesleyan University with remote participation allowed for those with a tablet, laptop, or desktop.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal participants are adult (18+) informal caregivers currently helping someone with dementia who read and speak English, have no cognitive impairment that prevents consent, and (if remote) have access to a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer.
Not a fit: Professional caregivers, former caregivers who are not currently providing care, caregivers for people with normal cognition, or individuals with cognitive impairments that prevent consent are not eligible and likely would not benefit from this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, caregivers may be better able to use and teach practical strategies for managing BPSD, which could reduce troublesome behaviors and caregiver stress.
How similar studies have performed: Caregiver education programs and retrieval-practice learning methods have shown benefits for knowledge retention and coping in prior research, but applying structured retrieval practice specifically to real-world caregiver behavior transfer is relatively novel.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * informal caregivers * 18+ years old * Read and speak English * free of cognitive impairments that prevent consent and/or completing experimental tasks * remote participants need access to a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer to complete tasks. Exclusion Criteria: * professional caregivers * former caregivers who are not currently caring for someone living with dementia * caregivers providing assistance to someone with normal cognition
Where this trial is running
Fort Worth, Texas and 1 other locations
- Texas Christian University — Fort Worth, Texas, United States (Recruiting)
- Virginia Wesleyan University — Norfolk, Virginia, United States (Not_yet_recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Uma Tauber, PhD
- Email: memorylab@tcu.edu
- Phone: 817-257-4295
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.