This study will investigate and contrast the effects of two psychological treatments for adults with autism spectrum disorder. Cognitive Enhancement Therapy (CET) is a cognitive remediation intervention that aims to help adults with problems in thinking, planning, and socialization. Enriched Supportive Therapy (EST) is an individual supportive therapy that aims to help adults learn about their condition, manage their emotions and stress, improve their social skills, and cope with everyday problems.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by marked impairments in social and non-social cognitive ability that persist well into adulthood and contribute to significant functional disability. The treatment of ASD has focused almost exclusively on children, and few empirically supported interventions are available to address the core cognitive and functional challenges individuals with ASD face as they transition to adulthood. This study will investigate and contrast the effects of two psychological treatments for adults with autism spectrum disorder. Cognitive Enhancement Therapy (CET) is a cognitive remediation intervention that aims to help adults with problems in thinking, planning, and socialization. Enriched Supportive Therapy (EST) is an individual supportive therapy that aims to help adults learn about their condition, manage their emotions and stress, improve their social skills, and cope with everyday problems. Participation in this study will last 30 months. Potential participants must be able to attend weekly treatment sessions in Pittsburgh, PA. The study design is a 30-month (2.5 years) randomized-controlled trial, where eligible participants will be randomized to the CET or EST study treatments. Participants will be treated with the study interventions for 18 months, and then followed for 12 additional months to assess the lasting impact of the study interventions. All participants will complete cognitive, clinical, and neuroimaging (magnetic resonance imaging) assessments prior to starting the study treatments and then at specified intervals thereafter to evaluate the impact of the study treatments on cognition, adaptive function, and the brain.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
54
An 18-month comprehensive, small group approach for the remediation of cognitive deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders consisting of individual sessions and 45 group training sessions in social cognition that are integrated with approximately 60 hours of computer assisted training in attention, memory, and problem solving skills.
An 18-month intervention that uses individual supportive therapy to help adults learn about autism spectrum disorder, manage their emotions and stress, improve their social skills, and cope with everyday problems. Participants will learn about the impact of stress on their lives, and how to identify their own early cues of distress and apply effective coping strategies.
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Neurocognition
Composite measure of neuropsychological tests designed to assess neurocognitive function
Time frame: Pre-treatment, 9, 18, and 30 months
Social cognition
Composite measure of performance-based and interview tests designed to assess social-cognitive function
Time frame: Pre-treatment, 9, 18, and 30 months
Functional outcome
Functional Assessment Battery (Social, Role, Vocational)
Time frame: Pre-treatment, 9, 18, and 30 months
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