This project will evaluate a telemedicine-delivered, Unified Protocol for Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (UP-CBT) enhanced with continuous glucose monitor (CGM) review to target anxiety and depressive symptoms and glycemic control in adults with type 1 diabetes.
The efficacy of the Unified Protocol for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (UP-CBT) combined with commercial FDA-approved Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) will be tested in comparison to CGM only in a randomized controlled clinical trial. The central hypothesis is that the addition of the UP-CBT intervention will yield clinically significant improvements in anxiety and depressive symptom severity and glycemic control relative to CGM alone. We will recruit 94 adults (age 18-64) with suboptimally controlled type 1 diabetes and an anxiety or depressive disorder from a national population for an entirely virtual 12-month study over five years, with targeted recruitment of racial/ethnic minorities. In addition to standard measurement of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) for glycemic control and validated patient-reported outcome (PRO) surveys, the study integrates momentary psychological and behavioral data via smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) with CGM data to assess day-to-day changes in affect, self-management, and glycemia over the course of the trial. Qualitative information will be collected from people with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) ages 35-64 to solicit suggestions and inform future study decisions. We will create 2-4 focus groups to ask their impressions about our current study and to explore key factors like establishing adult care and attending medical appointments, disease self-management, and adjusting to chronic disease. We will compare interview responses from participant groups who have high vs. low social needs and poor vs. good glycemic control.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
94
UP-CBT consists of approximately 16 individual sessions of CBT, conducted over the course of approximately 20 weeks. The UP-CBT consists of 5 core modules targeting negative emotionality and aversive reactions to emotional experiences. These modules are preceded by an introductory session that reviews the patient's presenting symptoms and provides a therapeutic rationale, as well as a module on motivational enhancement. The final module consists of relapse prevention. UP-CBT sessions will integrate a review of Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) data and feedback will be provided by the therapist.
Use of commercially available, FDA-approved continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for 6 months post-randomization. Usual diabetes care will continue and participants can initiate a CGM review from their healthcare providers, as desired. In addition, a nurse practitioner with expertise in CGM will train each participant via video recordings in the proper placement of the device, and technical issues, and provide basic teaching at the beginning of the trial on interpretation of CGM data and self-titration of insulin/self-management. Written materials and online resources for recognizing and managing anxiety and depressive disorders, along with self-management information and treatment options to discuss with providers will also be provided.
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
RECRUITINGAlbert Einstein College of Medicine
The Bronx, New York, United States
RECRUITINGAnxiety symptom severity
Participant ratings will be conducted via video conference by clinicians blinded to the condition, using the Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scales (SIGH-A). SIGH-A measures the severity of a patient's somatic and psychic anxiety based on 14 parameters including anxious mood, tension, fears, insomnia, somatic complaints and behavior at the interview. Each item is assigned a 5-point score ranging from 0 (not present) to 4 (severe) yielding an overall possible score of 0-56. Higher SIGH-A scores denote increased severity of anxiety.
Time frame: Baseline and midway through treatment (3 months), immediately post-treatment (5.5 months) and 9- and 12- months post-baseline
Depressive symptom severity
Participant ratings will be conducted via video conference by clinicians blinded to the condition, using the Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scales (SIGH-D). SIGH-D is a 29-item clinical interview that expands the 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) to include eight items assessing "atypical symptoms" of depression. Ranges for individual parameters vary but a score of 0 signifies less severity (e.g., no/absent) and incrementally higher scores represent more severe symptoms. Total SIGH-D scores can range from 0 to 90. A higher overall SIGH-D score denotes increased severity of Depression.
Time frame: Baseline and midway through treatment (3 months), immediately post-treatment (5.5 months) and 9- and 12- months post-baseline
Time in Range (TIR) calculated from Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM)
The percentage of time glucose values were within range (i.e., between 70-180 mg/dL) will be calculated from CGM data during the 6 months after randomization. Results will be summarized by study arm using basic descriptive statistics.
Time frame: 6 months
Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)
Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) values will be calculated using mailed point-of-care (POC) kits for home collection. Samples will be collected, returned, processed, and shipped for analysis by a central laboratory. HbA1c results will be summarized by study arm using basic descriptive statistics.
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Time frame: 6 months