NCT06774287

Evaluation of the Karman Line Memory Strategy Training

Recruiting now NA Last updated 11 December 2025

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Karman Line memory strategy training in Acquired Brain Injury (Including Stroke) in 6 participants. Currently enrolling.

Timeline

21 January 2025

Primary endpoint
15 April 2026

15 May 2026

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	Klimmendaal Revalidatiespecialisten
Phase	NA
Status	Recruiting now
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	parallel
Masking	none
Primary purpose	treatment
Enrollment	6
Start date	21 January 2025
Primary completion	15 April 2026
Estimated completion	15 May 2026
Sites	1 location across Netherlands

Drugs / interventions tested

• Karman Line memory strategy training
• Treatment as usual

Conditions studied

• Acquired Brain Injury (Including Stroke) — all drugs for Acquired Brain Injury (Including Stroke) →

Sponsor

Klimmendaal Revalidatiespecialisten

Who can join

Adults 18 to 75, any sex, with Acquired Brain Injury (Including Stroke). Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

Rationale: Acquired brain injury (ABI) often results in memory deficits that can have a big impact on social and vocational functioning of patients. Rehabilitation treatment of memory dysfunction consists of optimizing memory performance by using effective compensation strategies. Several effective memory-strategy training programs have been developed. However, these often contain labor-intensive treatment protocols that are possibly an overtreatment of ABI patients with relatively mild memory impairments. On the other hand there is a sprawl of commercial computerized cognitive training programs or 'brain games' available that claim to restore memory function. However, research has repeatedly shown that treatment effects of available brain games do not generalize to daily life functioning. With the shortcomings of current memory treatment programs in mind, the investigators developed a combined computerized and face-to-face training of memory strategies, which consists of a shortened traditional face-to-face treatment combined with an innovative Brain Game based on compensation strategies instead of restorative training. This is a promising cost-effective intervention that provides the possibility of repeated practice at home to train compensatory strategies in a safe and imaginative digital environment. The hypothesis is the strategy training will promote generalization, also after rehabilitation ends.

Objective: The primary objective is the evaluation of the potential positive effect of the combined computerized and face-to-face memory treatment on effective memory strategy use and reducing subjective memory failures in ABI patients with memory deficits in the chronic phase of acquired brain injury (\>3 months after injury).

Study design: The study will be a multiple-baseline across individuals single-case experimental design (SCED). Three patients will receive treatment as usual and three patients will receive a shortened treatment combined with the game, which will be referred to as the 'Karman Line memory strategy training'.

Study population: The study population consists of patients referred for outpatient cognitive rehabilitation. Participants eligible for the study must have memory deficits and complaints due to Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) of nonprogressive nature (i.e. TBI, stroke), with a minimum time post-onset of 3 months. Age has to be between 18 and 75 and participants have to live independently at home. Memory deficits will be assessed by neuropsychological examination, memory complaints will be assessed by the Everyday Memory Questionnaire-Revised (EMQ-R). In one year six to eight participants will be recruited.

Intervention: The Karman Line memory strategy training consists of six weekly treatment sessions under the guidance of a therapist. The protocol is a shortened version of an existing memory strategy training (treatment as usual), which contains ten sessions. In the sessions, patients get information about memory and memory strategies and learn to apply those to their personal treatment goals. Inbetween the sessions, the participant will work on personal memory goals and practice the strategies by playing the corresponding levels of the memory game at home.

Main study parameters/endpoints: The main study parameter is the three most commonly reported memory complaints selected from the 13-item scale of the EMQ-R. The primary outcome measure is not the EMQ-R, but a personalized set of measurement VAS-scales for each patient. Secondary study parameters include the impact of memory problems on activities and participation, the achievement of personalized treatment goals, objective strategy use, objective memory functioning, metacognitions about memory and measures of feasibility by patients and practitioners.

Nature and extent of the burden and risks associated with participation, benefit and group relatedness: The burden in the study consists of participating in repeated measurements, therapy sessions, and homework assignments. All tests and methods that are used are non-invasive and not stressful for the patient. All tests and tasks will be based on widely-used validated and reliable paper-pencil or computer tasks. Treatment is non-invasive and scarcely stressful: a therapist will always be present and assess the patient's burden and eventually take appropriate measures such as inserting a resting break.

Publications & conference data

No peer-reviewed publications indexed yet for this trial.