ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT01029067MCTUpdated Mar 3, 2015

Metacognitive Training in Schizophrenia

An interventional study of Metacognitive training and Cognitive Remediation in Delusions and Schizophrenia, sponsored by Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf. Completed at 1 site in Germany. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2015-03-03.

Sponsored by Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
60
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Over a period of 4 weeks, metacognitive training for schizophrenia patients (MCT), delivered both in a group and individually, is compared to cognitive remediation (CogPack training). Blind to treatment assignment, both groups are assessed before intervention and four weeks later with the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS), the Psychosis Rating Scales (PSYRATS) and cognitive tests. Delusion severity serves as the primary endpoint. It is assumed that MCT will improve delusion severity to a greater extent than CR in the course of 4 weeks taking medication into account.

Read the detailed description

Metacognitive training for schizophrenia patients (MCT) is a manualized group intervention that can be obtained cost-free online. MCT seeks to sharpen the awareness of schizophrenia spectrum patients on cognitive biases (e.g. jumping to conclusions) contributing to delusion formation and maintenance and conveys cognitive strategies to counter these. The present trial combines group MCT with an individualized cognitive-behavioral oriented approach entitled MCT+. Patients with schizophrenia are randomly allocated to either metacognitive treatment (MCT) or cognitive remediation (CogPack training). Blind to treatment assignment, both groups are assessed prior to intervention and four weeks later with the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS), the Psychosis Rating Scales (PSYRATS) and cognitive tasks. Delusion scores derived from the PANSS and PSYRATS serve as main outcome parameters. We also explore if MCT improves jumping to conclusions with a probabilistic reasoning task. To make results as generalizable as possible to a typical inpatient population, broad inclusion criteria are chosen. Patients are only excluded if age is \< 18 and > 65 years and diagnoses do not meet criteria of a schizophrenia spectrum disorder.

02

Conditions studied

  • Delusions
  • Schizophrenia

Keywords

  • schizophrenia
  • delusion
  • paranoia
  • psychosis
03

In context

Delusions

32 studies on the registry are indexed under Delusions; 8 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 60 is below the median of 94 across 28 interventional studies indexed under Delusions.

Browse Delusions studies →

Lead sponsor

Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf is the lead sponsor of 416 studies on the registry; 86 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • schizophrenia spectrum disorder

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • intellectual disability (IQ \< 70)
  • unable to provide
  • hostility on PANSS > 4
  • suspiciousness on PANSS > 5
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

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05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
60 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Cognitive Remediation

    Computerized cognitive remediation (CogPack training). A fixed series is administered, which covers a wide range of neuropsychological exercises involving memory, reasoning, selective attention and psychomotor speed. The difficulty level for each patient is adapted automatically depending on to the subject's performance on prior exercises. At the end of each session, the patient receives individual feedback on his or her performance. To match with group MCT, eight sessions are administered. Each session lasts approximately 45-60 minutes.

    Behavioral: Cognitive Remediation

  • Experimental
    Metacognitive Training

    The group metacognitive training program (MCT) is fully documented (Moritz, Woodward, \& Metacognition Study Group, 2007; VanHam Campus Press) and can be obtained in more than 15 languages cost-free via the following link: www.uke.de/mkt. The group program is delivered to groups of 3-10 patients by trained psychologists addressing delusion-related metacognitive biases (e.g., jumping to conclusions). The eight modules are presented via a video projector using pdf-converted Power-Point slides. Each group session lasts approximately 45-60 minutes. Individualized MCT (MCT+) follows group sessions and accords to the general guidelines for cognitive-behavioral therapy. For each patient, 8 one-to-one sessions were carried in addition to one session relating to the medical history.

    Behavioral: Metacognitive training

Interventions

  • BehavioralMetacognitive training

    Group (8 sessions) and individualized metacognitive training (9 sessions), delivered by psychologists versus cognitive remediation (8 sessions) delivered by either psychologists or psychology students at an advanced master level

  • BehavioralCognitive Remediation

    Group (8 sessions) and individualized metacognitive training (9 sessions), delivered by psychologists versus cognitive remediation (8 sessions) delivered by either psychologists or psychology students at an advanced master level

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. delusion severity as assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS); sum of item scores p1, p5, p6 and g9

    Time frame: 4 weeks

07

Study locations

1 site
  • University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf
    Hamburg, 20246, Germany
08

References and documents

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Mar 3, 2015, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01029067
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Dec 9, 2009
Start date
Sep 2009
Primary completion
Dec 2013
Completion
Dec 2013
Last update
Mar 3, 2015

Study contacts

Steffen Moritz, PhD
principal investigator · Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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