FACCT Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Feasibility and Acceptability of home-based Computerised Cognitive Training after cardiac surgery (FACCT Study)
IRAS ID
309731
Contact name
Julie Sanders
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Barts Health NHS Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
Research Summary:
Heart surgery is a common procedure for coronary heart disease (blocked or narrowed coronary arteries) and valve problems (narrowing or hardening of the heart valves). After surgery we know that some patients experience problems with their ‘cognitive health’ – this includes aspects like memory problems, concentration, and attention. These cognitive health problems can last for several months and can have a considerable impact on patients, and their family.Cognitive training (which means exercising the brain) has been shown to improve cognitive health in a number of patient groups including healthy older adults, patients with heart failure, and patients with mild cognitive impairment. We want to find out if home-based computerised cognitive training (CCT) improves cognitive health after heart surgery.
We will recruit adult (≥ 18 years) patients undergoing first time elective cardiac surgery, who are willing to engage with an online training programme, and due to the nature of the intervention, potential participants must have access to a computer or tablet and access to the internet.
Before surgery, a brief cognitive assessment will be carried out. Participants will be asked to complete 20 minutes of cognitive training exercises, 5 days per week, starting one week after their operation. A member of the research team will contact the patient once a week to check progress, to provide support, and to help with any technical issues.
After the 8-week CCT (brain training exercises) programme, a follow-up video call will be arranged. During this follow-up participants will complete a second cognitive assessment and a questionnaire to see how acceptable and helpful they found the brain training exercises.
This study is funded by Barts Charity and we will be recruiting patients from St Bartholomew’s Hospital.
Summary of Results:
We want to find out whether computerised cognitive training (CCT) improves cognitive health after heart surgery. Before proceeding to a large study with a lot of patients, we developed the Feasibility and Acceptability of home-based Computerised Cognitive Training (FACCT) study, a small feasibility study, to explore whether CCT is easy to use and whether it meets patients’ needs.In total 29 patients enrolled in the FACCT study. Of these, 17 participants completed the final follow-up and questionnaire. We assessed the feasibility of this study by looking at the recruitment rate, retention (how many participants completed the study), adherence (how many participants achieved the minimum training target) and acceptable
In terms of recruitment, we enrolled 61% of eligible participants, exceeding our target of 50%. Fifty-nine per cent of participants completed the training programme and final assessment. This was below our target (75%). Thirty-one per cent of participants achieved the minimum training target (600 minutes). This was below our target (75%). Acceptability. Of those participants who completed the acceptability questionnaire, most (94%) rated the intervention as acceptable. This was above our target (75%).
REC name
West Midlands - South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/WM/0112
Date of REC Opinion
8 Jul 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion