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Contact the study team using the details below to take part. If there are no contact details below please ask your doctor in the first instance.

Contact Information:

Prof Anne Corbett
+44 1392 72 4464
a.m.j.corbett@exeter.ac.uk


More information about this study, what is involved and how to take part can be found on the study website.

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Be Part of Research - Trial Details - Brain training app for cognition in people with long COVID (BEACON)
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Brain training app for cognition in people with long COVID (BEACON)

Not Recruiting

Open to: All Genders

Age: Adult

Exeter

Medical Conditions

Long COVID

This information is provided directly by researchers, and we recognise that it isn't always easy to understand. We are working with researchers to improve the accessibility of this information. In some summaries, you may come across links to external websites. These websites will have more information to help you better understand the study.


The most concerning legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic is long COVID which affects at least 9.9% of people. About 25% of people with long COVID experience problems with their brain health, such as memory problems. These symptoms could stop people getting back to work and socialising and could increase their risk of dementia later in life. There is a need for a low-cost, effective treatment that can be rolled out on a large scale. Brain training offers a means to address this and digital delivery is a pragmatic way of delivering it.
The Reasoning Cognitive Training (ReaCT) brain training programme is available online and is known to help maintain brain health in older adults, but has not yet been tested in people with long COVID. This study aims to establish the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the ReaCT brain training programme in adults with cognitive impairment following Covid-19.

Start dates may differ between countries and research sites. The research team are responsible for keeping the information up-to-date.  

The recruitment start and end dates are as follows:

06 Mar 2024 30 Aug 2024

If you decide to take part the following steps will take place:
1. You will be directed to the next section of the app or website where all instructions, assessments and study information can be found.
2. You will be asked to complete a checklist to confirm your eligibility. This will include completing a short questionnaire to confirm your Covid-19 history and concerns about your brain function.
3. Provided you are eligible, you will be asked to register with the BEACON study and confirm that you have read this Participant Information Sheet. A downloadable copy of this is available on the app and website .
4. You will be asked to read and agree your consent via the app or the website to ensure you understand what the study involves and that you are happy to participate in the study.
5. You will then be asked to complete your first study assessment. The assessments will be completed online on the app or website and will be:
a. A set of tests to measure brain function (called a cognitive test battery), which need to be completed in full. If possible, we ask that you complete the set of tests two times in the first week. This gives you a chance to learn how to do them and helps us collect the best possible data. You need to complete the set of tests at least once to unlock the next assessments.
b. We will also ask you to rate your own brain function.
c. A Quality of Life questionnaire to measure your overall health on the day you take the tests.
d. An Everyday Activities questionnaire to measure how you are as you go about your day-to-day activities.
e. A Mood questionnaire that includes questions about your mental health including anxiety and depression.
f. A Sleep questionnaire that includes questions about how tired you feel and how you are sleeping.
g. A Service User questionnaire that asks about any health services you have used recently, such as GP surgeries, hospitals, and pharmacies.
h. An Everyday Emotions questionnaire to measure your day-to-day behaviour.
6. You will be asked to nominate a study partner to take part in the study. This is optional. The study partner should be someone you know well and who you see regularly. They will be asked to complete a questionnaire about you at the beginning of the study, six weeks later, and after six months.
7. Once you have finished your first set of assessments, you will be randomly assigned to play the ReaCT brain training games or a placebo (dummy) set of games. The placebo games are like the brain training games, but do not have the same learning effects as the ReaCT games. There will be a 50:50 chance of receiving either ReaCT or placebo and neither you nor the research team will know which set of games are assigned to you to play.
8. You can then start playing the games as often as you wish. We ask that you log in and play the games for at least ten minutes, three times a week. You will receive notifications and emails to help you remember to play the games, and the games will show your score so you can track your progress.
9. You will be asked to complete the same set of tests as mentioned above after six weeks, and after six months from the time you did the first set of tests. The cognitive test battery only needs to be completed once at these times. We will send you an email reminder when your assessments are ready to do and if you are taking part through the app you will receive notifications as well.
10. We would like to have a record of any ill health you experience during the course of the study. You will be asked to answer an optional set of simple questions related to your health when you log into the app or website. This should take about 3-5 minutes depending on your answer. If you report a serious health problem, we may contact you and / or your General Practitioner, with your permission, for more information. We also recommend that if you experience any ill health you contact your usual healthcare provider (usually your GP) for advice.
11. At the end of the study, we will ask you to complete a survey and provide us with suggestions and feedback on your experience from the study. We will also make the findings of the research available through the study website, app and a newsletter.
12. We will be able to tell you which set of games (ReaCT or placebo) you played after all participants have completed the study and the data has been analysed.

All the information we collect will be secure and confidential. Analysis will be completed using anonymous data. We will keep your personal data in case we need to contact you, but this will be for no more than 10 years after the study has finished and then it will be securely destroyed.


inclusion criteria include
• Age 18 and over.
• Self-reported Covid-19 infection (based on previous positive PCT/LFT test, laboratory /hospital diagnosis or suspected infection).
• Subjective Cognitive Impairment (based on self-report, supported by capture of symptoms and impacts).
• Access to a smartphone, tablet, or computer with an internet connection.
• Good understanding of the English Language, sufficient to participate.
*This study will be open to all to ensure diversity.

You can take part if:



You may not be able to take part if:


1. Already taking part in another active interventional clinical trial2. Having accessed the ReaCT programme online through participation in the PROTECT UK ageing cohort over the last 12 months3. Diagnosis of dementia


Below are the locations for where you can take part in the trial. Please note that not all sites may be open.

  • Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
    Royal Devon University NHS Ft Barrack Road
    Exeter
    EX2 5DW

By taking part in this study, it could help move forward our understanding of long COVID and how it should be treated and supported. In addition to the potential benefit to brain health, our previous research in this field shows that playing the brain training games is fun and engaging, and people report enjoying being a part of a large study into an important topic. We are unable to guarantee that you will have the same benefit to your brain health because 50% of participants will play in the ReaCT games and the other 50% of participants will play the placebo games. Neither you nor the study team will know whether you are playing ReaCT or the placebo games, but we hope you will enjoy playing the games and contributing valuable information for our research.

This study does not replace National Health Services and if you feel less well during the time you are part of this study it is important that you seek help from your doctor or local health professionals in the usual way.

Prof Anne Corbett
+44 1392 72 4464
a.m.j.corbett@exeter.ac.uk



More information about this study, what is involved and how to take part can be found on the study website.


The study is sponsored by University of Exeter and funded by NIHR Central Commissioning Facility (CCF).



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Read full details for Trial ID: ISRCTN39864861

Or CPMS 57359

Last updated 03 April 2024

This page is to help you find out about a research study and if you may be able to take part

You can print or share the study information with your GP/healthcare provider or contact the research team directly.   

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