Comparing Structured Retrieval Practice and Reading-Based Education for Dementia Caregivers

Part of paid clinical trials in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Sponsor
Virginia Wesleyan University
Study ID
NCT07413406
Status
Recruiting
Apply to this trial

Conditions

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
50 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Structured Retrieval Practice — BEHAVIORAL
    The structured retrieval practice intervention is an educational learning approach designed to support durable knowledge retention through repeated active recall of information with corrective feedback. Caregivers will engage in retrieval-based learning activities focused on dementia symptom management, coping strategies, and self-care. Learning activities will be spaced over time, and participants will receive immediate feedback to support learning and retention.
  • Reading-Based Education — BEHAVIORAL
    The reading-based education control condition consists of caregiver educational materials presented in a traditional reading format. Participants will review written information covering dementia-related behavioral symptoms, coping strategies, and caregiver self-care. Materials will be matched in content to the structured retrieval practice condition but will not include active retrieval or feedback components.

Study Details

Caring for a person living with dementia can be stressful, and many family caregivers report limited access to effective educational resources for managing dementia-related behaviors and caregiver stress. This study will evaluate a learning-based educational intervention called structured retrieval practice (SRP), which is designed to improve long-term learning by encouraging repeated recall of information with feedback. Informal dementia caregivers will be randomly assigned to learn caregiving and self-care strategies using either SRP or a traditional reading-based educational approach. Participants will be assessed on their knowledge, confidence in caregiving skills, stress levels, and perceptions of dementia-related behavioral symptoms over multiple follow-up periods. The study will also examine whether the SRP intervention is feasible and acceptable for caregivers in real-world settings.

Key Dates

Start date
Oct 3, 2025
Status verified
Feb 2026
Primary completion
Jun 30, 2026
Completion
Jun 30, 2026

Study Design

Enrollment
65 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER

Arms

  • Experimental: Structured Retrieval Practice (SRP)
    Participants assigned to this arm will receive caregiver education delivered using structured retrieval practice (SRP). Educational content will be presented through repeated opportunities to actively recall information over time with corrective feedback. Content will focus on managing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, coping strategies, and caregiver self-care.
  • Active Comparator: Reading-Based Education Control
    Participants assigned to this arm will receive caregiver education delivered through traditional reading-based materials. Educational content will cover the same topics as the structured retrieval practice arm, including management of dementia-related behavioral symptoms, coping strategies, and caregiver self-care, but without retrieval practice or corrective feedback.

Primary Outcome Measure

Caregiver Knowledge Retention [ Time Frame: Baseline; 2 days post-intervention; 2 weeks post-intervention; 2 months post-intervention ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
Virginia Wesleyan UniversityVirginia BeachVirginia23455
Robert Ariel, PhD
[email protected]
757-455-3368
Robert Ariel, PhD.
[email protected]

Find similar trials in Virginia Beach, VA

By condition
Alzheimer's disease
By specialty
NeurologyDementia careBrain disordersGeriatrics
By research site
Virginia Wesleyan University· Virginia Beach, VA

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