[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"trial:NCT07730112":3,"trial-entities:NCT07730112":98,"trial-summary:NCT07730112":101},{"id":4,"nct_id":4,"org_study_id":5,"brief_title":6,"official_title":6,"overall_status":7,"completion_date":8,"status_verified_date":9,"last_update_date":10,"start_date":11,"sponsor_name":12,"lead_sponsor_class":13,"has_dmc":14,"brief_summary":15,"detailed_description":16,"conditions":17,"keywords":22,"study_type":25,"primary_purpose":26,"phases":27,"enrollment_info":29,"interventions":32,"primary_outcomes":43,"secondary_outcomes":48,"sex":56,"minimum_age":57,"maximum_age":58,"healthy_volunteers":14,"eligibility_criteria":59,"std_ages":72,"locations":75,"central_contacts":90,"overall_officials":95,"references":96,"see_also_links":97},"NCT07730112","7932","Adapting a Psychosocial Support Intervention for the Rett Syndrome Community","NOT_YET_RECRUITING","2028-05-31","2026-07","2026-07-28","2026-08-01","Colorado State University","OTHER",false,"This study seeks to adapt Caregiver Speaks, a psychosocial supportive intervention delivered through Facebook, for parent caregivers of children living with Rett Syndrome. This study also seeks to explore feasibility and acceptability of implementing the adapted intervention, and its impact on parent psychological outcomes.","Rett syndrome (RTT) is a rare, progressive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by early developmental regression, severe intellectual and physical disability, seizures, feeding and breathing abnormalities, and a markedly reduced lifespan. These complex medical needs require intensive, lifelong caregiving, most often provided by parents. As a result, RTT profoundly affects not only the child but the entire family system. Parent caregivers must navigate highly specialized healthcare systems while simultaneously providing continuous, around-the-clock care and managing significant emotional strain.\n\nThe diagnosis of RTT is frequently described as devastating for parents, who experience anticipatory grief, anxiety, parenting stress, and chronic distress as caregiving demands escalate across the lifespan. Making sense of the diagnosis-including the possibility of early death-can be especially challenging, as it contradicts deeply held expectations that parents will outlive their children. Research in RTT and other rare pediatric conditions demonstrates that caregiver psychological distress is strongly linked to caregiving burden, treatment adherence, and child quality of life, highlighting the inseparability of patient and family wellbeing.\n\nDespite this, RTT care has historically focused almost exclusively on medical management, with limited availability of evidence-based psychosocial interventions tailored to the unique emotional and social experiences of RTT caregivers. There is a critical need for innovative, scalable approaches that support caregiver wellbeing, reduce isolation, and integrate meaning-centered psychosocial care alongside pharmacologic treatment.\n\nOverview of the Intervention This project centers on adapting and evaluating Caregiver Speaks, a meaning-centered, storytelling-based psychosocial intervention originally developed for family caregivers of individuals with dementia and cancer. Caregiver Speaks is grounded in Park and Folkman's meaning-making model of stress and coping, which posits that individuals adapt to stressful life events by reconstructing and integrating new meaning into their personal narratives.\n\nThe intervention uses guided photo-elicitation and moderated online group discussion to help caregivers reflect on their caregiving experiences, reframe sources of distress, and build emotional connection with peers facing similar challenges. Prior studies demonstrate that Caregiver Speaks improves caregiver psychological outcomes by reducing stress and grief intensity while enhancing meaning, purpose, and social support.\n\nHowever, Caregiver Speaks has never been adapted for caregivers of children with life-limiting neurodevelopmental conditions such as RTT. Preliminary research with RTT families indicates that the intervention requires significant adaptation to address the medical complexity, prolonged caregiving trajectory, and profound social isolation experienced by RTT caregivers. This study represents the first effort to optimize Caregiver Speaks for the RTT community and integrate it with emerging pharmacologic treatments.\n\nStudy Objectives and Aims The overarching goal of this project is to enhance whole-family wellbeing in RTT by developing, piloting, and preliminarily evaluating Caregiver Speaks-RTT, an adapted version of the intervention designed specifically for caregivers of individuals with RTT.\n\nAim 1: Adapt the Caregiver Speaks intervention for RTT caregivers using Rapid Community Translation (RCT) methodology.\n\nParents of children with RTT and clinicians from RTT Centers of Excellence (CoE) will collaboratively refine intervention content, format, and delivery to ensure relevance, acceptability, and clinical feasibility while preserving the intervention's core components.\n\nAim 2: Evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of Caregiver Speaks-RTT through a single-arm, mixed-methods pilot study.\n\nTwo sequential cohorts of caregivers will participate in the 6-week online intervention, allowing for iterative refinement between cohorts. Quantitative and qualitative data will assess feasibility, engagement, retention, and caregiver perceptions of acceptability and appropriateness.\n\nAim 3: Conduct an exploratory randomized comparative study to examine caregiver outcomes when Caregiver Speaks-RTT is integrated with pharmacologic treatment.\n\nCaregivers will be randomized to receive either pharmacologic treatment alone or pharmacologic treatment plus Caregiver Speaks-RTT, allowing for preliminary exploration of additive benefits to caregiver wellbeing, family functioning, and medication adherence.\n\nStudy Design and Methods This is a multi-phase, mixed-methods study conducted over two years. Aim 1: Rapid Community Translation (Adaptation Phase) A working group of approximately 10 participants-including RTT caregivers and CoE clinicians-will engage in a series of structured, virtual sessions facilitated by an interdisciplinary research team with expertise in social work, psychology, neurology, rare disease research, and qualitative methods. Sessions will include education on caregiver distress in RTT, discussion of meaning-making and social support, and hands-on review of Caregiver Speaks materials. Participant feedback will guide systematic adaptations to ensure cultural relevance, clarity, and feasibility for RTT families and clinical care environments.\n\nAim 2: Feasibility and Acceptability Pilot Twenty caregivers of individuals with RTT will participate in two cohorts of the adapted Caregiver Speaks-RTT intervention. Each cohort will engage in a 6-week, asynchronous, moderated private Facebook group. Caregivers will share photos and stories reflecting their caregiving experiences, respond to weekly prompts, and engage with peers.\n\nFeasibility will be assessed through recruitment, retention, session participation, and completeness of outcome data. Acceptability and appropriateness will be evaluated using validated surveys and post-intervention qualitative interviews. Interviews will also explore caregivers' experiences with medication adherence, including perceived barriers and facilitators, to inform integrated care strategies.\n\nAim 3: Exploratory Comparative Trial Thirty caregivers will be randomized into two groups: pharmacologic treatment plus Caregiver Speaks-RTT, or pharmacologic treatment alone (with delayed access to the intervention). Outcomes will be measured at baseline and post-intervention using validated scales assessing caregiver mental health, caregiving burden, parenting stress, meaning and purpose, social isolation, medication barriers, and child quality of life. Although not powered for efficacy, this exploratory analysis will generate critical proof-of-concept data.\n\nData Analysis Quantitative data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and exploratory comparisons to examine feasibility benchmarks, acceptability thresholds, and pre-post changes in outcomes. Qualitative interview data will be analyzed using grounded theory and convergent mixed-methods approaches to contextualize quantitative findings and identify mechanisms of change. Adaptations will be documented using established reporting frameworks to support reproducibility and future dissemination.\n\nEthical Considerations This study involves minimal risk. Participation may evoke emotional responses related to sensitive caregiving experiences; all intervention activities are optional, and participants may withdraw at any time. Confidentiality is protected through secure data systems, private online groups, and de-identification procedures. All procedures are reviewed and approved by the Colorado Multiple Institutional Review Board.\n\nImpact and Future Directions This study will generate critical preliminary evidence for an innovative, integrated model of care that addresses both the medical and psychosocial needs of families affected by RTT. By supporting caregiver meaning-making, reducing distress, and strengthening peer support, Caregiver Speaks-RTT has the potential to improve family functioning, enhance treatment adherence, and positively influence child quality of life.\n\nFindings will directly inform a future, fully powered NIH-funded clinical trial and guide broader implementation of Caregiver Speaks-RTT across RTT Centers of Excellence. More broadly, this work establishes a scalable framework for integrating psychosocial support with pharmacologic treatment in rare pediatric disorders, advancing whole-family care and community health.",[18,19,20,21],"Rett Syndrome","Family Caregivers","Social Support","Psychological Support",[19,18,23,24],"Online Support Group","Meaning-making","INTERVENTIONAL","SUPPORTIVE_CARE",[28],"NA",{"count":30,"type":31},60,"ESTIMATED",[33,39],{"type":13,"name":34,"description":35,"armGroupLabels":36},"Those who have patients prescribed Daybue","Participants must be receiving Daybue (trofinetide) as prescribed and managed by their treating clinician as part of routine clinical care. The study does not assign, initiate, modify, or manage pharmacologic treatment. Participants are required to continue taking Daybue according to their physician's prescription during the study period. Medication dosing, monitoring, and clinical decision-making remain entirely under the care of the participant's healthcare provider.",[37,38],"Pharmacologic Treatment Only","Pharmacologic Treatment Plus Caregiver Speaks-RTT",{"type":13,"name":40,"description":41,"armGroupLabels":42},"Caregiver Speaks + Daybue","Participants receive standard pharmacologic treatment for Rett syndrome (e.g., Daybue \\[trofinetide\\]) as prescribed and managed by their clinical care team. Medication use follows routine clinical practice, including dosing, monitoring, and management of side effects. No experimental medication dosing or alteration is required as part of this study. Pharmacologic treatment is provided either alone or in combination with the Caregiver Speaks-RTT psychosocial intervention, depending on randomized group assignment.",[38],[44],{"measure":45,"description":46,"timeFrame":47},"Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM)","Feasibility of the Caregiver Speaks-RTT intervention assessed by caregiver recruitment, retention, session participation, and completeness of outcome data. Feasibility benchmarks include ≥80% intervention engagement, ≥80% retention through completion, and \\\u003C20% missing baseline or post-intervention data, measured using the Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM) and participation metrics.\n\n1 to 5 (average score across 4 items; alternatively 4 to 20 if summed).","Immediately post-intervention (6 weeks)",[49,52],{"measure":50,"description":51,"timeFrame":47},"Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM)","Caregiver-reported acceptability and perceived appropriateness of the Caregiver Speaks-RTT psychosocial intervention, assessed using the Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM). Measures assess satisfaction with intervention content, delivery format, relevance to caregiving for individuals with Rett syndrome, and perceived fit within caregivers' needs. 1 to 5 (average score across 4 items; alternatively 4 to 20 if summed).",{"measure":53,"description":54,"timeFrame":55},"Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM)","Caregiver-reported perceived appropriateness of the Caregiver Speaks-RTT intervention, assessed using the Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM). This measure evaluates perceived fit, relevance, and suitability of the intervention for caregivers of individuals with Rett syndrome. 1 to 5 (average score across 4 items; alternatively 4 to 20 if summed).","Immediately post-intervention (6 weeks).","ALL","18 Years",null,{"inclusion":60,"exclusion":65,"raw_text":71},[61,62,63,64],"Adult caregiver (≥18 years old) of an individual with Rett syndrome Caregiver of a child or individual of any age with a confirmed clinical diagnosis of Rett syndrome.","English-speaking and able to read and understand study materials Willing and able to participate in a 6-week, online psychosocial intervention delivered via a private social media platform","Willing and able to complete electronic surveys and, if selected, participate in virtual interviews","For randomized phase participation: child is receiving standard pharmacologic treatment for Rett syndrome (e.g., Daybue) as part of routine clinical care",[66,67,68,69,70],"Inability to speak, read, or understand English sufficiently to participate in the intervention and assessments.","Caregiver under the age of 18 years","Lack of confirmed diagnosis of Rett syndrome in the care recipient.","Inability or unwillingness to provide informed consent.","Lack of access to required technology (internet-enabled device and ability to access the online intervention platform).","Inclusion Criteria:\n\n* Adult caregiver (≥18 years old) of an individual with Rett syndrome Caregiver of a child or individual of any age with a confirmed clinical diagnosis of Rett syndrome.\n* English-speaking and able to read and understand study materials Willing and able to participate in a 6-week, online psychosocial intervention delivered via a private social media platform\n* Willing and able to complete electronic surveys and, if selected, participate in virtual interviews\n* For randomized phase participation: child is receiving standard pharmacologic treatment for Rett syndrome (e.g., Daybue) as part of routine clinical care\n\nExclusion Criteria:\n\n* Inability to speak, read, or understand English sufficiently to participate in the intervention and assessments.\n* Caregiver under the age of 18 years\n* Lack of confirmed diagnosis of Rett syndrome in the care recipient.\n* Inability or unwillingness to provide informed consent.\n* Lack of access to required technology (internet-enabled device and ability to access the online intervention platform).",[73,74],"ADULT","OLDER_ADULT",[76],{"facility":12,"city":77,"state":78,"zip":79,"country":80,"contacts":81,"geoPoint":87},"Fort Collins","Colorado","80523","United States",[82],{"name":83,"role":84,"phone":85,"email":86},"Abigail Rolbiecki, PhD, MPH, MSW","CONTACT","970-491-6204","abigail.rolbiecki@colostate.edu",{"lat":88,"lon":89},40.58526,-105.08442,[91,92],{"name":83,"role":84,"phone":85,"email":86},{"name":93,"role":84,"phone":94},"Talia Thompson, PhD","303-871-3736",[],[],[],{"nct_id":4,"conditions":99,"biomarkers":100},[18],[],{"nct_id":4,"found":102,"summary":103,"prompt_version":113},true,{"design":104,"status":105,"heading":106,"summary":107,"follow_up":108,"word_count":109,"commitments":110,"compensation":111,"drugs_mentioned":112},"This is an interventional study with a planned enrollment of 60 participants. It is not specified if it is randomized or blinded.","completed","Psychosocial Support for Rett Syndrome Caregivers","This study is adapting a support program called \"Caregiver Speaks\" for parents and caregivers of individuals with Rett syndrome. Rett syndrome is a rare, complex neurological disorder that requires intensive care, which can be very challenging for families. The program, delivered online through a private social media platform, aims to provide psychological support to these caregivers. Participants in this study will be receiving Daybue (trofinetide) as part of their routine medical care, but the study itself does not manage this medication. Researchers want to see if this adapted support program is practical to use and helpful for caregivers, specifically looking at its impact on their psychological well-being. The study plans to enroll 60 participants and is currently unclear regarding its recruitment status. You can join if you are an adult caregiver (18 years or older) of someone with a confirmed diagnosis of Rett syndrome, can speak English, and are willing to participate in a 6-week online program.","The primary outcome is measured immediately after the 6-week intervention.",157,"You would participate in a 6-week online psychosocial intervention delivered via a private social media platform.","Not stated in the trial record.",[],"v2"]