Episodic Future Thinking for Type 2 Diabetes
Trial Summary
Do I need to stop my current medications for this trial?
The trial protocol does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems likely that you can continue them, as the trial focuses on lifestyle changes and not medication changes.
What data supports the idea that Episodic Future Thinking for Type 2 Diabetes is an effective treatment?
The available research shows that Episodic Future Thinking (EFT) helps people with type 2 diabetes by reducing delay discounting, which means they are more likely to make healthier choices for their future. In a study with 434 adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity, those who used EFT showed better results in making future-oriented decisions compared to those who used a different method or no method at all. This suggests that EFT can be an effective treatment for encouraging healthier behaviors in people with type 2 diabetes.12345
What safety data exists for Episodic Future Thinking in Type 2 Diabetes?
Is Episodic Future Thinking a promising treatment for Type 2 Diabetes?
Episodic Future Thinking is a promising treatment for Type 2 Diabetes because it can help people better manage their condition by improving their ability to plan and make healthier choices. This approach encourages individuals to think about their future and how their current actions can impact their long-term health, which can lead to better control of blood sugar levels and overall diabetes management.1112131415
What is the purpose of this trial?
Successful management of type 2 diabetes (T2D) requires adherence to a dietary, physical activity, and medication plan agreed upon between a patient and their healthcare providers. The lifestyle changes involved in these collaborative care plans (CCPs) often provide little to no short-term benefit and may instead be aversive (e.g., caloric restriction and physical activity). However, these changes provide critical health benefits in the future, allowing patients with T2D to halt or reverse disease progression and avoid T2D-related complications (e.g., renal disease or diabetic retinopathy). Thus, successful management of T2D requires one's present behavior to be guided by future outcomes. Unfortunately, accumulating evidence indicates that individuals with T2D and prediabetes show elevated rates of delay discounting (i.e., devaluation of delayed consequences). Moreover, high rates of delay discounting are cross-sectionally and longitudinally associated with poor treatment adherence and clinical outcomes in T2D and prediabetes. These data suggest that high rates of delay discounting prevent successful management of T2D through a mechanism in which the health benefits of lifestyle changes are too delayed to motivate behavioral change. Thus, we believe delay discounting serves as a therapeutic target in T2D, where improving participants' valuation of the future will facilitate healthy lifestyle changes and, in turn, improve T2D management. This study will conduct a randomized 24-week remote clinical trial comparing repeated measures ANOVA, with group (episodic future thinking \[EFT\]/control) and area (urban vs. rural) as between-subjects factors, and time (baseline, week 8, and week 24 assessments) as within-subjects factors in adults with type 2 diabetes.
Research Team
Jeffrey Stein, PhD
Principal Investigator
Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion
Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for adults with type 2 diabetes who live in urban or rural areas, have an HbA1c level of at least 7.7%, and a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. It's not suitable for those with intellectual impairments, gestational diabetes, pregnant or lactating women, non-ambulatory individuals, or unmanaged psychiatric conditions.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Baseline Assessment
Participants complete remote assessments of dietary intake, physical activity, and sociodemographic information
Treatment
Participants engage in episodic future thinking or control thinking, with diet and physical activity support, self-monitoring, and case management
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for changes in glycemic control, BMI, dietary intake, physical activity, and medication adherence
Treatment Details
Interventions
- Episodic Future Thinking
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Lead Sponsor
Carilion Clinic
Collaborator
University at Buffalo
Collaborator