Polarity Therapy for American Indian Caregivers of Dementia Patients
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Purpose
The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of polarity therapy (PT), a complementary and alternative medicine treatment, in American Indian caregivers living in the Pacific Northwest.
| Condition | Intervention | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Stress Depression Anxiety |
Procedure: Polarity therapy |
Phase 1 |
| Study Type: | Interventional |
| Study Design: | Allocation: Randomized Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment Masking: Open Label Primary Purpose: Treatment |
| Official Title: | Polarity Therapy for Dementia Caregivers |
- Perceived stress
| Estimated Enrollment: | 50 |
| Study Start Date: | August 2004 |
| Study Completion Date: | April 2007 |
| Primary Completion Date: | April 2007 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure) |
The caregivers of people with dementia experience high levels of stress and are at particularly high risk for physical and mental illness. Although stress and illness are serious problems among American Indian caregivers in the Northwest, few studies have concentrated on this population. PT is a treatment that involves awareness of one's energy field and touch therapy; it has been shown to provide several physiological, biological, and psychological benefits. This study will determine whether PT is more effective than respite from caregiving in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression and improving health function and overall quality of life in American Indian caregivers.
Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either eight weekly sessions of PT or 3 hours of weekly respite from caregiving for 8 weeks. At the beginning of the study and at Weeks 4 and 8, participants will complete questionnaires and self-report scales on stress, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. In addition, heart rate variability and levels of cortisol will be measured at study entry and Weeks 4 and 8.
Eligibility| Ages Eligible for Study: | 35 Years to 65 Years |
| Genders Eligible for Study: | Both |
| Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | Yes |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Caregiver of a family member with dementia for at least 4 hours a day
- American Indian
Exclusion Criteria:
- Nerve disorders caused by diabetes
- Use of beta blockers
Contacts and Locations| United States, Washington | |
| Center for World Indigenous Studies | |
| Olympia, Washington, United States, 98502 | |
| Principal Investigator: | Leslie E. Korn, PhD, MPH | Center for World Indigenous Studies |
More Information
Additional Information:
No publications provided
| ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00100035 History of Changes |
| Other Study ID Numbers: | R21 AT001627-01A1 |
| Study First Received: | December 22, 2004 |
| Last Updated: | April 21, 2008 |
| Health Authority: | United States: Federal Government |
Keywords provided by National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM):
|
Caregivers Complementary Therapies |
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
|
Anxiety Disorders Dementia Depression Depressive Disorder Mental Disorders Brain Diseases |
Central Nervous System Diseases Nervous System Diseases Delirium, Dementia, Amnestic, Cognitive Disorders Behavioral Symptoms Mood Disorders |
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on May 21, 2013