Alzheimer's Caregiver Coping: Mental and Physical Health

Alzheimer Disease Clinical Trial

Official title: Alzheimer's Caregiver Coping: Mental and Physical Health

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

This study evaluates the effectiveness of Behavioral Activation (BA) therapy vs Support and Information for reducing risk for emotional and cardiovascular diseases in Alzheimer's caregivers. Half of participants will receive BA and the other half will receive support and information.

Clinical Trial Description

The burden of caring for a loved-one with Alzheimer's disease is associated with adverse psychological and general health consequences for the caregiver. These consequences including risk for depression, cardiovascular disease, and earlier mortality. Because preliminary work has demonstrated that an educational programs for caregivers reduce the negative affect associated with caregiving, the investigators wish to determine whether improving mood can also modify pathophysiological changes that have been linked to risk for developing cardiovascular disease.

The investigators aims are to determine whether a 6-week Behavioral Activation (BA) intervention, followed by 3 booster sessions over a period of 6 months, compared to an Information-Support (IS) intervention will be associated with significant improvement in indicators of vascular pathology, modification of psychobiological markers that have been associated with cardiovascular parameters, and to determine whether improvements in indicators of vascular parameters will be mediated by treatment related change in measures of distress and markers of cardiovascular disease risk. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Alzheimer Dementia
• Alzheimer Disease
• Alzheimer's Disease
• Dementia

• NCT number: NCT02317523
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: University of California, San Diego
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: September 2014
• Completion date: June 30, 2019