Effect of Cognitive Empathy Training on Dementia Caregivers
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age50+
SponsorEmory University
About this trial
The goal of this project is to investigate the effect of cognitive empathy training on mental health, inflammation, and immune function in caregivers of people living with dementia (PLWD), and to examine the underlying psychological and neurobiological mechanisms.
The primary aim is to establish the effectiveness of cognitive empathy training in improving caregiver mental health and immune function, and in decreasing caregiver inflammation
The secondary aim is to investigate the psychological and neurobiological mechanism by which cognitive empathy training improves caregiver well-being
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Caregivers must live with their care recipient
Caregivers must have a Zarit Burden Scale score of 19 or higher
Caregivers must have no plans to move their care recipient to an institutional setting within the next year
Caregivers must be able to read and write English
Disqualifiers
Subjects with a history of seizures or other neurological disorders, alcoholism, or any other substance abuse
Subjects with a history of psychiatric illness (excluding depression and anxiety disorders) will also be excluded
Subjects with a history of head trauma based on Survey
Subjects with MRI contra-indications
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Cognitive Empathy Training
- Control Condition
- Pre and post intervention blood spot collection
- Pre and post intervention MRI session
Treatment groups
118 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsSponsors and collaborators
Emory University
Lead sponsor
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov