Transitional Life Events in Patients With Friedreich's Ataxia: Implications for Genetic Counseling

Exploration of Transitional Life Events in Individuals With Friedreich's Ataxia: Implications for Genetic Counseling

The purposes of this study are to learn about significant life changes for people with Friedreich's ataxia and about patients' experiences with health care providers. Friedreich's ataxia is a rare genetic disorder in which patients experience progressive muscle weakness and loss of coordination in the arms and legs. They may have other complications, such as vision and hearing impairment, dysarthria, scoliosis, diabetes, and heart disease. The study will explore the impact of this chronic progressive illness on transitional life events, such as career choice and marriage, and the role of family members and health care providers-particularly genetic counselors-in helping patients progress through these events.

Patients with Friedreich's ataxia who are 18 years of age or older may be eligible for this study. Those enrolled will participate in a 45- to 60-minute interview by phone or in person, in which they will be asked questions about important changes in their lives and their past experiences with health care providers. The interview will be audiotaped.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Friedreich Ataxia

Detailed Description

Human development across the lifespan is a process of continual change, adaptation and growth. Throughout this process, key transitional events, such as career choice and marriage, mark important points in time when an individual's life course is significantly altered. These transitional events may be instigated by age, historical or idiosyncratic factors. Of particular interest in the present study are patients' perceptions of transitional events brought about or altered by chronic illness and disability. Additionally, factors (i.e. social support, communication, family) that help facilitate progression through these events will be investigated. The actual or potential role of health care providers during transitional events will also be explored with a specific emphasis on genetic counseling. These themes will be examined through the administration of a one-time, semi-structured, in-person or telephone interview of patients with Friedreich's ataxia: a progressive, debilitating, neurodegenerative condition. The interviews will be approximately 45-60 minutes in length and will include open-ended questions to elicit qualitative data. Approximately 40 subjects will be recruited from Friedreich's ataxia support groups, a research organization and a clinical setting.

It is anticipated that data elicited from the study will lead to recommendations regarding the process and content of genetic counseling for individuals with Friedreich's ataxia. These considerations, coupled with qualitative data obtained from participants, may also have implications for the evolving role of the genetic counselor. Specifically, consideration of developmental counseling approaches, which emphasize key transitional events, may be particularly useful as genetic counselors become increasingly involved in subspecialties (i.e. cardiology, pediatrics, neurology) that provide continuing follow-up care to patients.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment: 40

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Maryland
    • Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
      • National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

INCLUSION CRITERIA:

Any individual diagnosed with Friedreich's ataxia, 18 years of age or older, who speaks English and is either in attendance at the NAF conference, or who has access to a telephone.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Adolescents and children under the age of 18. Children and adolescents will be excluded due to the potiential for increased psychological and/or emotional.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Bernhardt BA, Biesecker BB, Mastromarino CL. Goals, benefits, and outcomes of genetic counseling: client and genetic counselor assessment. Am J Med Genet. 2000 Sep 18;94(3):189-97. doi: 10.1002/1096-8628(20000918)94:33.0.co;2-e.
• Beisecker AE, Cobb AK, Ziegler DK. Patients' perspectives of the role of care providers in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Arch Neurol. 1988 May;45(5):553-6. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1988.00520290089019.
• Borreani C, Gangeri L. Genetic counselling: communication and psychosocial aspects. Tumori. 1996 Mar-Apr;82(2):147-50. doi: 10.1177/030089169608200209.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: March 1, 2003
• Study Completion: January 1, 2004

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 7, 2003
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 6, 2003
• First Posted (Estimate): March 7, 2003

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): March 4, 2008
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 3, 2008
• Last Verified: January 1, 2004

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Health Care Provider; Adaptation; Friedreich's Ataxia; Friedreich Ataxia; Psychosocial; Neurodegenerative; FA; Chronic Illness/Disability
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Metabolic Diseases; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Genetic Diseases, Inborn; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Dyskinesias; Spinal Cord Diseases; Heredodegenerative Disorders, Nervous System; Mitochondrial Diseases; Cerebellar Diseases; Spinocerebellar Degenerations; Ataxia; Cerebellar Ataxia; Friedreich Ataxia
• Other Study ID Numbers: 030118; 03-HG-0118