Polarity Therapy for American Indian Caregivers of Dementia Patients

Polarity Therapy for Dementia Caregivers

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Depression; Stress; Anxiety
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Polarity therapy

Detailed Description

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.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 50
• Phase: Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Washington
    • Olympia, Washington, United States, 98502
      • Center for World Indigenous Studies

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 35 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

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

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Perceived stress

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Leslie E. Korn, PhD, MPH, Center for World Indigenous Studies

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Click here for more information about The Center for Traditional Medicine.
• Click here for more information on The Center for World Indigenous Studies.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: August 1, 2004
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 1, 2007
• Study Completion (Actual): April 1, 2007

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 22, 2004
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 22, 2004
• First Posted (Estimate): December 23, 2004

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): April 22, 2008
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 21, 2008
• Last Verified: April 1, 2008

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Caregivers; Complementary Therapies
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neurocognitive Disorders; Dementia
• Other Study ID Numbers: R21AT001627-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)