Clinical Research Directory

The Nuestros Días ("Our Days") Study

The goal of this observational study is to understand how contextual, individual-level, and cultural factors influence the daily and long-term well-being of caregivers of relatives with memory problems or dementia. The study focuses on caregivers from the Hispanic and Latino community. The main questions it aims to answer are: * What daily factors increase (i.e., risk factors) or decrease (i.e., protective factors) the daily odds of depression and anxiety symptoms reported by caregivers? * How do these symptoms vary over time? * Do variations in depression and anxiety symptoms predict distal health outcomes? Participants will: * Complete an online baseline survey to understand their caregiving situation. * Fill out daily surveys online for three weeks about their caregiving experiences and well-being. * Complete two follow-up surveys, along with daily surveys, six and twelve months after the baseline survey. All the study information and surveys can be completed in English or Spanish based on the participant's preference.

Sleep Quality and Caregiver Burden in Children With Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a lifelong condition that affects movement and posture in children, often requiring continuous care from family members. Children with CP frequently experience sleep problems due to spasticity, pain, seizures, or behavioral difficulties. Poor sleep can negatively affect the child's health and development, as well as increase the physical and emotional burden on their caregivers. This study aims to evaluate the sleep quality of children with CP and their primary caregivers, and to examine the relationship between caregiver burden and these sleep-related factors. The study will include children aged 2 to 18 years with a diagnosis of CP and their primary caregivers (parents or legal guardians). Children's sleep patterns will be assessed using the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). Their functional levels will be classified using the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), Manual Ability Classification System (MACS), and Communication Function Classification System (CFCS). Caregivers' sleep quality will be assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), caregiver burden with the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), and psychological status with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). By identifying how sleep problems are linked with caregiver burden and psychological health, this study may provide valuable insights for developing supportive intervention programs for both children with CP and their families.

A Study of Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy for Caregivers to People With Cancer

Participants will complete 1 set of questionnaires about 2 weeks before beginning their Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy for Caregivers/MCP-C or standard Supportive Psychotherapy for Caregivers/SP-C sessions. These questionnaires will ask about participants' sense of meaning and purpose in life, spiritual well-being, depression and/or anxiety, and social support. Participants will then be assigned to receive either MCP-C or SP-C for 7 sessions. Participants will complete additional sets of questionnaires about 2 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months after their last session of MCP-C or SP-C. It will take between 35 and 50 minutes to complete each set of questionnaires. After participants complete the MCP-C or SP-C sessions and all 4 sets of questionnaires, their participation in this study will end. If participants decide not to complete all 7 sessions, they may still choose to complete the questionnaires. Participants may remain in the study and continue to receive all 7 sessions of MCP-C or SP-C even if their loved one passes away.

Caregiver Stress and Sleep Study

The purpose of this research study is to better understand how stress, sleep and activity might impact caregivers' mood and brain health. This study includes a randomized experimental component where therapists will systematically deliver one of two evidence-based talk-therapy treatments. The aim is to evaluate effects on meaningful health-relevant measures including morning activation levels, depression symptoms, rumination, and aspects brain connectivity previously linked with depression. Participants will complete surveys about their caregiving experiences, health, and mood, undergo an MRI, and wear an actigraphy watch that measures activity levels throughout the day and when sleeping.

Reducing Suicide Risk Among Aging Caregivers of Persons With AD/ADRD

This project aims to adapt, implement, and evaluate a Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills training group intervention for aging adult family caregivers of person with Alzheimer's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) to reduce suicidality. By adapting this modality, the investigators will provide a scalable intervention tailored for this high-risk population, maximizing the public health impact and improving suicide prevention.

AI-Based Personalized Health and Self-Care

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the DAPHNE chatbot can improve caregiver engagement, usability, and integration of social care support tools into clinical workflows in caregivers of pediatric patients receiving care at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Primary Care Center (NCH PCC). This is a pilot randomized clinical trial. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Is the DAPHNE chatbot usable, acceptable, and minimally burdensome for caregivers over a 6-month period? * Can the DAPHNE chatbot be effectively integrated into primary care provider workflows? Researchers will compare the DAPHNE chatbot intervention arm to the standard of care control arm to see if the intervention improves caregiver-reported outcomes and provider workflow integration. Participants that are patients will be randomly assigned to either the DAPHNE chatbot group or the standard of care group. Complete surveys assessing usability, acceptability, and burden and participate in brief qualitative interviews to share feedback on their experience. Participants that are Primary Care providers will discuss integration of DAPHNE into clinical workflows and complete workflow integration assessments.

Improving Self-Care of Caregivers of Adults in Homecare With Heart Failure and Cognitive Impairment

This RCT design will enroll 256 informal caregivers (spouse/partner or child) of HHC patients with HF/CI and 60 patients with HF and mild to moderate CI (60 dyads). After collecting baseline data, we will block randomize the caregivers 1:1 to the ViCCY intervention or comparator group, stratifying randomization by caregiver sex (male/female), relationship (spouse/partner or child), and race (white/other)- factors known to influence caregiving burden, perceived stress, and receptivity to the intervention. We will encourage caregivers to use their own devices but provide tablet devices with wireless network access if needed. The intervention group will receive 10 sessions of ViCCY over 6 months.

Swallowing Impairments in Adults With and Without Alzheimer's Disease

This research study is investigating whether people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) experience more changes to swallowing than their healthy age-matched peers. The prevalence of swallowing impairments in moderate-severe AD is high (85-93%), yet little is known about how swallow function evolves throughout the disease course in people with AD. The overall objective of this study is to evaluate swallowing function in adults with and without Alzheimer's disease. The investigator will also be involving the primary caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's that are enrolled in the study to better understand the impact of swallowing impairments on the primary caregivers of those with Alzheimer's Disease. Healthy adults and individuals with Alzheimer's disease will: * undergo tests of cough and swallow function * undergo tests of grip and tongue strength * complete questionnaires Caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease will also complete questionnaires.

Alternative Carer Respite: A Study on Its Effectiveness and Potential Mechanism

The primary objective of this study is to examine the effectiveness of alternative carer respite in meeting the unique needs of older adults without children or with limited contact with their children in Hong Kong. Caregivers are assessed before and after the intervention, and three months after the end of intervention on their physical health, mental well-being, social engagement, and overall satisfaction.

Caregivers Preparing for Their Own Health Care Emergency

The proposed research will develop and test an online Emergency Preparedness Toolkit to help caregivers prepare for their own unexpected health events. Caregivers of persons with dementia often ignore their own health needs as their primary focus is the care of the person with dementia. This can lead to a caregiver delaying their own care and subsequently emergent health events. The Emergency Preparedness Toolkit provides guidance to the caregiver as to how to identify and transfer care to a standby caregiver. The goal is to provide a caregiver with the security and comfort that the person with dementia will be well cared for while they care for their own health needs.

ACT Group for Family Caregivers of Stroke Survivors

The goal of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of group-based ACT intervention in improving the levels of psychological distress in caregivers of stroke survivors. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does group-based ACT intervention improve the levels of psychological distress and QoL in family caregivers of stroke survivors? 2. Do the levels of psychological flexibility and experiential avoidance in family caregivers of stroke survivors mediate the outcome of the ACT Group? The researcher will compare the experimental group (i.e., participants who received group-based ACT intervention) with the control group (i.e., participants who did not receive group-based ACT intervention) to assess whether the group-based ACT intervention is effective in mitigating caregiver stress and improving caregivers' QoL. Participants in the experimental group will: 1. Receive a 5-weekly, 1.5-hour group intervention based on the ACT Model; 2. Complete study measures at pre-treatment, immediate post-treatment, and 2-month follow-up. Participants in the control group will not receive the group intervention but will complete the same study measures.

Cluster RCT of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Support Caregivers of Older Adults in Hong Kong

The goal of this cluster randomized controlled trial study is to compare the effectiveness of a novel psychosocial intervention based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, lifestyle intervention and effective communication skills in caregivers of older adults in Hong Kong. The main question\[s\] it aims to answer are: What is the impact of the 6-week psychosocial intervention on distress and burden among participants? Participants will participate in a 6-week psychosocial intervention. Researchers will compare the results between the intervention group and the active control group to see if participants in the intervention group have lower distress and burden.

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) in Palliative Care

Background: Terminally ill patients often experience significant psychosocial distress having depressed mood, death anxiety, pain, and an overall poor quality of life. Recent evidence from pilot studies suggests that serotonergic hallucinogens including lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin produce significant and sustained reductions of depressive symptoms and anxiety, along with increases in quality of life, and life meaning in patients suffering from life-threatening diseases. Additionally, serotonergic hallucinogens may produce antinociceptive effects. Objective and Design: The study aims to evaluate effects of LSD on psychosocial distress in 60 patients suffering from an advanced or end-stage fatal disease with a life expectancy ≥12wks and ≤2yrs in an active placebo-controlled double-blind parallel study. Patients will be allocated in a 2:1 ratio to one of the two intervention arms receiving either two moderate to high doses of LSD (100 µg and 100 µg or 100 µg and 200 µg) as intervention and two low doses of LSD (25 µg and 25 µg) as active-placebo control.

Palliative Care Education in Assisted Living for Dementia Care Providers (PCEAL-DCP)

The palliative care education in assisted living for dementia care providers (PCEAL-DCP) is a 4-week intervention (once a week for 1.5 hours, a total of 6 hours) for licensed nurses, administrators and dementia care coordinators to improve quality of dementia care outcomes

Efficacy and Sustainability of a Carepartner-Integrated Telerehabilitation Program for Persons With Stroke

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability. Research has placed little emphasis on integrating care partners (CP) (family members) into the rehabilitation process without increasing negative care partner outcomes. The research team has developed and implemented a novel, web-based care partner-focused intervention (CARE-CITE) designed to foster problem-solving and skill building while facilitating care partner engagement during stroke survivor (SS) upper extremity practice of daily activities in the home setting. By providing a family-focused approach to rehabilitation interventions, this project will help develop more effective treatments that improve CP and outcomes after stroke.

Learning Skills Together Family Caregiver Complex Intervention

Learning Skills Together (LST) is a 6-week psychoeducational intervention focused on complex care (nursing) tasks completed by family caregivers to persons living with Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias. This study aims to test the efficacy of LST at reducing caregiver depression and negative appraisal of behavioral symptoms of dementia by building caregiver self-efficacy. To do this, eligible participants will be randomized into an intervention group (LST) or a control group condition focused on healthy living for family caregivers. Participants will be asked to complete surveys before and after participating in the intervention or the control condition to determine whether change in hypothesized outcomes can be attributed to the intervention condition.

SAGE LEAF 2: An Online Program to Reduce Dementia Caregiver Burden

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the SAGE LEAF (Social Augmentation of self-Guided Electronic delivery of the Life Enhancing Activities for Family caregivers) online positive emotion skill-building program delivered through Caregiver Serving Organizations can help family caregivers of individuals with dementia cope with stress. The main questions it aims to answer are: * How does SAGE LEAF affect positive emotion, caregiver burden, loneliness, and depression for family caregivers? * What are the challenges and successes when rolling out an online program in partnership with Caregiver Serving Organizations? Participants will complete the 8-week online SAGE LEAF intervention as well as two survey assessments, one before the intervention and one after.

A Mindful Community for People With ALS and Their Primary Caregivers

The psychological impact of ALS on patients and caregivers is high, significantly affecting their quality of life (QOL). Despite this impact, there is not much research about psychological interventions that could reduce psychological distress and improve QOL. The efficacy of mindfulness-based treatments for the improvement of QOL was previously demonstrated by the investigator's group. Despite preliminary positive results, treatment efficacy tends to weaken over time. The investigators believe that a robust solution to maintain efficacy is to maximize the utilization of technology and emerging social platforms, establishing a "mindful community" to promote and continuously reinforce mindfulness. This project's primary aims are 1) to develop a "mindful" online community of people with ALS and their caregivers, and 2) to test its efficacy in QOL improvement. This two-part intervention consists of 1) optimizing the investigator's prior e-learning platform with a three-week program including cognitive exercises, videos and lectures to increase participants' mindfulness; and 2) involving participants in a "mindfulness community" within a social sharing forum. Assessments will be performed before and immediately post-treatment as well as 3- and 6-months post-program comparing subjects undergoing the intervention to a control group.

Wellness Enhancement for Caregivers

The purpose of this study is to test WECARE, a seven-week multimedia intervention designed to reduce psychosocial distress and provide education and support for caregivers. This study will include Chinese American family caregivers of persons living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Participants will engage with digital learning materials and supportive resources over the course of the program. The goal is to determine whether this approach improves caregiver well-being and reduces stress related to caregiving.

Penn State Emergency Medicine CarES: Care-partner Evaluation and Sourcing in the Emergency Department

Care partners of people living with dementia often experience ongoing stress and unmet support needs. This study evaluates the feasibility of a low-intensity, supportive education and resource intervention for care partners who previously participated in an observational study. Participants complete a baseline phone interview and a short stress journaling activity, followed by a six-week series of automated educational and supportive messages delivered by text message or email. Participants may also take part in an optional peer support focus group. The study examines caregiver stress, resilience, engagement with resources, and participant feedback to inform future caregiver support interventions.

Evaluation of an App to Alleviate Stress Among Caregivers of People With Dementia

Caregivers of people living with dementia experience significant stress which can negatively affect their mental health. The goal of our study is to test a newly developed app that focuses on providing stress management strategies for caregivers of people living with dementia.

Effects of Jing Si Herbal Tea on Quality of Life and Sleep in Dementia and Their Caregivers

Jing Si Herbal Tea has been found to be effective in improving health for the conditions of cancers, aging, depression, and sleep. Such evidence has been shown in animal models and clinical research with publications in the international journals. However, empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of Jing Si Herbal Tea for patients with dementia and their caregivers on their quality of life and psychosocial health remains unclear. Therefore, the present project aims to investigate the feasibility of taking Jing Si Herbal Tea among patients with dementia; then, to investigate if Jing Si Herbal Tea could improve quality of life and psychosocial health for patients with dementia and their caregivers. The project will be three years. The first year will examine the feasibility for the patients with dementia. A total of 100 patients with dementia will be recruited and they will be informed to take the Jing Si Herbal Tea two times per day (one time in the morning and another time in the afternoon). All the participants will be measured for their quality of life and psychosocial health at baseline, three months after baseline, and six months after baseline, to have initial evidence of the improvements in quality of life and psychosocial health without having a control group. The second year will recruit 200 patients with dementia and randomly assign them into a treatment group (taking Jing Si Herbal Tea) and a control group (taking placebo). All the participants will be measured for their quality of life and psychosocial health at baseline, three months after baseline, and six months after baseline, to investigate the strong evidence of Jing Si Herbal Tea on quality of life and psychosocial health. The third year will recruit 200 caregivers of patient with dementia and randomly assign them into a treatment group (taking Jing Si Herbal Tea) and a control group (taking placebo). All the participants will be measured for their quality of life and psychosocial health at baseline, three months after baseline, and six months after baseline, to investigate the strong evidence of Jing Si Herbal Tea on quality of life and psychosocial health.

Treatment to Improve Sleep in Caregivers With Insomnia and a Child With Autism

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) represents one of the most perplexing neurobiological disorders with a prevalence of 1 in 54 children. The lifelong challenging and disruptive behaviors often associated with ASD requires caregivers to change their behavior and modify their environments to provide an ecosystem for optimal outcomes for their child, family and themselves. ASD behaviors can have significant impact on caregivers mental health and family functioning, including the ability to develop and maintain healthy sleep routines. The caregiving population in US has a high prevalence of insomnia; two thirds of caregivers experiencing difficulties falling and/or staying asleep. The prevalence of insomnia in children with ASD is equally high, 60-80% experiencing night waking contributing to poor daytime behavior and disrupted sleep in the caregivers. This pilot RCT will focus on improving caregivers sleep in the context of caring for a child with ASD and insomnia with a multi-disciplinary team. The investigators will compare a home-based tailored CBT for Insomnia (CBT-I) versus a web-based Way to Health CBT-I intervention. This data will support a larger RCT with the Department of Defense funding opportunity through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program. This Autism Research Program focuses on improving lives of those living with ASD.

CommunityRx-Dementia + Peer Navigation (CRxDpeer)

The CRxDpeer intervention, delivered by a trained peer navigator, in practice called a "peer mentor", includes three evidence-based components: (a) focused education about common social (e.g., food and housing insecurity) and caregiving (e.g., respite and end of life care) needs, (b) activation of personalized community resource information for social and caregiving needs through delivery of a resource list (HealtheRx) at the baseline encounter and coaching on how to communicate with service providers, coordinate services and manage social support (e.g., connect with their peer navigator, reach out to friends or relatives for support, identify support groups, etc.) and (c) ongoing navigation-focused support meant to boost the baseline intervention, including a series of proactive text messages over 12 months. During this time, the subject can respond to and communicate with the peer navigator for ongoing support.