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Polarity Therapy for American Indian Caregivers of Dementia Patients

NCT ID: NCT00100035

Last Updated: 2008-04-22

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

PHASE1

Total Enrollment

50 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2004-08-31

Study Completion Date

2007-04-30

Brief Summary

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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.

Detailed Description

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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.

Conditions

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Stress Depression Anxiety

Keywords

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Caregivers Complementary Therapies

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Interventions

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Polarity therapy

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

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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
Minimum Eligible Age

35 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

NIH

Sponsor Role lead

Principal Investigators

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Leslie E. Korn, PhD, MPH

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Center for World Indigenous Studies

Locations

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Center for World Indigenous Studies

Olympia, Washington, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

Related Links

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http://www.centerfortraditionalmedicine.org

Click here for more information about The Center for Traditional Medicine.

http://www.cwis.org

Click here for more information on The Center for World Indigenous Studies.

Other Identifiers

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R21AT001627-01A1

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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