Tango for Alzheimer's Disease Patients' Caregivers

NCT ID: NCT03269149

Last Updated: 2025-04-22

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 60 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2017-09-19
• Study Completion Date: 2026-04-30

Brief Summary

The goal of the project is to determine the extent to which indices of inflammatory biomarkers, cognition and mood, are influenced by a partnered, dance-based intervention vs control condition in African American (AA) female family caregivers, at high risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Detailed Description

The importance of informal family caregiving in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is well-established. African-American caregivers are most often middle aged adult children of AD patients (vs. spouses), women, and are at higher risk for chronic health problems. AD lifestyle interventions offer an alternative to medication, and are generally affordable, accessible, and adaptable to the lives of caregivers. To date, most non-pharmaceutical interventions have focused on exercise and nutrition, both of which have proven to be highly successful in conferring AD related benefits and decreasing AD risk.

The goal of the project is to determine the extent to which indices of inflammatory biomarkers, cognition and mood, are influenced by a partnered, dance-based intervention vs control condition in African American (AA) female family caregivers, at high risk for Alzheimer's disease.

Conditions

Alzheimer's Disease

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Adapted Tango Dance

20 improvisational, 90-minute adapted tango dance sessions over a 12-week period.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Adapted Tango Dance

Intervention Type: OTHER

20 improvisational, 90-minute adapted tango dance sessions over a 12-week period. Classes begin with a 20-minute standing warm-up followed by partnering and rhythmic exercises. Next, novel step elements are introduced and participants will be taught how to combine the new steps with previously learned steps via improvisation. Caregivers will dance with each other or undergraduate /graduate student volunteers. Music will be played throughout classes and artistic expression, i.e., attention to aesthetics, and improvisation, will be encouraged.

Educational Control

Participants will take part in at least 20 educational lectures offered twice per week over 12 weeks.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Educational lectures

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants will take part in at least 20 educational lectures offered twice per week over 12 weeks. Classes will also be 1.5 hours long and will involve lecture, partnered and group learning and extensive Q\&A will be encouraged.

Interventions

Adapted Tango Dance

20 improvisational, 90-minute adapted tango dance sessions over a 12-week period. Classes begin with a 20-minute standing warm-up followed by partnering and rhythmic exercises. Next, novel step elements are introduced and participants will be taught how to combine the new steps with previously learned steps via improvisation. Caregivers will dance with each other or undergraduate /graduate student volunteers. Music will be played throughout classes and artistic expression, i.e., attention to aesthetics, and improvisation, will be encouraged.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Educational lectures

Participants will take part in at least 20 educational lectures offered twice per week over 12 weeks. Classes will also be 1.5 hours long and will involve lecture, partnered and group learning and extensive Q\&A will be encouraged.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Women family caregivers from the Emory ADRC and Dr. Wharton's studies of Alzheimer's disease (AD) caregivers
• Parental diagnosis 'probable AD'
• African-American
• 45-65 years of age

• Minimum Eligible Age: 45 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

US Department of Veterans Affairs

FED

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Emory University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Madeleine Eve Hackney

Asstant Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Madeleine Hackney

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

School Of Medicine, Emory University

Locations

Atlanta VA Medical Center, Emory University, Executive Park, Wesley Woods

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Countries

United States

Provided Documents

Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

IRB00097348

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id