RELAXATION THERAPY FOR CAREGIVERS OF ALZHEIMER'S PATIENTS

阿尔茨海默病患者护理人员的放松疗法

• 批准号: 7378180
• 负责人: SHARON L. LEWIS
• 金额: $ 3.21万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCIENCE CENTER
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-04-01 至 2007-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7378180
• 关键词: RELAXATION; THERAPY; CAREGIVERS; ALZHEIMER; PATIENTS

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Aging baby boomers, longer life spans, and rising levels of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD) will result in a major caregiver crisis in the near future. Although family caregivers perform an incredibly valuable service, they do so at a considerable cost to themselves both emotionally and physically. Effective stress management programs for caregivers are virtually needed to 1) help them decrease their stress, 2) improve their emotional and physical health, and 3) empower them to gain control of their lives. OBJECTIVE: The overall goal of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a stress-busting program (SBP) for caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Specific research objectives include: 1. Prospectively determine the effects of SBP on quality of life and immune response in caregivers of patients with chronic neurological diseases. Subjects will be tested at baseline, at completion of 4 and 8 weeks of SBP, and at 2 and 4 month follow-up sessions. 2. Determine subjects' relaxation response as well as their response to acute laboratory stressors using biofeedback instrumentation. Muscle tension, electrodermal response, skin temperature, blood volume pulse, and blood pressure will be measured. Subjects will be tested at baseline, at completion of 4 and 8 weeks of SBP and at 2 and 4 month follow-up sessions. Compare the effectiveness of SBP for adult children caregivers as compared to spousal caregivers based on quality of life measurements, immune parameters, and relaxation response. The proposed 8 - week multimodal SBP will focus on stress management, relaxation therapy, and education related to stress and relaxation, managing challenging behavior, depression, coping strategies, positive thinking, and taking time for onset. The setting will be an educational support group. A repeated measures design will be used to determine the effectiveness of SBP compared to SSG. Outcomes will be measured using psychosocial instruments as well as state-of-the science technology including bioinstrumentation and immune parameters to measure biological responses. The SBP is proposed as a way to decrease the level of stress experienced by caregivers and teach them effective coping strategies. If SBP is found to be more effective than SSG in decreasing stress, improving quality of life, promoting relaxation, and/or enhancing immunocompetence in family caregivers, these findings could have important clinical significance for providing a cost effective health promotion strategy for a group of people who experience tremendous ongoing stress.

本子项目是利用由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源的众多研究子项目之一。子项目和研究者（PI）可能已经从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金，因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。列出的机构是中心的，不一定是研究者的机构。在不久的将来，婴儿潮一代的老龄化、寿命的延长以及阿尔茨海默病和相关疾病（ADRD）水平的上升将导致一场重大的护理危机。虽然家庭照顾者提供了非常有价值的服务，但他们在情感和身体上都付出了相当大的代价。对于照顾者来说，有效的压力管理程序实际上是需要的：1)帮助他们减轻压力，2)改善他们的情绪和身体健康，3)使他们能够控制自己的生活。目的：本研究的总体目标是确定阿尔茨海默病患者护理人员压力减压计划（SBP）的有效性。具体的研究目标包括：1。前瞻性确定收缩压对慢性神经系统疾病患者护理人员生活质量和免疫反应的影响。受试者将在基线、完成4周和8周收缩压以及2个月和4个月随访时进行测试。2. 使用生物反馈仪器确定受试者的放松反应以及他们对急性实验室压力源的反应。测量肌肉张力、皮肤电反应、皮肤温度、血容量脉搏和血压。受试者将在基线、完成4周和8周收缩压以及2个月和4个月随访时进行测试。基于生活质量测量、免疫参数和放松反应，比较收缩压对成年儿童照顾者和配偶照顾者的有效性。建议的8周多模式收缩压将侧重于压力管理、放松疗法、与压力和放松相关的教育、管理具有挑战性的行为、抑郁、应对策略、积极思考和发病时间。会议的背景是一个教育支持小组。将使用重复测量设计来确定与SSG相比收缩压的有效性。结果将使用社会心理工具以及包括生物仪器和免疫参数在内的最新科学技术来测量生物反应。SBP被认为是一种减少照顾者所经历的压力水平并教会他们有效应对策略的方法。如果发现收缩压在减轻压力、改善生活质量、促进放松和/或提高家庭照顾者的免疫能力方面比SSG更有效，这些发现可能具有重要的临床意义，为经历巨大持续压力的人群提供一种经济有效的健康促进策略。