RF1AG096686

ADDRESSING EMOTIONAL DISTRESS IN DYADS OF PERSONS WITH A YOUNG ONSET DEMENTIA (YOD) AND THEIR CARE-PARTNERS - PROJECT SUMMARY: A DIAGNOSIS OF YOUNG ONSET DEMENTIA (YOD) IS EMOTIONALLY DIFFICULT AND OFTEN DELAYED BECAUSE THESE CONDITIONS ARE UNCOMMON AND MANY PATIENTS EXHIBIT EARLY SYMPTOMS ATYPICAL FOR DEMENTIA (E.G., PERSONALITY CHANGES, REDUCED MOTIVATION AND CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS). THE EMOTIONAL DISTRESS OF THE DIAGNOSIS PROCESS IS AMPLIFIED AFTER A DIAGNOSIS IS MADE DUE TO ROLE CHANGES, RELATIONAL CONFLICT, POOR PROGNOSIS, AND LACK OF IMPACTFUL TREATMENTS. IF UNTREATED THIS EARLY EMOTIONAL DISTRESS BECOMES CHRONIC AND IMPAIRS PATIENTS’ AND CARE-PARTNERS’ ABILITY TO WORK TOGETHER TO PLAN FOR THE CONSIDERABLE ADJUSTMENTS REQUIRED AS THE PATIENT EXPERIENCES LOSES TO INDEPENDENCE, FUNCTION AND ROLES IN THE PRIME OF THEIR LIVES. WITH A SUPPLEMENT TO R21 NR01797902, WE DEVELOPED AND ESTABLISHED THE FEASIBILITY OF RESILIENT TOGETHER-YOD (RT-YOD), THE FIRST DYADIC (PATIENT AND CARE-PARTNER TOGETHER) RESILIENCY PROGRAM FOR PATIENTS WITH YODS AND THEIR CARE-PARTNERS. RT-YOD DRAWS ON MECHANISMS FROM THE DYADIC PROGRAM “RECOVERING TOGETHER,” AN NIH FUNDED, FEASIBLE, WELL-ACCEPTED PROGRAM ASSOCIATED WITH SUSTAINED IMPROVEMENT IN EMOTIONAL DISTRESS AMONG DYADS AFTER ACUTE BRAIN INJURY. WE NOW PROPOSE TO CONDUCT A SINGLE BLIND, VIRTUAL RCT (NIH STAGE 2) OF RT-YOD VERSUS A HEALTH ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM CONTROL (HEP; N=194 DYADS), TO ESTABLISH THE EFFICACY AND DURABILITY (3 MONTHS) OF RT-YOD ON EMOTIONAL DISTRESS (PRIMARY OUTCOME) AND QUALITY OF LIFE. WE WILL ALSO EXAMINE WHETHER IMPROVEMENTS OCCUR THROUGH PUTATIVE MECHANISMS AND ARE MODERATED BY RELEVANT CLINICAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS. OUR TEAM IS UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO CONDUCT THIS STUDY WITH MPIS (VRANCEANU, PSYCHOLOGIST; DICKERSON, NEUROLOGIST; SYME, EARLY STAGE GEROPSYCHOLOGY INVESTIGATOR) WITH PRIOR COLLABORATION ON R21NR017979-02S1, COMPLEMENTARY EXPERTISE AND ESTABLISHED INFRASTRUCTURE TO ALLOW FOR TIMELY RECRUITMENT OF DYADS.

The General Hospital Corporation

TO ENCOURAGE BIOMEDICAL, SOCIAL, AND BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING DIRECTED TOWARD GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE AGING PROCESS AND THE DISEASES, SPECIAL PROBLEMS, AND NEEDS OF PEOPLE AS THEY AGE. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING HAS ESTABLISHED PROGRAMS TO PURSUE THESE GOALS. THE DIVISION OF AGING BIOLOGY EMPHASIZES UNDERSTANDING THE BASIC BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES OF AGING. THE DIVISION OF GERIATRICS AND CLINICAL GERONTOLOGY SUPPORTS RESEARCH TO IMPROVE THE ABILITIES OF HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONERS TO RESPOND TO THE DISEASES AND OTHER CLINICAL PROBLEMS OF OLDER PEOPLE. THE DIVISION OF BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL RESEARCH SUPPORTS RESEARCH THAT WILL LEAD TO GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SOCIAL, CULTURAL, ECONOMIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS THAT AFFECT BOTH THE PROCESS OF GROWING OLD AND THE PLACE OF OLDER PEOPLE IN SOCIETY. THE DIVISION OF NEUROSCIENCE FOSTERS RESEARCH CONCERNED WITH THE AGE-RELATED CHANGES IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE RELATED SENSORY, PERCEPTUAL, AND COGNITIVE PROCESSES ASSOCIATED WITH AGING AND HAS A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM: TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE THE SBIR PROGRAM, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, TO INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM: TO STIMULATE AND FOSTER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION.

93.866 - Aging Research

National Institute on Aging (NIA) [HHS - NIH]

Massachusetts United States

State-Wide

Research on Current Topics in Alzheimer's Disease and Its Related Dementias (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) (PAR-22-093)