CAM in Veterans With Gulf War Illnesses (GW-CAM)

VA Office of Research and Development

Status: Completed

Conditions: Gulf War Veterans' Illness

Treatments: Behavioral: Mindfulness meditation/Acupuncture; Other: Gulf War Health Education

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT02180243

SPLD-013-13S

CX000801-01A2 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to explore the effectiveness Gulf War Health Education (GWHE) and iRest Yoga Nidra (mindfulness meditation)/auricular (ear) acupuncture for Veterans with Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses (GWVI).

Full description

Gulf War Veterans have reported irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, sleep difficulties, and neurocognitive dysfunction (for example, concentration, memory, and attention problems). The most effective treatment approach for what appears to a broad spectrum problem found in GWVI may require complementary alternative medicine (CAM) approaches to enhance positive outcomes. Mindfulness meditation and acupuncture are each broad spectrum CAM treatments designed to target multiple biological systems simultaneously, and thus may be well suited for GWVI. Gulf War Health Education group will promote wellness and prevention by utilizing a proactive patient care model.

Enrollment: 150 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• U.S. Veteran
• Deployed to the Gulf War between 1990-1991
• Currently suffers from Gulf War Veterans' Illness (i.e. fatigue, pain, cognitive impairment)

Exclusion criteria

• Addiction to drugs or alcohol
• Experiences hallucinations or delusions
• Currently manic
• Currently suicidal
• Hearing difficulties that would interfere with group participation
• Current involvement in a meditation or acupuncture group

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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150 participants in 2 patient groups

Mindfulness meditation/Acupuncture

Experimental group

Description:

Eligible participants may be randomized to participate in iRest Yoga Nidra/ auricular acupuncture group classes.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness meditation/Acupuncture

Gulf War Health Education

Active Comparator group

Description:

Eligible participants may be randomized to participate in Gulf War Health Education group classes.

Treatment:

Other: Gulf War Health Education