Polarity Therapy for American Indian Caregivers of Dementia Patients
Status and phase
Conditions
Treatments
Details and patient eligibility
About
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.
Full description
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.
Sex
Ages
Volunteers
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
Trial design
Primary purpose
Allocation
Interventional model
Masking
Trial contacts and locations
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Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov
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