Writing About Experiences and Health in Older Adults II

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Status and phase: Enrolling; Phase 1

Conditions: Social Psychology

Treatments: Behavioral: Writing Intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05524597

R01AG071498

Details and patient eligibility

About

UCLA researchers looking for healthy older adults (aged 65+) to participate in a study investigating how writing about experiences can affect your brain and body.

Once a week for 6 weeks, participants will write about their experiences and fill out online questionnaires. Participants will also come to the UCLA campus to complete a neuroimaging session (fMRI), provide a blood spot sample, and fill out questionnaires 2 times: once prior to the 6-week writing period and once immediately after the 6-week writing period.

Enrollment: 200 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Healthy adults age 65 years and older

Exclusion criteria

1. current smokers
2. active, uncontrolled medical disorders
3. chronic infection (e.g., Hepatitis C, HIV)
4. use of certain medications (steroid use, opioid use)
5. psychiatric disorders (e.g., current major depression, bipolar disorder)
6. body mass index (BMI) greater than 35
7. left-handed
8. claustrophobic
9. metal in body

Other exclusion criteria may apply.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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200 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Writing about Experiences

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will be asked to write about experiences with familiar individuals in their lives.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Writing Intervention

Writing about Places

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Participants will be asked to write about experiences with familiar places in their lives.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Writing Intervention