This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing theresources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject andinvestigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source,and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed isfor 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/relaxation program for caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease.Specific research objectives include:1. Prospectively determine the effects of this program 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 and at 2 and 4 month follow-up sessions.We will compare the effectiveness of this program 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 program 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 program effectiveness compared to standard support group (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. This program is proposed as a way to decrease the level of stress experienced by caregivers and teach them effective coping strategies. If it 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.
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