The incidence and severity of herpes zoster (HZ) or shingles increase markedly with increasing age due to a decline in varicella zoster virus (VZV) specific immunity. Considerable evidence shows that psychosocial stresses in the older adult correlate with impairments of cellular immunity. Moreover, preliminary data generated by the PI and co-investigators indicate that the presence of depressive symptoms in older adults is associated with a decline of VZV responder cell frequency (VZV-RCF) and response to ZVZ vaccination. Taken together, the untoward effects of age and depressive symptoms on VZV immunity raise the question as to whether a behavioral intervention might augment VZZV specific immunity in the older adult. The PI presents preliminary studies showing that the administration of a relaxation-response based intervention, Tai Chi Chih (TCC), results in improvement in health functioning and VZV specific immunity in older adults as compared to a control group. TCC is a slow moving meditation comprised of twenty separate standardized movements for use in elderly populations. The investigators propose a clinical trial whose aims include 1) to determine whether the practice of TCC for 16 weeks influences unstimulated and vaccine-stimulated VZV specific immunity in adults 60 years of age and older; 2) to demonstrate that TCC can produce significant changes in psychological adaptation, health behaviors, health functioning and well being; 3) to assess whether changes in psychological adaptation, health behaviors and health functioning correlate with changes in VZV immunity following TCC in older adults. The investigators hypothesize that this behavioral intervention that prioritizes treatment of excessive physiological arousal can influence one's effective state with effects on cellular immunity. By standardization of training and practice schedules, TCC offers an important advantage over prior relaxation response based therapies. Focus on older adults at increased risk for HZ, assay of ZVZV specific immunity, and evaluation of an integrated in vivo immune response has implications for understanding the impact of behavioral factors and a behavioral intervention on a clinically relevant end point and response of the immune system to infectious pathogens.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AG018367-04
Application #
6532542
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-RPHB-3 (01))
Program Officer
Monjan, Andrew A
Project Start
2000-09-01
Project End
2004-07-31
Budget Start
2002-08-01
Budget End
2003-07-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2002
Total Cost
$343,125
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Los Angeles
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
119132785
City
Los Angeles
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90095
Irwin, Michael R; Olmstead, Richard; Carrillo, Carmen et al. (2012) Sleep loss exacerbates fatigue, depression, and pain in rheumatoid arthritis. Sleep 35:537-43
Irwin, Michael R; Olmstead, Richard (2012) Mitigating cellular inflammation in older adults: a randomized controlled trial of Tai Chi Chih. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 20:764-72
Irwin, Michael R; Rothermundt, Matthias (2012) Clinical psychoneuroimmunology. Handb Clin Neurol 106:211-25
Irwin, Michael R; Levin, Myron J; Carrillo, Carmen et al. (2011) Major depressive disorder and immunity to varicella-zoster virus in the elderly. Brain Behav Immun 25:759-66
Cho, Hyong Jin; Lavretsky, Helen; Olmstead, Richard et al. (2010) Prior depression history and deterioration of physical health in community-dwelling older adults--a prospective cohort study. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 18:442-51
Gold, Stefan M; Irwin, Michael R (2009) Depression and immunity: inflammation and depressive symptoms in multiple sclerosis. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am 29:309-20
Motivala, Sarosh J; Tomiyama, A Janet; Ziegler, Michael et al. (2009) Nocturnal levels of ghrelin and leptin and sleep in chronic insomnia. Psychoneuroendocrinology 34:540-5
Cho, Hyong Jin; Lavretsky, Helen; Olmstead, Richard et al. (2008) Sleep disturbance and depression recurrence in community-dwelling older adults: a prospective study. Am J Psychiatry 165:1543-50
Irwin, Michael R; Olmstead, Richard; Motivala, Sarosh J (2008) Improving sleep quality in older adults with moderate sleep complaints: A randomized controlled trial of Tai Chi Chih. Sleep 31:1001-8
Irwin, Michael R; Olmstead, Richard; Oxman, Michael N (2007) Augmenting immune responses to varicella zoster virus in older adults: a randomized, controlled trial of Tai Chi. J Am Geriatr Soc 55:511-7

Showing the most recent 10 out of 29 publications