NCT00118885

Brief Summary

The purpose of this trial is to evaluate the effects of Tai Chi Chih versus Health Education on shingles immunity in older adults as measured by unstimulated and vaccine-stimulated responses. The secondary goal of the study is to determine the effects of Tai Chi Chih versus Health Education on measures of health functioning, depressive symptoms, and health behaviors in the elderly.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
140

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for phase_2

Timeline
Completed

Started Jul 2001

Typical duration for phase_2

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Start

First participant enrolled

July 1, 2001

Completed
3.4 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 1, 2004

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

December 1, 2004

Completed
7 months until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

July 8, 2005

Completed
4 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

July 12, 2005

Completed
Last Updated

December 11, 2009

Status Verified

November 1, 2006

Enrollment Period

3.4 years

First QC Date

July 8, 2005

Last Update Submit

December 9, 2009

Conditions

Keywords

Shinglesdepressionvaricella zoster virusalternative medicinepsychoneuroimmunology

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • varicella zoster specific immunity

Secondary Outcomes (1)

  • measures of health status including SF-36 scores, depressive symptoms, and health behaviors

Interventions

Tai Chi ChihBEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Age60 Years - 90 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Older than 60 years of age at time of entry
  • History of varicella or long term (\>30 years) residence in the continental USA
  • Accessible geographically

You may not qualify if:

  • Immunosuppression resulting from neoplastic disease, corticosteroids or other therapy
  • Significant underlying illness that would be expected to prevent completion of the study; any other condition (e.g. extensive psoriasis, chronic pain syndrome, cognitive impairment, severe hearing loss) that in the opinion of the investigator might interfere with the required evaluations
  • Not ambulatory (bed-ridden)
  • Prior HZ or prior receipt of varicella vaccine
  • Allergic sensitivity to neomycin
  • Receipt of immune globulin or other blood product within 3 months before the study period
  • Receipt of other immunizations (e.g., hepatitis B vaccine) within 1 month of immunization
  • Women who are not post-menopausal
  • Acutely depressed or a suicidal risk
  • Unable to commit to intervention schedule
  • No history of varicella or varicella vaccination or no evidence of VZV immunity
  • Contact with immunosuppressed individuals or pregnant women who do not have a history of chickenpox
  • Active infections such as tuberculosis

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute

Los Angeles, California, 90095, United States

Location

Related Publications (6)

  • Miller GE, Cohen S. Psychological interventions and the immune system: a meta-analytic review and critique. Health Psychol. 2001 Jan;20(1):47-63. doi: 10.1037//0278-6133.20.1.47.

    PMID: 11199066BACKGROUND
  • Oxman MN, Levin MJ, Johnson GR, Schmader KE, Straus SE, Gelb LD, Arbeit RD, Simberkoff MS, Gershon AA, Davis LE, Weinberg A, Boardman KD, Williams HM, Zhang JH, Peduzzi PN, Beisel CE, Morrison VA, Guatelli JC, Brooks PA, Kauffman CA, Pachucki CT, Neuzil KM, Betts RF, Wright PF, Griffin MR, Brunell P, Soto NE, Marques AR, Keay SK, Goodman RP, Cotton DJ, Gnann JW Jr, Loutit J, Holodniy M, Keitel WA, Crawford GE, Yeh SS, Lobo Z, Toney JF, Greenberg RN, Keller PM, Harbecke R, Hayward AR, Irwin MR, Kyriakides TC, Chan CY, Chan IS, Wang WW, Annunziato PW, Silber JL; Shingles Prevention Study Group. A vaccine to prevent herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia in older adults. N Engl J Med. 2005 Jun 2;352(22):2271-84. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa051016.

    PMID: 15930418BACKGROUND
  • Irwin M, Pike J, Oxman M. Shingles Immunity and Health Functioning in the Elderly: Tai Chi Chih as a Behavioral Treatment. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2004 Dec;1(3):223-232. doi: 10.1093/ecam/neh048. Epub 2004 Dec 1.

    PMID: 15841255BACKGROUND
  • Irwin MR, Pike JL, Cole JC, Oxman MN. Effects of a behavioral intervention, Tai Chi Chih, on varicella-zoster virus specific immunity and health functioning in older adults. Psychosom Med. 2003 Sep-Oct;65(5):824-30. doi: 10.1097/01.psy.0000088591.86103.8f.

    PMID: 14508027BACKGROUND
  • Irwin MR, Olmstead R. Mitigating cellular inflammation in older adults: a randomized controlled trial of Tai Chi Chih. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2012 Sep;20(9):764-72. doi: 10.1097/JGP.0b013e3182330fd3.

  • Irwin MR, Olmstead R, Motivala SJ. Improving sleep quality in older adults with moderate sleep complaints: A randomized controlled trial of Tai Chi Chih. Sleep. 2008 Jul;31(7):1001-8.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Herpes ZosterDepressionChickenpox

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Varicella Zoster Virus InfectionHerpesviridae InfectionsDNA Virus InfectionsVirus DiseasesInfectionsBehavioral SymptomsBehavior

Study Officials

  • Michael R. Irwin, MD

    Norman Cousins Professor, Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
phase 2
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
NIH

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

July 8, 2005

First Posted

July 12, 2005

Study Start

July 1, 2001

Primary Completion

December 1, 2004

Study Completion

December 1, 2004

Last Updated

December 11, 2009

Record last verified: 2006-11

Locations