Managing Stress and Social Ties for Health Aging

NCT01204021 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: AG028748-01-SST
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 26
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

There has been a dramatic rise from 46% to 59% in the percentage of households with only 1-2 people from 1970 to 2000. A 40% increase in the number of people living alone is projected for 2010. Social isolation is consistently one of the strongest predictors mortality in older adults. Recent research is demonstrating that stress plays an important role linking social isolation with poor health. Socially isolated older adults are more likely to feel chronically stressed and overwhelmed with everyday life demands. Furthermore, isolated adults respond to stress differently, both psychologically and physiologically. Socially isolated and lonely older adults show long-term elevations in "inflammatory cytokines", which are signaling molecules related by immune cells. These Inflammatory cytokines play a role in a number of age-related diseases including cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes and arthritis. Novel, readily useable interventions aimed at decreasing isolation and "re-calibrating" stress responses might be helpful to older adults. Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese form of calisthenics that promotes relaxation and decreases feelings of stress and as such, it may be a useful intervention for socially isolated, stressed older adults. However, its effects on stress responses are unknown. Tai Chi Chih (TCC) is a simplified, manualized, readily exportable form of Tai Chi particularly well-suited for older adults. This proposed study will test the effects of a TCC intervention with socially isolated older adults on loneliness, stress and health outcomes, including inflammatory assessment. Tai Chi-naïve participants who perceive themselves as socially isolated, as measured by the UCLA Loneliness Scale will be randomized to receive either Tai Chi or education control for a 12-week period. Subjects will undergo pre- and post-intervention stress assessment, including exposure to a psychological stress task, to assess whether Tai Chi affects how subjects physiologically and psychologically respond to stress.

Conditions

Stress

Keywords

Stress; loneliness; social isolation; autonomic activity; inflammation; Perceived social isolation; Chronic stress

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Perceived Stress

  4-8 months

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Autonomic Activity and inflammatory signalling

  4-8 months

Study Arms (2)

Tai Chi Chih

EXPERIMENTAL

12 weeks of physical exercise in the form of Tai Chi Chih

Behavioral: Tai Chi Chih

Stress Education Control

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Stress management education

Behavioral: Stress Education Control

Interventions

Tai Chi Chih BEHAVIORAL

12 weeks of weekly classes of Tai Chi Chih

Also known as: Tai Chi, exercise, relaxation

Tai Chi Chih

Stress Education Control BEHAVIORAL

Weekly meetings, for 2 hours for 12 weeks discussing issues related to stress education.

Also known as: stress education, stress information

Stress Education Control

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 60 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Adults \> 60 years old
• Have not done Tai Chi before
• Live in Los Angeles area
• Socially isolated
• Women must be post menopausal

You may not qualify if:

• Any physical debility that limits Tai Chi performance;
• Cognitive impairment (\< 23 on the Mini-Mental State Exam);
• Current or recent history of smoking
• Immune suppression resulting from neoplastic disease
• Corticosteroid use or other therapy
• Significant underlying illness that would interfere or prevent completion of the study
• Acute conditions (e.g. viral infection w/in 2 weeks) that might confound interpretation of inflammatory data
• Current or recent (within 1 month) use of illicit drugs.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of California, Los Angeles: lead

Related Publications (1)

• Black DS, Irwin MR, Olmstead R, Ji E, Crabb Breen E, Motivala SJ. Tai chi meditation effects on nuclear factor-kappaB signaling in lonely older adults: a randomized controlled trial. Psychother Psychosom. 2014;83(5):315-7. doi: 10.1159/000359956. Epub 2014 Aug 6. No abstract available.

  PMID: 25116908 RESULT

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Social Isolation; Inflammation

Interventions

Tai Ji; Exercise

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Social Behavior; Behavior; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mind-Body Therapies; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics; Exercise Movement Techniques; Physical Therapy Modalities; Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena

Study Officials

• Sarosh J Motivala, Ph.D.

  University of California, Los Angeles

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: FACTORIAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 25, 2010
• First Posted: September 17, 2010
• Study Start: May 1, 2008
• Primary Completion: August 1, 2010
• Study Completion: August 1, 2010
• Last Updated: November 18, 2016

Record last verified: 2016-11