Writing About Experiences and Health in Older Adults II

NCT05524597 | Recruiting Phase 1

• 1 other identifier: R01AG071498
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 200
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Social Psychology

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (9)

• Change in Psychological Distress

  Composite measure of depression, anxiety, stress (Beck Depression Inventory, Spielberger Trait Anxiety, and Perceived Stress Scale)

  Baseline, 6 weeks, 10 weeks

• Change in Social Support

  measure of perceived social support (Social Provisions Scale)

  Baseline, 6 weeks, 10 weeks

• Change in Social Participation

  measure of participation in social activities (Lifestyle Activities Questionnaire)

  Baseline, 6 weeks, 10 weeks

• Change in Inflammatory Gene Expression

  changes in proinflammatory gene expression

  Baseline, 6 weeks, 10 weeks

• Change in Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex (dACC) Activity in response to stress

  Parameter estimates from dACC region-of-interest

  Baseline, 6 weeks

• Change in Anterior Insula Activity in response to stress

  Parameter estimates from bilateral anterior insula region-of-interest

  Baseline, 6 weeks

• Change in Amygdala Activity in response to threat

  Parameter estimates from bilateral amygdala region-of-interest

  Baseline, 6 weeks

• Change in Ventral Striatum Activity in response to prosocial behavior

  Parameter estimates from bilateral ventral striatum region-of-interest

  Baseline, 6 weeks

• Change in Septal Area Activity in response to prosocial behavior

  Parameter estimates from septal area region-of-interest

  Baseline, 6 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Change in Memory

  Baseline, 6 weeks, 10 weeks

• Change in Beliefs about Aging

  Baseline, 6 weeks, 10 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Writing about Experiences

EXPERIMENTAL

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

Behavioral: Writing Intervention

Writing about Places

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

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

Behavioral: Writing Intervention

Interventions

Writing Intervention BEHAVIORAL

Participants will be asked to write about different kinds of experiences.

Writing about Experiences; Writing about Places

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 65 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Healthy adults age 65 years and older

You may not qualify if:

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

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of California, Los Angeles: lead

Study Sites (1)

Center for Cognitive Neuroscience

Los Angeles, California, 90095, United States

RECRUITING

Central Study Contacts

Naomi Eisenberger, Ph.D.

CONTACT

3108494330; neisenbe@ucla.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: phase 1
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: TRIPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, INVESTIGATOR
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor of Psychology

Model Details: Randomized controlled trial

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 24, 2022
• First Posted: September 1, 2022
• Study Start: March 13, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2026
• Last Updated: March 20, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)