Writing About Experiences and Health in Older Adults II

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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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.

Official Title
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Writing About Experiences and Health in Older Adults II

Conditions
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Social Psychology

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Writing Intervention


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Healthy adults age 65 years and older Exclusion Criteria: 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 Other exclusion criteria may apply.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 65 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Basic Science
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: Randomized controlled trial
Masking: Triple


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Writing about Experiences<br>Participants will be asked to write about experiences with familiar individuals in their lives. | Behavioral: Writing Intervention<br>* Participants will be asked to write about different kinds of experiences.<br>|
| Placebo Comparator: Writing about Places<br>Participants will be asked to write about experiences with familiar places in their lives. | Behavioral: Writing Intervention<br>* Participants will be asked to write about different kinds of experiences.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in Memory | changes in recall ability (Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test) | Baseline, 6 weeks, 10 weeks | 
| Change in Beliefs about Aging | changes in cognitive, affective, and social beliefs about aging (Expectations Regarding Aging survey) | Baseline, 6 weeks, 10 weeks |