Writing About Experiences and Health in Older Adults

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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UCLA researchers looking for healthy females (age 60+) to participate in a study investigating how writing about your experiences may be related to your health. 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 for blood draws and to fill out questionnaires 3 times: once prior to the 6-week writing period, once immediately after the 6-week period, and once 2-months after the writing period.

Official Title
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Writing About Experiences and Health in Older Adults

Conditions
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Social Psychology

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Writing: Group 1
* Other: Writing: Group 2


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Healthy adults 60 years and older Exclusion Criteria: Following a structured telephone interview, participants with the following conditions will not be able to participate: current smokers active, uncontrolled medical disorders chronic infection (e.g., Hepatitis C, HIV) use of certain medications (e.g., hypnotic and psychotropic medication, steroid use, opioid use) psychiatric disorders (e.g., current major depression, bipolar disorder) body mass index (BMI) greater than 35 Other exclusion criteria may apply.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 60 Years
Maximum Age: 100 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Female

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
Masking: Double


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Writing: Group 1<br>Subjects will be asked to write about experiences with familiar individuals in their lives. | Behavioral: Writing: Group 1<br>* Writing about experiences with familiar individuals in their lives, once a week for 6 weeks.<br>|
| Placebo Comparator: Writing: Group 2<br>Subjects will be asked to write about experiences with familiar places in their lives. | Other: Writing: Group 2<br>* Writing about experiences with familiar places, once a week for 6 weeks.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Inflammatory activity | Changes in proinflammatory cytokine and proinflammatory gene expression from blood draws | baseline, post 6-week writing period, 2-months post-writing period | 
| Health and well-being (self-report) | Changes in self-report measures of health (e.g., pain, sleep) and well-being (e.g., social support, depression) | baseline, post 6-week writing period, 2-months post-writing period | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Immune System, Behavioral Sciences, Women's Health, Health Psychology, Writing