In-Home Technology for Dementia Caregivers

a study on Dementia Alzheimer's Disease

Summary

Eligibility
for people ages 18 years and up (full criteria)
Healthy Volunteers
healthy people welcome
Location
at Berkeley, California and other locations
Dates
study started
estimated completion

Description

Summary

This study aims to develop and evaluate in-home assistive technology that is designed to alleviate anxiety, burden, and loneliness in spousal and familial caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia.

Official Title

Developing and Evaluating In-Home Supportive Technology for Dementia Caregivers

Details

This study aims to develop, refine, and evaluate a hardware/software system designed to integrate in-home sensors and devices, social connection, and Internet-of-Things (i.e., devices that can be controlled and communicated with via the internet) technologies to create a more supportive and safe home environment for caregivers and people with dementia. The system monitors troublesome behaviors in people with dementia (e.g., wandering), and targets mechanisms (e.g., worry, social isolation) thought to link behavioral symptoms in people with dementia with adverse caregiver outcomes (declines in health and well-being). The system is designed to minimize demands on caregivers' limited time and energy and to provide a platform for data collection that can be used by researchers and care professionals.

Hypotheses:

  1. Caregivers in the full operation condition will have fewer negative effects of caregiving (lower burden, higher mental and physical health, higher well-being) than those in the limited home safety condition.
  2. Greater use of the social networking features of the system will be associated with fewer caregiver depressive symptoms.
  3. Greater utilization of the home safety features of the system will be associated with fewer caregiver anxiety symptoms.

Keywords

Dementia Alzheimer's Disease Frontotemporal Dementia Caregivers In-Home Assistive Technology Alzheimer Disease Aphasia, Primary Progressive Pick Disease of the Brain In-home technology Limited in-home technology In-Home Technology System Limited In-Home Technology System

Eligibility

You can join if…

Open to people ages 18 years and up

  • Caregivers are fluent/literate in English
  • Caregivers currently reside with spouse/family member with dementia
  • Caregivers primarily use an iPhone
  • Caregiver has wireless internet in home

You CAN'T join if...

  • Caregivers providing care for individuals with known non-neurodegenerative conditions affecting behavior and cognition
  • Caregivers providing care for individuals with longstanding Axis I psychiatric disorder
  • Caregivers providing care for individuals with metabolic disorder or major organ dysfunction
  • Caregivers providing care for individuals with alcohol abuse or dependence (within 5 years of dementia onset)
  • Caregivers providing care for individuals with head trauma with loss of consciousness greater than 30 minutes
  • Caregivers providing care for individuals with contraindications to MRI imaging
  • Caregivers providing care for individuals with large confluent white matter lesions
  • Caregivers providing care for individuals with significant systemic medical illness
  • Caregivers providing care for individuals who use a medication likely to affect central nervous system functions adversely

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, Las Vegas (Clark County), Orange County, Los Angeles County, or Oregon, you may complete the following screening questionnaire to determine your eligibility for participation: https://bit.ly/UCBDC Upon completion of the screening questionnaire, the UC Berkeley research team will follow up soon after by email or phone to confirm your eligibility status.

Locations

  • University of California, Berkeley accepting new patients
    Berkeley California 94720 United States
  • Los Angeles County accepting new patients
    Los Angeles California 90011 United States

Details

Status
accepting new patients
Start Date
Completion Date
(estimated)
Sponsor
University of California, Berkeley
ID
NCT03828383
Study Type
Interventional
Last Updated
Contact us about this trial