Effect of Cognitive Training on Dementia Caregiver Well Being
Researchers at Emory University are partnering with caregivers of people living with dementia to conduct a research study into improving the well-being of caregivers.
Fast Facts
Living With and Caring For a Person With Dementia or Alzheimer's Disease
50+ Years Old
Compensation Provided
Conducted in Atlanta, GA
Study Background
Can cognitive training exercises help lower stress and support well-being for dementia caregivers?
Caregiving for people living with dementia can be stressful, and caregivers have high rates of depression and anxiety. The purpose of this study is to determine if two different photo captioning exercises are able to improve the emotional well-being of caregivers for people living with dementia.
One exercise involves taking photographs of your care recipient and captioning those photos with what you believe your care recipient is thinking, feeling or experiencing in that moment. The other exercise involves taking photographs of nature and captioning those photos with a description of what you are observing. We are asking caregivers to complete both of these exercises. Caregivers will be randomly assigned to one of the two exercises, and after completing that exercise, will switch over to the other exercise.
We hope that eventually, the findings of this study can be used to improve emotional well-being for dementia caregivers like you.
Study Background
Can cognitive training exercises help lower stress and support well-being for dementia caregivers?
Caregiving for people living with dementia can be stressful, and caregivers have high rates of depression and anxiety. The purpose of this study is to determine if two different photo captioning exercises are able to improve the emotional well-being of caregivers for people living with dementia.
One exercise involves taking photographs of your care recipient and captioning those photos with what you believe your care recipient is thinking, feeling or experiencing in that moment. The other exercise involves taking photographs of nature and captioning those photos with a description of what you are observing. We are asking caregivers to complete both of these exercises. Caregivers will be randomly assigned to one of the two exercises, and after completing that exercise, will switch over to the other exercise.
We hope that eventually, the findings of this study can be used to improve emotional well-being for dementia caregivers like you.
Additional Information
This study is aimed at improving the emotional well-being of dementia caregivers through a partner photography activity and a nature photography activity.
You may qualify for a study if you meet the following criteria.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Ages 50+
- Currently living with and caring for a person with dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease
- No active neurological or psychiatric disorders (besides anxiety or depression)
- Able to come to Emory University’s Atlanta campus for 5 one hour long in-person study visits over the course of 1 year
Participants will be asked to come to Emory University’s Atlanta campus for five in-person study visits over the course of one year. Each visit will last about one hour and will involve completing questionnaires, providing a finger prick blood spot sample for measurement of inflammation and immune function, and receiving a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scan while viewing photographs of their care recipient. At home, participants will be completing two photo-captioning exercises in between study visits.
As a participant, you can receive up to $550 for your time and effort.
There is no cost for you to participate in our research study.
Yes. The study team will provide supervision of care recipients during visits if needed.
Yes. Transportation via Lyft or Uber is provided to those for whom travel is difficult.
