Inherited Diseases, Caregiving, and Social Networks

Sponsor

National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) (NIH)

Overall Status

Completed

CT.gov ID

NCT01498263

Collaborator

(none)

682

Enrollment

Location

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

Approximately 66 million informal caregivers care for someone who is ill, disabled, or aged. These caregivers experience significant distress associated with caregiving, which may be particularly salient in the context of inherited conditions. Previous studies have not examined caregiving from a network perspective, nor have they considered how cognitive and emotional responses, such as caregivers worry for themselves and relatives acquiring the disease or guilt related to the genetic etiology of their child s illness, as possible stressors; the current project fills this literature gap.

Caregiving processes may vary across type of illness and the life course. In illnesses that impact children, parents and grandparents may take on caregiving roles whereas in conditions that impact adults, spouses and adult children may provide care. Caregivers must adapt to the strain of caring for their affected relatives and this adaptation may differ depending on caregiver roles. The caregiver s support network may influence adaptation, impacting the health and well-being of patients, their caregivers, and other relatives.

developed an assessment tool aimed at understanding caregiver experiences related to dietary practices in the context of metabolic conditions. To evaluate the psychometric properties of this scale, we propose a fifth substudy under the current protocol.

We aim to recruit at least 5550 participants through residential/daycare centers, advocacy groups, and the NIH Clinical Center. We will recruit formal caregivers, multiple biological and non-biological adult relatives of affected individuals and typically developing controls to construct and evaluate caregiving/support network systems. This project will use a social network framework to develop and adapt common measures of caregiving roles to evaluate burden, perceptual bias, and unmet expectations in caregiving. The psychometric properties of these new measures, characteristics of family caregiving and support networks, and how these network characteristics are associated with caregiving strain and well-being, including biomarkers of physical health, will be investigated. The moderating role of family members cognitions and emotions and disease context will be considered. Findings will guide future research to develop network-based interventions promoting positive adaptation to the presence of inherited conditions in families through improved social environments and coping skills.

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment	Phase
Undiagnosed Disease Healthy Volunteer (Adult With Typically Developing Child) Inherited Neurodegenerative Disorders Inherited Metabolic Disorders (Inborn Errors of Metabolism) Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias

Detailed Description

This project, comprised of 5 substudies, will examine social contexts surrounding families involved in caring for individuals with chronic inherited conditions from a relational perspective. Surveys and interviews will assess participants cognitions and emotions about the disease, caregiving burden and caregiving/support network systems. In addition, biomarkers will be considered in 2 substudies to examine how caregiving roles and expectations impact health among caregivers. As part of our current inquiry, we have developed an assessment tool aimed at understanding caregiver experiences related to dietary practices in the context of metabolic conditions. To evaluate the psychometric properties of this scale, we propose a fifth substudy under the current protocol.

Study Design

Study Type:

Observational

Actual Enrollment :

682 participants

Observational Model:

Family-Based

Time Perspective:

Cross-Sectional

Official Title:

Inherited Diseases, Caregiving, and Social Networks

Actual Study Start Date :

Jan 9, 2012

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/Treatment
Alzheimers related dementias (family) Enrollment was open to family members of persons diagnosed with Alzheimers (/related dementia) in specific communities around Memphis, TN.
Inherited inflammatory condition (family) Enrollment open to family members of persons diagnosed with inherited inflammatory conditions. Participation at NIH or remote (internet/phone); request referral of family for remote participation.
Inherited metabolic conditions (family) Enrolls family members of persons diagnosed with inborn errors of metabolism / mitochondrial disorders. Study at NIH or remote (internet/phone); request family-referrals for remote participation.
Inherited neurodegenerative disorders (family) Open to family members of persons diagnosed with genetically-defined neurodegenerative conditions. Study at NIH or (internet/phone); request referral of family members for remote participation.
Typically developing (family) = Healthy Volunteers Open to parents of typically-developing child/ren <18yrs (*when age-matched child is full-time resident of parent's home). Study at NIH; request family-referrals for remote participation.
Undiagnosed conditions (family) Enrollment open to family members referred in from the Undiagnosed Disease Network. Participation at NIH or remote (internet/phone); request referral of family members for remote participation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

Measures of caregiving processes [Interim, completion]
Develop measures of caregiving processes within family social network systems
Family network characteristics [Interim, completion]
Identify family network characteristics associated with positive adaptation

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and Older

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Yes

INCLUSION CRITERIA:
Adult family members of the individuals affected by an inherited disease (e.g. Alzheimer s disease, inborn errors of metabolism and mitochondrial disease, lysosomal storage disorder, genetic neurodegenerative disorder, undiagnosed diseases, and inherited

inflammatory conditions) OR

Informal caregivers of the affected individual OR
Caregivers family members OR
Formal caregivers who are identified as part of patients caregiving networks will be eligible for recruitment in the study OR
For the control group in Substudy 2, adult family members of normally developing children, informal caregivers, caregivers family members and formal caregivers who are identified as part of the child s caregiving network will be eligible for recruitment in the study.

(For better matching across groups: in the Healthy Volunteer controls, the normally developing focus child must live in the parent/caregiver household on a full-time basis.)

Participants are eligible for biospecimen collection in Substudies 3 only if two parents/caregivers are present in the household, eligible, and willing to provide biospecimens.
Fluency in English

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Those who are unable to complete the survey and interviews
Affected individuals/Patients with condition being studied
Individuals under the age of 18
Those who have fever or signs of acute infection on the collection day, have been hospitalized in the past 3 months, and women who are currently pregnant or nursing will not be eligible for the biospecimen collection portion of Substudies 2 and 3 but will be eligible for the survey/interview portion of the substudies.
Control group individuals will be excluded if they serve as a caregiver for anyone in their family affected by any major medical condition.
Staff of NHGRI (National Human Genome Research Institute)