Alzheimer's Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Brain Injury, Huntington's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Spinal Cord Injury, Stroke
Conditions
Brief summary
This is a prospective investigation of the effects of Laughter therapy (LT) on perceived stress, self-efficacy, mood and other wellness measures in people with the following neurological conditions: Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, brain injury, Huntington's Disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, post-stroke, spinal cord injury.
Detailed description
Laughter therapy (LT) has potential benefits in treating illness. It combines laughter with breathing and body exercises to stimulate laughter, both real and artificial, in a group setting. Laughter therapy may help treating illness by strengthening breathing muscles, improving mood, and providing pain and stress relief. EvergreenHealth has presented laughter therapy classes to patients with Parkinson's disease and Multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions. The therapy will be led by a certified laughter therapist and mental health professional.
Interventions
OTHERLaughter Therapy
Laughter Therapy (LT) involves simple exercises using playfulness, eye contact and chanting in forms of laughter. LT will be taught by a certified LT instructor in a group session. There will be 8 sessions per group with each session attended by 8-12 participants and lasting 60 minutes
Sponsors
Brown, Theodore R., M.D., MPH
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Diagnosis based on medical record review of one of the following neurological diseases: Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, brain injury, Huntington's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Post-Stroke, Spinal Cord Injury. * Medically stable for at least 2 months. * Not participating in Laughter therapy for 30 days prior to screening.
Exclusion criteria
* Females who are pregnant * Any unstable medical condition * Severe cognitive deficits that would interfere with participation (e.g. unable to follow commands). * Severe abdominal pain, chest pain or back pain. * Abdominal, chest or back surgery within 90 days. * Psychosis or severe mental illness. * Untreated hernia. * Persistent cough. * Advanced hemorrhoids. * Epilepsy. * Uncontrolled Hypertension - SBP \>170 or DBP \>105.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9, for depression) | Change from Baseline to 8 weeks | Outcome measures will be completed at baseline, active-phase completion at week 8 and post-active phase week 8 (16 weeks post-start of active phase). |
| Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7, for anxiety) | Change from Baseline to 8 weeks | Outcome measures will be completed at baseline, active-phase completion at week 8 and post-active phase week 8 (16 weeks post-start of active phase). |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) | Change from Baseline to 8 weeks | Outcome measures will be completed at baseline, active-phase completion at week 8 and post-active phase week 8 (16 weeks post-start of active phase). |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed