Adult Development and Aging Studies
Exploring Chronic Pain for Two People With Pain
Do you and someone you care for both have pain? You may be eligible for a new study run by the Promoting Healthy Aging and Families Research Laboratory. Drs. Arlene Schmid and Christine Fruhauf are testing a unique intervention of gentle exercise and education for pairs who experience chronic pain.
What is this study about?
The purpose of the study is to offer an intervention with light activity and education to help improve persistent pain for individuals who are caregivers or care recipients.
Who can join this study?
You can participate if:
- You are an adult who experiences chronic pain and so does your caregiver. OR
- You are an adult who experiences chronic pain and so does the person you provide care to.
What will I be asked to do?
Your commitment will be 16 sessions (2x/week for eight weeks):
- One hour of light physical activity
- A 15 min break
- 45 mins of education
You and your partner are both eligible to receive up to $100 after your participation in the study.
If you and someone else in your life care for each other and both experience chronic pain, please call or email Barb Gibson at (970) 491-8204 or movementandeducation@colostate.edu.
This research is being conducted through the Department of Human Development and Family Studies and the Department of Occupational Therapy at Colorado State University.
Participate in an NIH-funded study promoting strategies for successful aging
The Adult Development and Aging Project research team is currently looking for participants to be a part of a new clinical trial based on a recent successful pilot program. Participants will receive monetary compensation for their time commitment to the study, up to $280.
Am I a candidate?
- Between 47-75 years old
- English-speaking (using primarily English in speaking, reading, and writing in your daily life)
- Currently not exercising on a regular basis
- Willing to be randomized to one or two educational groups
- Willing to complete all components of the study, including attending all four group educational sessions
- Willing to commit to six months of observation with gaps between observations
Why this new program?
As the aging population grows, it is becoming more important to educate people about how to grow older in a healthy way. Based on our research findings, our team developed the AgingPLUS study to provide empowering knowledge to the public.
What is involved?
Before the start of the program:
- A two-hour meeting to complete a packet of self-report questionnaires and computer tasks
- A one-hour meeting to conduct an assessment of cardiorespiratory and physical fitness
- Wear an accelerometer and keep a brief daily activity log for seven days (both provided during your first meeting)
Weeks one-four
Attend four weekly group meetings to:
- Learn what can be expected in growing older
- Explore strategies for successful aging
- Connect with other like-minded adults from your community
Week eight and six-month follow up
- Wear an accelerometer and keep a brief daily activity log for seven days
- Repeat the physical assessments and self-report questionnaires
Program start and duration
Enrollment will continue on an ongoing basis.
The AgingPLUS program is funded by the National Institutes of Health to run from 2018-2022.
How do I sign up?
Contact Kat Thompson (Project Coordinator) or the ADAPT Lab research team for more information.
Phone: (970) 491-5001; (970) 491-1959
Email: adaptresearch@colostate.edu
Understanding the experiences of older adults moving into senior housing
The Health, Emotion, and Aging Research Team at Colorado State University is recruiting paid research participants to be part of our Relocation and Transitional Experiences study.
Who can participate?
We are seeking adults 50+ who are preparing to move into a senior housing facility.
What will I be asked to do?
Participants will be asked to complete study sessions at four time points over a three month timeframe. During these sessions, which will last approximately 30-60 minutes each, you’ll be asked to complete questionnaires and other lab tasks. You’ll also be asked to complete daily life surveys on a mobile phone and wear an activity tracker over the course of one week at each of the four time points. Participants may be compensated up to $300 for completing all study procedures.
If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Dr. Gloria Luong at (970) 491-0871 or at heart@colostate.edu (using subject line “RELATE study.”). Please visit our website for more information: http://www.heart.chhs.colostate.edu/.
Learning how daily experiences are linked to health and well-being across adulthood
The HEART at Colorado State University is recruiting paid research participants to be part of our Health and Daily Experiences study.
Who Can Participate?
* We are seeking adults (18-35 years old or 60+ years old) of European American or Latinx/Hispanic descent to participate.
What will I be asked to do?
Participants will be asked to complete five lab visits to the CSU main campus. During the lab visits, which will last approximately 30-60 minutes each, you will be asked to complete questionnaires and lab tasks. You will also be asked to fill out daily life surveys on a mobile phone and wear an activity tracker over the course of one week. Participants may be compensated up to $200 for completing all study procedures.
If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Dr. Gloria Luong at (970) 491-0871 or at heart@colostate.edu (using subject line “HEADE study.”). Please visit our website for more information: http://www.heart.chhs.colostate.edu/.
Activate your Mind – EEG Study
The Healthy Cognitive Aging Lab in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Colorado State University is looking for adults 60 years and older who have limited piano experience.
You’ll be asked to wear an EEG headset which measures brain stimulation during the session. Then you’ll complete fun activities like word search puzzles and learning to play the piano.
We are interested in comparing the brain stimulation offered by different activities. Participants will receive a $15 gift card for the 1.5-hour session.
If you are interested in participating please contact at (970) 491-2804 or activity_study@colostate.edu.
This study is conducted by Dr. Allison Bielak.
Emotion, Regulation, and Relational Processes Studies
Teen focus group about stress, mindfulness, and stress management
The Family Relations and Development Laboratory is inviting teenagers 14-17 years old to participate in focus groups about stress, mindfulness, and stress management.
- Talk With Us – Share your opinions, likes, and dislikes on different stress reduction content.
- Earn Up to $20 – You can earn up to $20 for participating.
- Time Needed – Total approximate time commitment is 1.5 hours.
Contact m2m@colostate.edu or call (970) 491-5129 to see if you are eligible.
Couple communication study
The Family Relations and Development Laboratory is seeking couples 18 and older to participate in a communication study.
- Fill out questions online and record a conversation with your partner.
- Provide a saliva sample.
- Earn up to $40 for 1.5 hours.
Contact familylab@colostate.edu or call (970) 491-5129 to learn more.
Parent-child relationship study
The Emotional Attachment and Emotional Availability Lab is recruiting mothers and/or fathers with a child between the ages of 0-14 years to participate in a project, which evaluates the effectiveness of a brief program to enhance the quality of parent-child relationships.
The study is titled “Testing the Efficacy of a Brief Intervention to Improve Mindfulness, Attachment, and Emotional Availability,” (Protocol ID #: 17-7139H), also known as Healthy Connections.
The program helps to develop a skill set that may be useful to you both now and as your child(ren) grow over the years. The program topics include everyday use of mindfulness, attachment, and emotional availability in parent-child relationships.
While others around the world have conducted several studies in the last 25 years to document the value of this approach, this will be the first to pare down the essential ingredients in a time-effective way.
Much research indicates the convenience of distant communication, and of course, much research suggests the importance of actual interactions. In this study, they will do both with participants.
What is involved:
Prior to the start of the program, participants will be provided with a survey and then asked to interact with their child for a 20-minute video.
- Participants will then be asked to access a 2.5-3 hour online educational group workshop focusing on improving the emotional health of their parent-child relationships over time.
- Participants will schedule a one-hour one-on-one coaching session in which they will have the opportunity to discuss their unique video with a trained coach and will be filmed.
- Participants will then be asked to complete another 20-minute video of a parent-child interaction (again, filmed through skype/zoom).
- Participation in this research study is voluntary and at no cost. There is no compensation for participation.
“In the past, our participants have enjoyed our studies and have reported a gain in their understanding of parent-child bonding and relationships,” Dr. Zeynep Biringen, director of the Emotional Attachment and Emotional Availability Lab.
How to sign up:
Those interested can email Dr. Zeynep Biringen at zeynep.biringen@colostate.edu, and she will provide the next steps.
Risk, Resilience, and Developmental Psychopathology Studies
Cognition in children and adolescents with Down syndrome
What are we studying?
The Developmental Disabilities Research Laboratory is studying the best ways to measure cognition in children and teens with Down syndrome.
Who?
Children and teens 6 to 17 years old with Down syndrome
Pay?
Families may receive up to $275 for time and effort.
If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact the Developmental Disabilities Lab at (970) 491-1969 or at ddlabcsu@gmail.com. Please visit our website for more information: http://ddlab.colostate.edu.
Learning the needs of adoptive parents
What is the study about?
Adopted and fostered children are at increased risk for behavior problems given their typical history of trauma, and even very skilled parents may not be fully prepared to deal with their adoptive children’s particular difficulties. We need your help in finding out more about the experiences of parents who adopted children with trauma histories, so that we can improve services to those parents.
Who can join this study?
Participants should be parents who have adopted children from the foster care system and/or with a known history of trauma and who are currently parenting such children.
What will participants be asked to do?
Parents will complete online surveys asking them about their adopted child and their experiences parenting that child.
Who should I contact for more information or to enroll in the study?
Please contact Karen Barrett the Director of the Emotion Development Laboratory at karen.barrett@colostate.edu.
Treatment, Intervention, and Prevention Science Studies
CAMP Teen Pregnancy
A research study at Children’s Hospital Colorado and CSU’s Adolescent Wellness Lab seeks pregnant teenagers age 13-19 years old who may be at risk for gaining too much weight during pregnancy. Consider participating in this research study focused on testing a healthy pregnant weight gain program. The study involves one screening visit, six one-hour twice-monthly sessions or usual care, and follow-up visits within three months of having your baby. Eligible participants could be financially compensated up to $275-$325 for their time and inconvenience. For more information, call us at (970) 413-4410, email allison.hilkin@childrenscolorado.org.
Read more about the CAMP Teen Pregnancy Study.
This study takes place at the Colorado Adolescent Maternity Program at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
United for Health/Unidos for la Salud
Innovative academic-community solutions for diabetes prevention in Northern Colorado
Project Background
In the United States, 50% of individuals of Hispanic/Latino-descent will develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime. Developing type 2 diabetes before the age of 20 may be associated with a particularly aggressive disease course and earlier mortality; however, type 2 diabetes can be prevented. The standard diet and exercise lifestyle intervention approach to prevent type 2 diabetes unfortunately typically has poor long-term success in teenagers at risk for type 2 diabetes. Therefore, there is a high need for innovative solutions to type 2 diabetes prevention in at-risk adolescents. Through a community-based participatory research strategy – Boot Camp Translation – and a series of focus groups with Latinx families, we have identified an approach to address the prevention of type 2 diabetes in Latinx youth in northern Colorado.
Project Objectives
Our objectives are (i) to build a stronger and trusting partnership between academic scientists and Northern Colorado community members and (ii) to carry out a family-based, culturally-relevant, and community-informed comparative effectiveness trial for type 2 diabetes prevention in Latinx adolescents.
Curious to hear more? Get in touch with us at the Adolescent Wellness Lab at (970) 491-1120 or email us at salud@colostate.edu. We’re excited to hear from you!
The MIND (Mood and INsulin resistance for Diabetes prevention) Research Project
Mood and INsulin resistance for Diabetes prevention
Researchers at Children’s Hospital Colorado and our Adolescent Wellness Lab want to find ways to prevent type 2 diabetes.
The study involves a six-week group program with other girls, and two follow-up visits after the program. Teens who take part get up to $665 to thank them for their time.
This study might be a good fit for a girl if she:
- Is age 12-17
- Has family members with diabetes
- Sometimes seems depressed or stressed
To take part in this research study or for more information, please contact us at (970) 491-1120 or email allison.hilkin@childrenscolorado.org.
Read more about The MIND Research Project.
This study is conducted at Children’s Hospital Colorado, in Aurora, Colorado and is supported by a grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.