Patient-Caregiver Dyadic Program to Reduce Distress for Older Adults with Cancer and Mild Cognitive Impairment

Who could benefit from this research

What this research studies

This NIH K08 career development effort at Duke University will create and pilot a dyadic behavioral intervention (COPE+) designed for older adults with cancer and pre-existing mildly cognitive impairment and their informal caregivers. The project aims to reduce depression and anxiety while enhancing communication about care priorities, symptoms, and decisions within the patient-caregiver dyad. The research combines development, training, and small-scale testing to establish feasibility and guide future translational work in oncology and palliative care settings. Outcomes will focus on distress levels, patient-caregiver communication, and quality of life from the perspective of both members of the dyad.

Why it matters

Where this research is happening

• Duke University
  Durham, United States Active

Researchers

• Principal investigator: Ramos, Katherine — Duke University
• Study coordinator: Ramos, Katherine

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

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  This study is testing a friendly program called COPE+ to help older adults with cancer and mild memory issues feel better emotionally and communicate more easily with their family caregivers, making life a little easier for everyone involved.

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• Music-based program to support thinking and mood for adults 65+ at risk for Alzheimer's

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  NIH research Rice University · Houston, United States · NIH-11450606

• Postsurgical pain and opioid use in older adults with mild cognitive impairment

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• Molecular imaging of cholinergic signals and brain pathology in early Alzheimer’s

  This project uses brain imaging to study how the cholinergic system and Alzheimer’s pathology unfold in people at risk for dementia.

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About this research

1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.