Smartphone-based emotional regulation for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease
Official title: Biobehavioral mechanisms of smartphone-based cognitive emotion regulation training for unpaid primary caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's Disease
Funded at Rice University · NIH-11379152 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A brief smartphone-based program helps unpaid family caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s or related dementias manage emotions and reduce stress.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rice University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $489,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG074229-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11379152 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are adults 21+ who are unpaid primary caregivers of someone with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias.
✕Less likely to help
Caregivers who are not comfortable with smartphone-based training or who do not engage with the program may not experience benefits.
What this research studies
This project tests a short, smartphone-delivered program designed to help unpaid caregivers cope with the emotional and practical stress of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or related dementias. It uses targeted emotion-regulation techniques to improve coping and reduce depressive symptoms, caregiver burden, and perceived stress. The study will examine how the intervention changes biobehavioral pathways and whether these changes relate to better caregiver and care-recipient quality of life.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, caregivers may experience less stress and depression, with potential improvements in day-to-day well-being for both caregivers and their loved ones.
How similar studies have gone: Prior behavioral interventions show promise, but this approach is a concise, smartphone-based method focusing on specific emotion-regulation mechanisms.
Where this research is happening
-
Rice University
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Denny, Bryan Thomas — Rice University
- Study coordinator: Denny, Bryan Thomas
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Smartphone training for Alzheimer's caregivers
This project offers smartphone-based training to help unpaid caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease manage their emotions and reduce stress.
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A caregiver-focused program for families of people with Alzheimer's and related dementias uses an AI-enhanced social media approach to provide daily supportive messages and online discussions.
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Transitional Care for Alzheimer’s Patients in SNFs and their Caregivers
A program tested in skilled nursing facilities to help people with Alzheimer’s and related dementias transition home or to other care settings with less stress for caregivers.
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How past trauma and stress affect caregivers and people with dementia
This work looks at how past and ongoing traumatic experiences and stress affect the mental and physical well-being of family caregivers and the people they care for with Alzheimer's or related dementias.
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Peer Caregiver Navigation for Alzheimer’s: Support by a paraprofessional peer coach
A caregiver-support program led by trained paraprofessionals helps family caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease manage stress, learn coping skills, and access peer support.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.