A program to support couples dealing with dementia

Resilient Together for Dementia: A Live Video Resiliency Dyadic Intervention for Persons With Dementia and Their Care-partners Early After Diagnosis

NA · Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NCT06619327

This study is testing a new program called Resilient Together for Dementia to see if it can help couples cope better with the emotional challenges of dementia.

Quick facts

PhaseNA
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment50 (estimated)
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
SponsorIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (other)
Locations1 site (New York, New York)
Trial IDNCT06619327 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This intervention focuses on couples where one partner has been diagnosed with dementia, aiming to reduce emotional distress and improve quality of life for both partners. The Resilient Together for Dementia (RT-D) program will be delivered via live video and is designed to prevent chronic emotional distress in at-risk dyads. A pilot randomized control trial will assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of RT-D compared to a minimally enhanced educational control. The study will involve 50 dyads and will evaluate various outcomes to inform future research phases.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates include English-speaking couples living together, where one partner has a recent diagnosis of early-stage dementia and experiences significant emotional distress.

Not a fit: Patients who are deemed inappropriate by the neurology team or have co-occurring terminal illnesses may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this program could significantly improve the emotional well-being and quality of life for couples affected by dementia.

How similar studies have performed: Other studies have shown promise in using dyadic interventions for emotional distress in dementia care, suggesting that this approach may be effective.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Recent (\~3 month) chart documented ADRD diagnosis,
* ADRD symptom onset after age 65
* Cognitive assessment scores and symptoms consistent with early stage dementia, as determined by the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale scores of .5 or 1.0
* Cognitive awareness of their problems (as determined by the treating neurologist), and ability to understand study and research protocol, as determined by a standardized teach-back method assessment

Additional inclusion criteria for dyads are:

* English speaking adults (18 years or older)
* Dyad lives together
* At least one partner endorses clinically significant emotional distress during screening (\>7 on Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale subscales or \<5 on the Geriatric Depression Scale)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patient is deemed inappropriate by the neurology team
* Either partner has a co-occurring terminal illness
* Patient was diagnosed with forms of dementia with clinical profiles that would preclude participation (e.g., Frontotemporal Dementia- behavioral variant), as determined by treatment team.

Where this trial is running

New York, New York

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Conditions: Dementia, Care partners, Dyads, Emotional distress, Quality of life, Couples

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.