Social PsychologyPhase 1NCT05524597
Writing About Experiences and Health in Older Adults II
A Phase 1 study testing Writing Intervention in people with Social Psychology, run by University of California, Los Angeles at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
UCLA researchers looking for healthy older adults (aged 65+) to participate in a study investigating how writing about experiences can affect your brain and body. Once a week for 6 weeks, participants will write about their experiences and fill out online questionnaires. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 65 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Social Psychology
- What is being tested?
- Writing Intervention
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 200 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 13 Mar 2023to Dec 2026
- Phase
- Phase 1
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 65 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Healthy adults age 65 years and older
Who cannot join
- current smokers
- active, uncontrolled medical disorders
- chronic infection (e.g., Hepatitis C, HIV)
- use of certain medications (steroid use, opioid use)
- psychiatric disorders (e.g., current major depression, bipolar disorder)
- body mass index (BMI) greater than 35
Show all 10Show fewer
- left-handed
- claustrophobic
- metal in body
- Other exclusion criteria may apply.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Center for Cognitive Neuroscience
Los Angeles, California, 90095
Naomi Eisenberger, 3108494330, neisenbe@ucla.edu
About this study
UCLA researchers looking for healthy older adults (aged 65+) to participate in a study investigating how writing about experiences can affect your brain and body.
Once a week for 6 weeks, participants will write about their experiences and fill out online questionnaires. Participants will also come to the UCLA campus to complete a neuroimaging session (fMRI), provide a blood spot sample, and fill out questionnaires 2 times: once prior to the 6-week writing period and once immediately after the 6-week writing period.
- Conditions
- Social Psychology
- Being tested
- Writing Intervention
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Writing InterventionBehavioural
Participants will be asked to write about different kinds of experiences.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Writing about Experiences | Experimental | Participants will be asked to write about experiences with familiar individuals in their lives. Receives: Behavioral: Writing Intervention |
| Writing about Places | Placebo comparator | Participants will be asked to write about experiences with familiar places in their lives. Receives: Behavioral: Writing Intervention |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Psychological Distress
Composite measure of depression, anxiety, stress (Beck Depression Inventory, Spielberger Trait Anxiety, and Perceived Stress Scale)
Measured: Baseline, 6 weeks, 10 weeks
Change in Social Support
measure of perceived social support (Social Provisions Scale)
Measured: Baseline, 6 weeks, 10 weeks
Change in Social Participation
measure of participation in social activities (Lifestyle Activities Questionnaire)
Measured: Baseline, 6 weeks, 10 weeks
Change in Inflammatory Gene Expression
changes in proinflammatory gene expression
Measured: Baseline, 6 weeks, 10 weeks
Change in Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex (dACC) Activity in response to stress
Parameter estimates from dACC region-of-interest
Measured: Baseline, 6 weeks
Change in Anterior Insula Activity in response to stress
Parameter estimates from bilateral anterior insula region-of-interest
Measured: Baseline, 6 weeks
Change in Amygdala Activity in response to threat
Parameter estimates from bilateral amygdala region-of-interest
Measured: Baseline, 6 weeks
Change in Ventral Striatum Activity in response to prosocial behavior
Parameter estimates from bilateral ventral striatum region-of-interest
Measured: Baseline, 6 weeks
Change in Septal Area Activity in response to prosocial behavior
Parameter estimates from septal area region-of-interest
Measured: Baseline, 6 weeks
Secondary outcomes (2)
Change in Memory
changes in recall ability (Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test)
Measured: Baseline, 6 weeks, 10 weeks
Change in Beliefs about Aging
changes in cognitive, affective, and social beliefs about aging (Expectations Regarding Aging survey)
Measured: Baseline, 6 weeks, 10 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted1 Sep 2022
- Study start13 Mar 2023
- Primary completionDec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionDec 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Social PsychologyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of California, Los AngelesThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 1
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Randomized controlled trial
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Investigator
- Enrolment
- 200 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, Los Angeles
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Naomi Eisenberger, University of California, Los Angeles
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05524597
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- R01AG071498
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 24 Aug 2022
- Last updated
- 15 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 15 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Writing About Experiences and Health in Older Adults II
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05524597
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- R01AG071498
- Conditions
- Social Psychology
- Phase
- Phase 1
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 200 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, Los AngelesUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 13 Mar 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Dec 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 1 Sep 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
UCLA researchers looking for healthy older adults (aged 65+) to participate in a study investigating how writing about experiences can affect your brain and body.
Once a week for 6 weeks, participants will write about their experiences and fill out online questionnaires. Participants will also come to the UCLA campus to complete a neuroimaging session (fMRI), provide a blood spot sample, and fill out questionnaires 2 times: once prior to the 6-week writing period and once immediately after the 6-week writing period.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, care provider, investigator)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Randomized controlled trial
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Writing about Experiences | Experimental | Behavioral: Writing InterventionParticipants will be asked to write about experiences with familiar individuals in their lives. |
| Writing about Places | Placebo comparator | Behavioral: Writing InterventionParticipants will be asked to write about experiences with familiar places in their lives. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 65 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Healthy adults age 65 years and older
Key exclusion criteria (10 listed)
- current smokers
- active, uncontrolled medical disorders
- chronic infection (e.g., Hepatitis C, HIV)
- use of certain medications (steroid use, opioid use)
- psychiatric disorders (e.g., current major depression, bipolar disorder)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Writing InterventionParticipants will be asked to write about different kinds of experiences. | Behavioural | Writing about Experiences, Writing about Places |
Primary outcome
Change in Psychological Distress
Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 10 weeks
Composite measure of depression, anxiety, stress (Beck Depression Inventory, Spielberger Trait Anxiety, and Perceived Stress Scale)
Change in Social Support
Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 10 weeks
measure of perceived social support (Social Provisions Scale)
Change in Social Participation
Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 10 weeks
measure of participation in social activities (Lifestyle Activities Questionnaire)
Change in Inflammatory Gene Expression
Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 10 weeks
changes in proinflammatory gene expression
Change in Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex (dACC) Activity in response to stress
Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks
Parameter estimates from dACC region-of-interest
Change in Anterior Insula Activity in response to stress
Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks
Parameter estimates from bilateral anterior insula region-of-interest
Change in Amygdala Activity in response to threat
Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks
Parameter estimates from bilateral amygdala region-of-interest
Change in Ventral Striatum Activity in response to prosocial behavior
Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks
Parameter estimates from bilateral ventral striatum region-of-interest
Change in Septal Area Activity in response to prosocial behavior
Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks
Parameter estimates from septal area region-of-interest
2 secondary outcomes
Change in Memory
Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 10 weeks
Change in Beliefs about Aging
Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 10 weeks
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 15 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 1 study testing Writing Intervention in people with Social Psychology, run by University of California, Los Angeles at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 10 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 15 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 1 studies test a treatment in a small group of people for the first time or in a new way, mainly to check safety and find the right dose.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Naomi Eisenberger, Ph.D. (3108494330, neisenbe@ucla.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in Psychological Distress (time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 10 weeks). The study lists 9 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 15 Oct 2026.