Rheumatoid ArthritisNCT06472544
Trauma-Informed Intervention for Rheumatoid Arthritis on Blackfeet Nation
A study testing Culturally Grounded Intervention in people with Rheumatoid Arthritis, run by Blackfeet Community College.
Trial summary
The goal of this study is to determine whether an intervention grounded in Blackfeet culture improves systemic inflammation and symptoms of arthritis in Blackfeet People with rheumatoid arthritis. The intervention is designed to increase conectedness of Blackfeet people to Blackfeet culture and community. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- What is being tested?
- Culturally Grounded Intervention
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 70 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 1 Sep 2025to 1 Sep 2030
- Phase
- Interventional
- 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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
None listed.
Who cannot join
- -
Trial locations and contacts
No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
Official title: Trauma-informed Intervention for Rheumatoid Arthritis on Blackfeet Nation
The goal of this study is to determine whether an intervention grounded in Blackfeet culture improves systemic inflammation and symptoms of arthritis in Blackfeet People with rheumatoid arthritis. The intervention is designed to increase conectedness of Blackfeet people to Blackfeet culture and community. The intervention will consist of one week of meetings in which Blackfeet Elders talk about Blackfeet historical trauma, culture, traditions and cerimonies. The second week of the intervention consists of visiting Blackfeet sacred sites, guided by Blackfeet Elders. Participants will complete surveys to determine their conectedness to Blackfeet Culture, level of stress, Adverse Childhood Experiences Score (ACES) and arthritis symptoms. Participants will also be evaluated for clinical severity of arthritis and biomarkers of systemic inflammation. Participants will be evaluated pre- and post-intervention as well as 6 months post-intervention.
Read the detailed description
The prevalence rate of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Blackfeet Nation members is among the highest in North America. With our current NARCH funding, we have found that cultural connectiveness in members of the Blackfeet Nation ameliorated the pro-inflammatory effects associated with high exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACES). This raises the question of whether improving cultural connectedness might be an effective, trauma-informed approach to improve function, outcome, and/or a sense of well-being in individuals with rheumatic diseases such as RA. The plausibility of taking this approach is grounded on the high exposure rates to ACEs in individuals living on and near the Blackfeet Reservation and the strong association between ACEs and systemic inflammation. Thus, we will test the hypothesis that a trauma-informed intervention aimed to improve cultural connectiveness will improve subjective and objective features of RA in individuals living on or near the Blackfeet Nation Reservation. This research project will serve the overall goal of the NARCH grant by: (1) building on past NARCH research to better understand physical and mental health of the Blackfeet Nation; (2) building capacity for health research at BCC-CCM through engagement and training of BCC students, driving scholarly productivity of BCC faculty, and building new inter-institutional collaborations; and (3) generate compelling results to address health concerns for the Blackfeet Nation. We propose 2 aims that can be accomplished over the time frame of this application:
Specific Aim 1: We will test the effects of a 2-week intervention designed to connect individuals with RA more strongly to Blackfeet language, cultures, ceremonies, and land. This pilot intervention of limited size will consist of assessing the clinical symptoms of RA, ACES scores, and biomarkers of inflammation before and immediately after the culturally grounded intervention. This pilot will inform a second, more encompassing intervention in aim 2. Specific Aim 2: We will test the hypothesis that a 2-week intervention to improve cultural connectedness in individuals with RA living on or near the Blackfeet Nation result in objective changes to pro-inflammatory markers, including markers associated with disease activity in RA. We believe developing an intervention which could reduce systemic inflammation could not only ameliorate symptoms of RA but possibly other inflammation-mediated diseases as well.
- Conditions
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Being tested
- Culturally Grounded Intervention
- Medical subject headings
- Arthritis, Rheumatoid
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Culturally Grounded InterventionBehavioural
Education to increase awareness of Blackfeet culture and connectedness to Blackfeet community
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Culturally Grounded Intervention | Experimental | One week of meetings to describe Blackfeet history, culture, traditions, and cerimonies. One additional week of visiting Blackfeet sacred sites. Receives: Behavioral: Culturally Grounded Intervention |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity
Arthritis activity will be determined bu clinical assessments and self-reported symptom severity.
Measured: Outcomes will be determined just before the intervention (day 1), just after intervention (day 14) and 6 months later.
Secondary outcomes (1)
Systemic Inflammation
Systemic inflammation determined by assessing blood levels of inflammation biomarkers CRP, IL-6 and IL-17.
Measured: Systemic inflammation determined immediately before intervention (day 1), immediately after end of intervention 9Day 14), and 6 months after intervention.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted25 Jun 2024
- Study start1 Sep 2025 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 Sep 2030 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Sep 2030 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Rheumatoid ArthritisStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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 N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 70 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Blackfeet Community College
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University of Washington
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06472544
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 1674119
- Status last verified
- Jun 2024
- First submitted
- 18 Jun 2024
- Last updated
- 25 Jun 2024
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- 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 25 Jun 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Trauma-informed Intervention for Rheumatoid Arthritis on Blackfeet Nation
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06472544
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 1674119
- Conditions
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 70 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Blackfeet Community CollegeUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University of Washington
- Study start
- 1 Sep 2025 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 1 Sep 2030 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Sep 2030 (estimated)
- First posted
- 25 Jun 2024 (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.
The goal of this study is to determine whether an intervention grounded in Blackfeet culture improves systemic inflammation and symptoms of arthritis in Blackfeet People with rheumatoid arthritis. The intervention is designed to increase conectedness of Blackfeet people to Blackfeet culture and community. The intervention will consist of one week of meetings in which Blackfeet Elders talk about Blackfeet historical trauma, culture, traditions and cerimonies. The second week of the intervention consists of visiting Blackfeet sacred sites, guided by Blackfeet Elders. Participants will complete surveys to determine their conectedness to Blackfeet Culture, level of stress, Adverse Childhood Experiences Score (ACES) and arthritis symptoms. Participants will also be evaluated for clinical severity of arthritis and biomarkers of systemic inflammation. Participants will be evaluated pre- and post-intervention as well as 6 months post-intervention.
Detailed description
The prevalence rate of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Blackfeet Nation members is among the highest in North America. With our current NARCH funding, we have found that cultural connectiveness in members of the Blackfeet Nation ameliorated the pro-inflammatory effects associated with high exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACES). This raises the question of whether improving cultural connectedness might be an effective, trauma-informed approach to improve function, outcome, and/or a sense of well-being in individuals with rheumatic diseases such as RA. The plausibility of taking this approach is grounded on the high exposure rates to ACEs in individuals living on and near the Blackfeet Reservation and the strong association between ACEs and systemic inflammation. Thus, we will test the hypothesis that a trauma-informed intervention aimed to improve cultural connectiveness will improve subjective and objective features of RA in individuals living on or near the Blackfeet Nation Reservation. This research project will serve the overall goal of the NARCH grant by: (1) building on past NARCH research to better understand physical and mental health of the Blackfeet Nation; (2) building capacity for health research at BCC-CCM through engagement and training of BCC students, driving scholarly productivity of BCC faculty, and building new inter-institutional collaborations; and (3) generate compelling results to address health concerns for the Blackfeet Nation. We propose 2 aims that can be accomplished over the time frame of this application:
Specific Aim 1: We will test the effects of a 2-week intervention designed to connect individuals with RA more strongly to Blackfeet language, cultures, ceremonies, and land. This pilot intervention of limited size will consist of assessing the clinical symptoms of RA, ACES scores, and biomarkers of inflammation before and immediately after the culturally grounded intervention. This pilot will inform a second, more encompassing intervention in aim 2. Specific Aim 2: We will test the hypothesis that a 2-week intervention to improve cultural connectedness in individuals with RA living on or near the Blackfeet Nation result in objective changes to pro-inflammatory markers, including markers associated with disease activity in RA. We believe developing an intervention which could reduce systemic inflammation could not only ameliorate symptoms of RA but possibly other inflammation-mediated diseases as well.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Culturally Grounded Intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: Culturally Grounded InterventionOne week of meetings to describe Blackfeet history, culture, traditions, and cerimonies. One additional week of visiting Blackfeet sacred sites. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (0 listed)
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- -
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Culturally Grounded InterventionEducation to increase awareness of Blackfeet culture and connectedness to Blackfeet community | Behavioural | Culturally Grounded Intervention |
Primary outcome
Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity
Time frame: Outcomes will be determined just before the intervention (day 1), just after intervention (day 14) and 6 months later.
Arthritis activity will be determined bu clinical assessments and self-reported symptom severity.
1 secondary outcome
Systemic Inflammation
Time frame: Systemic inflammation determined immediately before intervention (day 1), immediately after end of intervention 9Day 14), and 6 months after intervention.
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 25 Jun 2024.
- 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.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Culturally Grounded Intervention in people with Rheumatoid Arthritis, run by Blackfeet Community College.
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 0 inclusion and 1 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 25 Jun 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
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 Betty Matthews (14068454583, b_mathews@bfcc.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity (time frame: Outcomes will be determined just before the intervention (day 1), just after intervention (day 14) and 6 months later.). 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 25 Jun 2024.