Resilient Together Dyadic Intervention for Persons With Dementia and Their Partners: Protocol for a Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial
10 affiliations
- 1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Human Performance, Brain Injury Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 5 East 98th Street, New York, NY, 10029, United States, 1 2122415152
- 2Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- 3Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- 4Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
- 5Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- 6Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- 7Department of Medicine Harvard Medical School, Biostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- 8Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Frontotemporal Disorders Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- 9Department of Medicine Harvard Medical School, Mongan Institute Center for Aging and Serious Illness and the Division of Palliative Care and Geriatric Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- 10Department of Psychiatry, Center for Health Outcomes and Interdisciplinary Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
Abstract
Background: Alzheimer disease and related dementias can impact emotional distress and individual and relational health among persons living with dementia and their romantic partners. There are limited skill-based interventions that can help couples build resilience while navigating dementia-related challenges.
Objective: We aim to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary signal of improvement of Resilient Together for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia (RT-ADRD), a novel dyadic skills-based intervention aimed at preventing chronic emotional distress early after diagnosis.
Methods: Couples are randomized to complete either (1) six weekly conjoint intervention sessions of RT-ADRD or (2) a minimally enhanced usual care condition involving a self-guided pamphlet. Both partners must demonstrate capacity to consent to research participation, and at least 1 partner must exhibit clinically elevated emotional distress. Partners living with dementia must have received their diagnosis in the past 6 months. Participants complete baseline and posttest assessments of resiliency skills, emotional distress, relationship functioning, and quality of life and assessments of treatment satisfaction at posttest only.
Results: This is aim 3 of a 5-year funded study that initially began in July 2022. Participant recruitment and data collection for this phase began in October 2024 and will continue until 40 couples (80 individuals) are randomized and complete the posttest. As of manuscript submission (July 2026), 25 couples have been enrolled and 25 couples have been randomized. Data collection is currently underway, and study completion is expected by early 2027.
Conclusions: This study will gather comprehensive information on the feasibility and acceptability of RT-ADRD relative to minimally enhanced usual care and assess the preliminary signal of improvement in proximal outcomes. Findings will directly inform plans for a larger efficacy trial.
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BibTeX
@article{bannon2026resilient,
title = {{Resilient Together Dyadic Intervention for Persons With Dementia and Their Partners: Protocol for a Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial}},
author = {Sarah M Bannon and Sydney M McCage and Renata Elizalde Carrillo and Stephan A Brandt and Grace O Allison and Aida Aminpour and Kristin Walker and Talea Cornelius and Robert A Parker and Kristen Dams-O'Connor and Bradford Dickerson and Christine Ritchie and Ana-Maria Vranceanu},
journal = {JMIR Research Protocols},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.2196/106005},
url = {https://doi.org/10.2196/106005},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Resilient Together Dyadic Intervention for Persons With Dementia and Their Partners: Protocol for a Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial
AU - Sarah M Bannon
AU - Sydney M McCage
AU - Renata Elizalde Carrillo
AU - Stephan A Brandt
AU - Grace O Allison
AU - Aida Aminpour
AU - Kristin Walker
AU - Talea Cornelius
AU - Robert A Parker
AU - Kristen Dams-O'Connor
AU - Bradford Dickerson
AU - Christine Ritchie
AU - Ana-Maria Vranceanu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/27
JO - JMIR Research Protocols
DO - 10.2196/106005
UR - https://doi.org/10.2196/106005
AB - Background: Alzheimer disease and related dementias can impact emotional distress and individual and relational health among persons living with dementia and their romantic partners. There are limited skill-based interventions that can help couples build resilience while navigating dementia-related challenges. Objective: We aim to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary signal of improvement of Resilient Together for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia (RT-ADRD), a novel dyadic skills-based intervention aimed at preventing chronic emotional distress early after diagnosis. Methods: Couples are randomized to complete either (1) six weekly conjoint intervention sessions of RT-ADRD or (2) a minimally enhanced usual care condition involving a self-guided pamphlet. Both partners must demonstrate capacity to consent to research participation, and at least 1 partner must exhibit clinically elevated emotional distress. Partners living with dementia must have received their diagnosis in the past 6 months. Participants complete baseline and posttest assessments of resiliency skills, emotional distress, relationship functioning, and quality of life and assessments of treatment satisfaction at posttest only. Results: This is aim 3 of a 5-year funded study that initially began in July 2022. Participant recruitment and data collection for this phase began in October 2024 and will continue until 40 couples (80 individuals) are randomized and complete the posttest. As of manuscript submission (July 2026), 25 couples have been enrolled and 25 couples have been randomized. Data collection is currently underway, and study completion is expected by early 2027. Conclusions: This study will gather comprehensive information on the feasibility and acceptability of RT-ADRD relative to minimally enhanced usual care and assess the preliminary signal of improvement in proximal outcomes. Findings will directly inform plans for a larger efficacy trial.
SN - 1929-0748
ER -