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Massage for GAD: Neuroimaging and Clinical Correlates of Response

NCT06506253 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 46

Last updated 2025-09-09

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This clinical trial will compare the effects of Swedish massage or light touch therapy on brain activity and symptoms of anxiety.

This is a randomized research study and subjects will be randomized into one of two study touch intervention groups, and will have an equal chance of being placed in one of the groups:

1. Swedish massage therapy twice per week for 6 weeks.
2. Light touch therapy twice per week for 6 weeks.

The Primary Objective is to identify brain networks activated by touch interventions using fMRI brain imaging in subjects with generalized anxiety disorder.

Subjects will undergo two fMRI scanning sessions (one before and one after) twice per week for 6 weeks of touch intervention. Subjects will also be asked to complete questionnaires on anxiety, stress and depression.

Conditions

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Interventions

OTHER

Swedish Massage Therapy

Touch therapy

OTHER

Light Touch Therapy

Touch therapy

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

    collaborator NIH

  • University of Utah

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Mark Rapaport · University of Utah

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
64 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2024-05-01
Primary Completion
2026-07-31
Completion
2026-08-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Entities

Companies

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT06506253 on ClinicalTrials.gov