---
title: Improve patient mood with compassion
nct_id: NCT07097298
phase: NA
status: RECRUITING
sponsor: Alain Kaelin
study_type: INTERVENTIONAL
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT07097298"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07097298"
last_fetched: "2026-05-10T14:04:16.216Z"
source: "Parkinson's Pathways (curated)"
---
# Improve patient mood with compassion

**Goal (in five words):** Improve patient mood with compassion

**Official Title:** Empathy and (Self-)Compassion to Improve the Quality of Life of Parkinson's Disease Patients and Caregivers: an Exploratory Study

**Trial ID:** [NCT07097298](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07097298)

## Key Facts

- **Phase:** NA
- **Status:** RECRUITING
- **Study Type:** INTERVENTIONAL
- **Sponsor:** Alain Kaelin
- **Target Enrollment:** 30 participants
- **Start Date:** 2025-11-06
- **Completion Date:** 2027-07
- **Conditions:** Parkinson Disease(PD)
- **Interventions:** empathy and compassion training
- **Intervention Types:** BEHAVIORAL

## Summary For Families

Aims to boost quality of life for people with Parkinson's and their caregivers by teaching empathy and self-compassion skills to reduce stress, improve emotional connection, and help with day-to-day coping. Participants and their regular caregivers take part in structured training that uses practical exercises like perspective-taking, kind self-talk, and emotion-regulation techniques, so it changes how people respond to stress and caregiving strain rather than using a drug. Looking for people aged 50 to 80 with Parkinson's at Hoehn and Yahr stage 3 or lower, able to consent with an MMSE score of 26 or higher and at least secondary education, who have a regular caregiver at home; caregivers must provide care at least 3 days per week for at least 3 months and also have at least secondary education. This is a small exploratory trial enrolling about 30 pairs, aimed at testing feasibility and early signals of benefit.

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 50 Years
- **Maximum age:** 80 Years
- **Sex:** ALL

### Full Criteria

```
Inclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis of PD
* Hoehn and Yahr scale, stage ≤ 3
* Mini Mental State Examination with a score ≥ 26
* Able to give informed consent as documented by signature
* At least, secondary school education
* To have a regular caregiver at home

Exclusion Criteria:

* Any medical condition that is not PD, such as drug induced parkinsonism
* Major depression, dysthymia, or according to DSM-V
* Other neurological or psychiatric diseases
* Neuropsychological scores compatible with the diagnosis of early dementia
* Inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g. due to language problems, psychological disorders, etc

For CAREGIVERS:

Inclusion criteria

* Taking care of the patient on a regular basis, i.e., at least 3 days per week
* Being caregiver of the patients for at least 3 months
* At least, secondary school education
* Written informed consent
```

## Locations (1)

- Istituto di Neuroscienze Cliniche della Svizzera Italiana, EOC, Lugano, Switzerland _(46.0101, 8.9600)_
  - Alain Kaelin, Prof. MD PhD — (CONTACT) — +41 (0)91 811 73 42 — alain.kaelin@eoc.ch

## Central Contacts

- Alain Kaelin, Prof. MD PhD — (CONTACT) — +41918117342 — alain.kaelin@eoc.ch

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT07097298*  
*HTML version: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT07097298*  
*Source data: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07097298*