CARE Study: Confirming the effects of Acupuncture to Relieve the Symptoms of Gulf War Illness
Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic multi-system illness (CMI) that affects approximately 200,000 U.S. veterans. Symptoms of GWI are often debilitating, and include fatigue, sleep disturbances, mood disorders, cognitive impairments, and musculoskeletal pain. For many years, GWI was not recognized as a distinct medical condition and was often misattributed to other conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Due to the unique and complex symptom profile of GWI, there is currently no established standard of care, and treatment options remain limited. However, previous research from our team has shown that acupuncture, when administered at a sufficient frequency, can significantly reduce pain and improve physical health markers in veterans suffering from GWI.
What is the purpose of this study?
The CARE study is a phase II confirmatory trial. Earlier research showed that acupuncture significantly reduced pain and improved physical function in veterans with Gulf War Illness (GWI), when administered at an expert recommended dose of two times per week for six months.
The goals of this study are to:
- Confirm the effectiveness of acupuncture to treat GWI
- Explore the effects of acupuncture on biomarkers associated with inflammation and the autonomic nervous system (ANS), as research has found some veterans with GWI may have issues with their peripheral and central nervous systems, and immune system compared to other veterans.
In achieving our goals we hope to develop therapeutics, treatments, and strategies to minimize symptoms and disease progression associated with military-related toxic exposures.
Who can participate?
You may be eligible to participate in the CARE study if:
You are a veteran of the Gulf War who was deployed to the “Gulf Theater of operations, as defined by 38 CFR 3.317, includes Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and the airspace above all of these locations” between August 1990 and February 1991."
You live in the metropolitan area of one of these study sites:
- Dallas, TX
- Tampa, FL
- Los Angeles, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Fairfax, VA
- Colorado Springs, CO
- Denver, CO
You have access to a personal email address and a smart phone to receive study related documents and participant in video calls.
You are living with at least 2 of the following symptom clusters (A, B, C) that have lasted for more than 6 months:
A-Fatigability
- fatigue 24 hours or more after exertion
B-Mood and Cognition
- feeling depressed or
- feeling irritable or
- difficulty thinking or concentrating or
- feeling worried, tense, anxious or
- problems finding words or
- problems getting to sleep.
C-Musculoskeletal
- joint pain or muscle pain
At least one symptom must be rated as severe.
How does the study work?
If you are eligible and choose to participate, you will be randomly assigned to one of two acupuncture treatment groups:
- Group A: Acupuncture treatment twice per week for six months.
- Group B: A two month waiting period, followed by acupuncture once a week for four months.
All treatments will be provided by a licensed and experienced acupuncturist affiliated with the CARE study and located in your community.
As part of your participation, you will receive a Garmin fitness tracker wristband, which will be yours to keep after the study ends. The Garman devices will track how your body is functioning as far as heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), sleep patterns, and physical activity levels. To ensure accurate data collection, participants will be asked to wear the wristband 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the study.
Additionally, you will be asked to provide four small blood samples at the following time points:
- Before starting treatment
- Two months later
- At four months of study participation
- At six months of study participation
The samples will be self-collected, in the comfort of your home, using a gentle device similar to a blood glucose monitor, but worn for only a few minutes.
How to participate
If you or someone you know are a veteran of the Gulf War deployed between August 1990 and February 1991 and are living with mental health concerns, chronic pain, or fatigue.
If you are interested in participating but don't see your home city listed here, please email us at GWI@utah.edu. We can’t guarantee that we will be able to expand to your area for this study. But it’s important to us that we learn about where Veterans with GWI live so that we can plan for future work.
Please use this link to fill out our pre-screening survey:
Contact us to learn more about participating
Call us: 801-646-8308
Email: gwi@utah.edu
This study is conducted by Dr. Lisa Taylor-Swanson at the University of Utah College of Nursing, in collaboration with Dr. Lisa Conboy (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center) and Dr. Irina Conboy (University of California Berkeley).
Utah IRB: 00181526
For Emergencies
If you are experiencing a life threatening emergency, please call 911 for your local dispatch service.
If you are enrolled in the CARE trial and are experiencing an emergency, please call 911 and also inform the CARE Study PIs Dr. Lisa Taylor-Swanson (253) 381-0056 or Dr. Lisa Conboy (617) 718-1917.
Crisis Lifeline
If you or someone you know are having suicidal thoughts or are planning self-harm, please reach out to the national crisis lifeline: 988
If you are enrolled in the CARE trial and are experiencing suicidal thoughts or the desire to harm yourself, please call 988 and also inform Dr. Lisa Taylor-Swanson & Dr. Lisa Conboy
Call us: 801-646-8308
Email: gwi@utah.edu
AA & NA Resources
If you feel that alcohol or drug use is disrupting your life, or the life of a loved one please consider reaching out to a local chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous.