• Home
  • Study Details
Open

The GEMM Trial: Graded Exposure and Mindfulness Meditation for Patients Post-ACL Reconstruction

The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of a 5-week graded exposure + mindfulness meditation intervention via a randomized controlled trial to decrease injury-related fears and reinjury anxiety and improve lower extremity reaction time in participants 1 to 5-years post-anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. *This study is a collaboration with the UNC Sports Medicine Institute*

Age & Gender

  • 18 years ~ 25 years
  • Male, Female, Gender Inclusive

Visit Availability

  • Standard business hours (M-F, 8-5)
  • Extended hours (M-F, early morning or evening)
  • Weekend hours, if needed

Location

United States (Nationwide)

What will be asked of you

If you agree to participate in our research study, you will be asked to come to the Psychology of Sport Injury Lab in Fetzer Hall and Woolen Gym on UNC at Chapel Hill's campus for up to 7 sessions over a 5-week period. These sessions will include baseline measurements, assessments, and mindfulness training sessions. The purpose of the initial assessment and screening session (~2 hours) is to explain the study, ensure you meet all inclusion criteria, complete a neurocognitive function task (reaction time), and questionnaires about your knee health. You will watch a 30-minute educational video about cognitive behavioral therapies. Then, the primary investigator will guide you through an imaginal exposure task. During this task, you will mentally imagine having a secondary ACL injury and the rehabilitation process. After this task, you will complete a writing assignment to express and confront your fears. The rest of the study consists of 5 training sessions, which will last 1 hour each where you will engage with your reported fears with the primary investigator. You will complete 4, 10-minute mindfulness sessions each week throughout the 5-weeks using a mobile app. The final assessment (~2 hours) will occur after 5 weeks following the first training session and would involve the same series of tests related to the baseline visit.

Incentives

$115 cash or gift card

In-person visits:
7
Total length of participation:
5 weeks

Looking for Specific Volunteers

Able to participate:

  • history of ACL reconstruction post-1-5 years
  • elevated injury-related fear

Not eligible if:

  • no history of ACL reconstruction
  • multiple ACL surgeries

Contact the Team

Visit Location

Contact & Visit Location

Primary Contact

Primary Visit Location

MOTION Science Institute
Fetzer Hall (UNC-Chapel Hill)
210 South Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA

Additional Study Information

Principal Investigator

Shelby Baez
Exercise and Sport Science

Study Type

Clinical or Medical
Interventional

Study Topics

Bones, Joints, Muscles
Injury/Injury Prevention

IRB Number

23-1412

Research for Me logo

Copyright © 2013-2022 The NC TraCS Institute, the integrated home of the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program at UNC-CH.  This website is made possible by CTSA Grant UL1TR002489 and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.

Questions?

  • This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
logo for the North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute
logo for UNC Health
logo for UNC School of Medicine
logo for UNC Research