Mindfulness or meditation therapy for Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Ho-Wei Lin, Ka-Wai Tam, Yi-Chun Kuan
European Journal of Neurology August 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1111/ene.15839 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 337 |
| Population | Patients with Parkinson's disease |
| Intervention | Mindfulness and meditation therapies |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Parkinson's disease Meta-analysis Randomized controlled trial |
| Citations | 16 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness and meditation therapies significantly improved motor symptoms and cognitive function in Parkinson's disease patients, but did not significantly affect gait, quality of life, mood, pain, or sleep. |
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide. Mindfulness and meditation therapies have been demonstrated as effective alternative treatments for patients with neurological disorders. However, the effects of mindfulness and meditation therapies on PD remain unclear. This meta-analysis investigated the effects of mindfulness and meditation therapies in PD patients. A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov for randomized controlled trials comparing mindfulness and meditation therapies with control treatments in patients with PD. Nine articles involving eight trials were included, with a total of 337 patients. Our meta-analysis revealed that mindfulness and meditation therapies significantly improved Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale-Part III score (mean difference [MD] = -6.31, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = -8.57 to -4.05) and cognitive function (standard mean difference [SMD] = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.23 to 1.02). However, no significant differences were discovered between mindfulness therapies and control in gait velocity (MD = 0.05, 95% CI = -0.23 to 0.34), Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 Summary Index (MD = 0.51, 95% CI = -1.12 to 2.14), activities of daily living (SMD = -1.65, 95% CI = -3.74 to 0.45), depression (SMD = -0.43, 95% CI = -0.97 to 0.11), anxiety (SMD = -0.80, 95% CI = -1.78 to 0.19), pain (SMD = 0.79, 95% CI = -1.06 to 2.63), or sleep disturbance (SMD = -0.67, 95% CI = -1.58 to 0.24). Mindfulness and meditation therapies may serve as complementary and alternative treatments for PD patients.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Effects of Meditation and Yoga on Anxiety, Depression and Chronic Inflammation in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 2025
- The Effectiveness of Mindfulness in the Treatment of Methamphetamine Addiction Symptoms: Does Neuroplasticity Play a Role? Brain Sciences March 27, 2024
- A Systematic Review of Third-Wave Therapies to Reduce Distress and Improve Wellbeing and Quality of Life in People with Parkinson's Disease. Clinical Gerontologist May 31, 2025
- Effectiveness of mindfulness meditation on balance, cognitive functions, quality of life, and falls prevention in Parkinson's disease: A systematic review. Neuropsychological rehabilitation September 7, 2026
- Meditation and breathwork on anxiety in Parkinson's disease: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Journal of Parkinson's disease August 6, 2026
and 1 more in the library
Cites 20
- Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 8, 2004
- Pain Attenuation through Mindfulness is Associated with Decreased Cognitive Control and Increased Sensory Processing in the Brain Cerebral Cortex December 15, 2011
- Unwanted effects: Is there a negative side of meditation? A multicentre survey PLoS One September 5, 2017
- A qualitative analysis of mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in Parkinson's disease Psychology and Psychotherapy Theory Research and Practice October 20, 2009
- CROSS-SECTIONAL AND LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF EFFECTS OF TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION PRACTICE ON INTERHEMISPHERIC FRONTAL ASYMMETRY AND FRONTAL COHERENCE International Journal of Neuroscience 2006
and 15 more in the library