Meditation for subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Jiaxin Shi, Hao Tian, Jingwen Wei, Wenhan Xu, Qin Luo, Jin Peng, Jun Xia, Wenying Huai, Ying Xiong, Yunhui Chen
Frontiers in Public Health 2025 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1524898 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 2,095 |
| Population | Older adults with subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, or Alzheimer's disease |
| Intervention | Meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Alzheimer’s disease Mild cognitive impairment Subjective cognitive decline Meditation: meditation Non-invasive path Well-being Health Sleep quality Brain function enhancement Cognitive performance improvement Global cognitive performance Meta-analysis: meta-analysis Comprehensive review |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key findings | Meditation significantly improved global cognitive performance, sleep quality, and health status but did not significantly affect depression in older adults with cognitive decline. |
Abstract
Meditation has gained increasing recognition as a simple, cost-effective, and non-invasive therapeutic approach for older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease (AD). This meta-analysis aimed to systematically evaluate its effectiveness on this population. A comprehensive search across nine databases was performed from inception to April 1, 2024, to identify eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The primary outcome was global cognitive performance measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), while the secondary outcomes included sleep quality estimated through the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), health status assessed using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and depression evaluated with the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). This meta-analysis utilized R 4.3.1 software and adhered to the Cochrane Handbook and PRISMA reporting guidelines. A total of 25 RCTs published between 2013 and 2024 involving 2,095 participants were included in this study. The pooled findings demonstrated that meditation significantly improved global cognitive performance (MD 2.22, 95% CI: 0.83-3.62, p = 0.002), sleep quality (MD -1.40, 95% CI: -2.52 to -0.27, p = 0.015), and health status (MD 3.50, 95% CI, 0.45-6.56, p = 0.020). However, no significant effect was observed on depression compared to the control group (SMD -0.16, 95% CI: -0.63 to 0.31, p = 0.514). This meta-analysis suggests that meditation is an effective adjunct therapy for improving global cognitive performance, sleep quality, and health status in older adults with SCD, MCI, and AD. However, given the heterogeneity and limited sample sizes, these findings should be interpreted with caution. More large-scale and high-quality RCTs are needed to further substantiate these effects.
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
Cites 16
- The effect of mindfulness meditation on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences December 21, 2018
- Meditation and Its Mental and Physical Health Benefits in 2023. Cureus June 1, 2023
- Mindfulness meditation styles differently modulate source-level MEG microstate dynamics and complexity Frontiers in Neuroscience February 2, 2024
- Effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on mental, cognitive outcomes and neuroplastic changes in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing May 29, 2023
- The Feasibility of a Mindfulness Intervention for Depression in People with Mild Dementia: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. Clinical Gerontologist 2023
and 11 more in the library