Transcendental Meditation for the improvement of health and wellbeing in community-dwelling dementia caregivers [TRANSCENDENT]: a randomised wait-list controlled trial
M. Leach, A. Francis, T. Ziaian
BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine May 8, 2015 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-015-0666-8 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot prospective, multi-centre, community-based, randomised wait-list controlled trial Randomized Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 17 |
| Population | Community-dwelling caregivers of persons with diagnosed dementia |
| Duration | 12-week (14-hour) TM training program |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Transcendental Meditation training led to significantly greater improvement in cognitive response speed in dementia caregivers compared to a wait-list control, but other outcomes did not reach statistical significance. |
Abstract
BackgroundDementia is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder affecting an estimated 24.3 million people across the globe. The burden on those caring for people with dementia is substantial, with widespread implications for the caregiver, the care recipient and the community. Relaxation techniques, such as Transcendental Meditation® (TM), have been shown to reduce stress and anxiety in healthy workers; similar benefits are anticipated in dementia caregivers. The objective of this study was to ascertain whether TM can improve psychological stress, quality of life, affect and cognitive performance in dementia caregivers.MethodsThe study was conducted as a pilot prospective, multi-centre, community-based, randomised wait-list controlled trial. Community-dwelling caregivers of persons with diagnosed dementia were randomly assigned to a 12-week (14-hour) TM training program or wait-list control. Participants were assessed for quality of life, stress, affect, cognitive performance and adverse effects. The feasibility of the study was also evaluated.ResultsSeventeen caregivers were recruited and randomised. Improvements in WebNeuro response speed scores over time were significantly (p = 0.03) greater in the TM group relative to control. Changes between groups over time in all other primary and secondary outcome measures did not reach statistical significance. However, there was a trend toward greater improvement in WebNeuro stress, depression and negativity bias scores in the TM group. Adverse events were reported amongst 63 % of TM-treated subjects; however, events were generally transient, of mild-moderate intensity and only ‘possibly’ related to TM.ConclusionsDementia caregivers exposed to TM demonstrated varying degrees of improvement in several measures of cognitive function, mood, quality of life and stress following exposure to TM. However, as the pilot study was underpowered, no firm conclusions can be made about the effectiveness of TM in this caregiver population. Findings from full-scale trials are now warranted.Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12613000184774 (Registered 15th February 2013).
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 11
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction for family carers of people with dementia Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews August 14, 2018
- A meta-analysis of mindfulness-based interventions for improving mental health and burden among caregivers of persons living with dementia. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing April 1, 2024
- Transcendental Meditation for Women Affected by Domestic Violence: A Pilot Randomised, Controlled Trial Journal of Family Violence April 19, 2023
- Designing Mindfulness Conversational Agents for People With Early-Stage Dementia and Their Caregivers: Thematic Analysis of Expert and User Perspectives. JMIR aging December 6, 2022
- The ATENción Plena en Enfermedad de Alzheimer (ATENEA-Mindfulness in Alzheimer's Disease) Program for Caregivers: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. Healthcare March 15, 2022
and 6 more in the library
Cites 12
- Blood Pressure Response to Transcendental Meditation: A Meta-analysis American Journal of Hypertension February 29, 2008
- Effects of the Transcendental Meditation Technique on Trait Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine October 9, 2013
- Effect of Transcendental Meditation on Employee Stress, Depression, and Burnout: A Randomized Controlled Study The Permanente Journal January 30, 2014
- Effectiveness of transcendental meditation on functional capacity and quality of life of African Americans with congestive heart failure: a randomized control study. 2007
- Improving the health and well-being of community-dwelling caregivers of dementia sufferers: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial of structured meditation training. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine February 1, 2014
and 7 more in the library