A single-arm open-label pilot study of brief mindfulness meditation to control impulsivity in Parkinson's disease.
Jinsoo Koh, Maiko Takahashi, Yasuhiko Ohmae, Junko Taruya, Mayumi Sakata, Masaaki Yasui, Masaki Terada, Hidefumi Ito
PLoS One 2022 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266354 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Prospective single-arm open-label pilot trial Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 20 |
| Population | Patients with Parkinson's disease |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Mindfulness meditation reduced impulsivity scores and increased functional connectivity in the default mode network and right frontoparietal network in patients with Parkinson's disease. |
Abstract
Impulse control disorders are detrimental neuropsychiatric symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Increased impulsivity is a predisposing factor for impulse control disorders and should therefore be controlled. Recently, mindfulness meditation as a non-drug therapy has been reported to be useful in improving neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as impulsivity. We performed a prospective single-arm, open-label pilot trial to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation to control impulsivity in patients with Parkinson's disease (UMIN clinical trials registry: UMIN000037779). Twenty patients with Parkinson's disease were enrolled in an 8-week mindfulness meditation program. As a primary outcome, we investigated whether the score of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) was significantly reduced after the intervention. As an exploratory examination, functional connectivity changes were also assessed by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. After the intervention, the BIS-11 score was decreased from 59.5 [55.6, 63.3] (mean [95% confidence interval]) to 55.2 [50.3, 60.1] (ΔBIS-11: -4.2, [-7.5, -0.9]). Functional connectivity was increased in the default mode network (DMN) at a cluster including the precuneus, posterior cingulate gyrus, and left posterior lobe (false discovery rate-adjusted p [FDR-p] = 0.046) and in the right frontoparietal network (FPN) at the medial frontal lobe (FDR-p = 0.039). This open-label, single-arm pilot study provided preliminary data for mindfulness meditation to control the impulsivity of patients with PD. A brief mindfulness meditation program may be effective in controlling impulsivity in PD and may change the functional connectivity of the DMN and right FPN.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions in People with Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Clinical Gerontologist 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
Cites 12
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Fractionating the Default Mode Network: Distinct Contributions of the Ventral and Dorsal Posterior Cingulate Cortex to Cognitive Control Journal of Neuroscience March 2, 2011
- Mindfulness Meditation Training and Executive Control Network Resting State Functional Connectivity: A Randomized Controlled Trial Psychosomatic Medicine March 22, 2017
- Resting-State Network Functional Connectivity Patterns Associated with the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale Brain Connectivity November 13, 2017
and 7 more in the library