Mindfulness, Education, and Exercise for age-related cognitive decline: Study protocol, pilot study results, and description of the baseline sample.
Julie Loebach Wetherell, Hayley S Ripperger, Michelle Voegtle, Beau M Ances, David A Balota, Emily S Bower, Colin A Depp, Lisa T Eyler, Erin R Foster, Denise Head, Tamara Hershey, Steven Hickman, Noralinda Kamantigue, Samuel Klein, J Philip Miller, Michael D Yingling, Jeanne F Nichols, Ginger E. Nicol, Bruce W Patterson, Thomas L Rodebaugh, Joshua S Shimony, Abraham Z. Snyder, Mary Stephens, Susan Tate, Mary L Uhrich, David Wing, Gregory F Wu, Eric J Lenze
Clinical Trials October 2020 DOI: 10.1177/1740774520931864 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial (design paper with preliminary pilot data) Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 585 |
| Population | Older adults |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise health education |
| Duration | 18-month randomized controlled trial |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Aerobic exercise Aging Elderly Intervention study |
| Key findings | The paper describes the design of an 18-month randomized controlled trial comparing mindfulness training plus moderate-to-vigorous exercise, exercise alone, and a health education control group for cognitive function in older adults, with 585 randomized participants. Preliminary pilot data came from 29 non-randomized participants who received both interventions. The authors state that no pharmacological treatments to halt or reverse cognitive decline are currently available and that rigorously designed trials are needed. |
Abstract
Age-related cognitive decline is a pervasive problem in our aging population. To date, no pharmacological treatments to halt or reverse cognitive decline are available. Behavioral interventions, such as physical exercise and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, may reduce or reverse cognitive decline, but rigorously designed randomized controlled trials are needed to test the efficacy of such interventions. Here, we describe the design of the Mindfulness, Education, and Exercise study, an 18-month randomized controlled trial that will assess the effect of two interventions-mindfulness training plus moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise or moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise alone-compared with a health education control group on cognitive function in older adults. An extensive battery of biobehavioral assessments will be used to understand the mechanisms of cognitive remediation, by using structural and resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging, insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and metabolic and behavioral assessments. We provide the results from a preliminary study (n = 29) of non-randomized pilot participants who received both the exercise and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction interventions. We also provide details on the recruitment and baseline characteristics of the randomized controlled trial sample (n = 585). When complete, the Mindfulness, Education, and Exercise study will inform the research community on the efficacy of these widely available interventions improve cognitive functioning in older adults.
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 2
- Mindfulness Combined With Exercise Online (MOVE) Compared With a Self-management Guide for Adults With Chronic Pain: A Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial. Clinical Journal of Pain August 1, 2023
- Effects of Mindfulness Training and Exercise on Cognitive Function in Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA December 13, 2022
Cites 24
- Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders American Journal of Psychiatry July 1, 1992
- Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience August 13, 2007
- A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation training: Effects on distress, positive states of mind, rumination, and distraction Annals of Behavioral Medicine February 1, 2007
- Cultivating mindfulness: effects on well‐being Journal of Clinical Psychology May 16, 2008
- Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence Journal of Neuroscience October 21, 2009
and 19 more in the library