A randomized clinical trial of mindfulness meditation versus exercise in Parkinson's disease during social unrest.
Jojo Yan Yan Kwok, Edmond Pui Hang Choi, Janet Yuen-Ha Wong, Kris Yuet Wan Lok, Mu-Hsing Ho, Daniel Yee Tak Fong, Jackie Cheuk Yin Kwan, Shirley Yin Yu Pang, Man Auyeung
NPJ Parkinson's disease January 21, 2023 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-023-00452-w (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 68 |
| Population | Patients with mild-to-moderate Parkinson's disease |
| Interventions | Mindfulness meditation Stretching and resistance training exercise (SRTE) |
| Duration | Eight weekly 90-min sessions; outcomes assessed at week 8 and week 20 |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Mindfulness meditation produced greater improvement in depressive symptoms at week 8 and better maintenance of emotional non-reactivity at week 20 than stretching and resistance training exercise, while both groups showed similar small-to-moderate cognitive improvements. The authors conclude that mindfulness is a feasible and promising strategy for managing depressive symptoms and emotional stability in this population. |
Abstract
Clinical practice guidelines support resilience training and exercise for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). This assessor-blinded, randomized clinical trial aimed to compare the effects of a modified mindfulness meditation program versus stretching and resistance training exercise (SRTE) in patients with mild-to-moderate PD. A total of 126 potential participants were enrolled via convenience sampling, of which 68 eligible participants were randomized 1:1 to receive eight weekly 90-min sessions of mindfulness meditation or SRTE. Compared to the SRTE group, generalized estimating equation analyses revealed that the mindfulness group had significantly better improvement in outcomes, particularly for improving depressive symptoms (d, -1.66; 95% CI, -3.31 to -0.02) at week 8 and maintaining emotional non-reactivity at week 20 (d, 2.08; 95% CI, 0.59 to 3.56). Both groups demonstrated significant immediate, small-moderate effects on cognition (effect size [d] = 0.36-0.37, p = 0.006-0.011). Compared with the SRTE, mindfulness meditation appeared to be a feasible and promising strategy for managing depressive symptoms and maintaining emotional stability, with comparable benefits on cognitive performance. To combat the psychospiritual and cognitive sequelae of social unrest and COVID-19 pandemic, the integration of mindfulness training into motor-oriented PD rehabilitation protocols is recommended to strengthen the resilience and minimize the psycho-cognitive comorbidities among patients with mild-to-moderate PD.Trial Registration: HKU Clinical Trials Registry identifier: HKUCTR-2681.
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 8
- Mindfulness or meditation therapy for Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. European Journal of Neurology August 1, 2023
- 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 Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions in People with Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Clinical Gerontologist 2025
- A randomized controlled trial on the effects and acceptability of individual mindfulness techniques - meditation and yoga - on anxiety and depression in people with Parkinson's disease: a study protocol. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies July 17, 2023
- Study protocol for the MIND-PD study: a randomized controlled trial to investigate clinical and biological effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in people with Parkinson's disease. BMC Neurology June 25, 2024
and 3 more in the library
Cites 10
- Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2007
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction in Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review BMC Neurology May 15, 2017
- Mindfulness based stress reduction in people with Parkinson's disease and their care partners. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice March 31, 2021
- Effects of Mindfulness Yoga vs Stretching and Resistance Training Exercises on Anxiety and Depression for People With Parkinson Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Neurology July 1, 2019
- The Effects of Mindfulness Meditation-based Complex Exercise Program on Motor and Non-Motor Symptoms, and Quality of Life in Patients with Parkinson's Disease. Asian Nursing Research June 1, 2018
and 5 more in the library