A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating MBSR for Parkinson's Disease Patients and Their Caregiving Partners: Effects on Distress, Social support, Cortisol, and Inflammation.
Chelsea J Siwik, Kala M. Phillips, Irene Litvan, Paul Salmon, Allison Rodgers, Megan E. Jablonski, Sandra E. Sephton
Mindfulness May 2022 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-022-01874-y (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 18 |
| Population | Parkinson's disease patients and their caregiving partners early in the disease trajectory, recruited from a university-affiliated movement disorders clinic |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Caregiver Cortisol Inflammation Parkinson’s disease Patient-partner dyads |
| Key findings | MBSR was followed by increased disease-specific distress and intrusive thoughts in patients but decreased bedtime cortisol and IL-1beta, while caregiving partners showed increased perceived social support and improved diurnal cortisol slope rhythmicity, compared with treatment as usual. The authors propose that MBSR's benefits may be physiological before or instead of psychological, and stress these pilot findings are exploratory. |
Abstract
To examine the preliminary effects of the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program in the management of biopsychosocial stress-related changes associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) among patient/caregiving-partner dyads. PD patient/caregiving-partner dyads (N = 18) early in the disease trajectory were recruited from a university-affiliated movement disorders clinic and were randomized (1:1) to either the MBSR intervention or the control condition (treatment as usual [TAU]). Mixed methods ANOVAs were conducted to examine primary outcomes (disease-specific distress, perceived social support, circadian rhythmicity [cortisol], and markers of inflammation [IL-6, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta]) between groups (MBSR vs. TAU) among patients and caregiving partners separately. No participants were lost to follow-up. Given the pilot nature of the current investigation, findings should be interpreted as exploratory opposed to confirmatory. Following MBSR, PD patients reported an increase in disease-specific distress and intrusive thoughts and demonstrated a decrease in mean bedtime cortisol and IL-1beta from baseline to follow-up compared to TAU. Caregiving partners who received MBSR reported an increase in perceived social support and demonstrated improved rhythmicity of diurnal cortisol slopes from baseline to follow-up compared to TAU. Both patients and caregiving partners who received MBSR demonstrated improvements in biomarkers of circadian function, and patients evidenced a decrease in a biomarker of systemic inflammation, pointing to an important area of further investigation. Given that patients reported an increase in disease-specific distress and intrusive thoughts, the salutary effects of MBSR may be experienced physiologically prior to, or in lieu of, psychological effects, although this should be explored further, especially given the improvement in perceived social support reported by caregiving partners.
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
- A Systematic Review of Third-Wave Therapies to Reduce Distress and Improve Wellbeing and Quality of Life in People with Parkinson's Disease. Clinical Gerontologist May 31, 2025
- Optimal doses of mind-body exercise on neuroinflammation in individuals with neuropsychiatric disorders: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health March 1, 2026
Cites 7
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