The Impact of a Yoga-Based Mindfulness Intervention versus Psycho-Educational Session for Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: The Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Trial
Maryam Farhang, Graciela Rojas, Pablo Martínez, María Isabel Behrens, Alvaro Ignacio Langer, Marcela Díaz, Claudia Miranda‐Castillo
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health November 21, 2022 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192215374 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial protocol Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Adults over 60 years with any type of mild cognitive impairment attending Hospital Clinic Universidad de Chile in Santiago |
| Interventions | Yoga-based mindfulness intervention psychoeducational sessions |
| Duration | Assessments before randomization, the week after the last intervention session, and at 3- and 6-month follow-up |
| Measures | Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADL), Barthel Index (BI), Pemberton Happiness Index, Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-5) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 11 |
| Key findings | The authors propose that a yoga-based mindfulness intervention delivered via video may be an acceptable and effective non-pharmacological option for improving cognitive and physical function and mental health in older Chilean adults with mild cognitive impairment, and they state this is the first randomized trial to examine this in that population. No results are reported because the trial is planned. |
Abstract
Background: There is a global agreement in the medical community that a significant proportion of dementia cases could be prevented or postponed. One of the factors behind this agreement comes from scientific evidence showing that mind-body interventions such as mindfulness and yoga for the elderly have been related to a range of positive outcomes, including improved cognition performance in seniors with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a yoga-based mindfulness intervention (YBM) versus psychoeducational sessions for older adults with MCI attending Hospital Clinic Universidad de Chile in Santiago.
Method: Two-arm, individually randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be carried out at Clinical Hospital Universidad de Chile in Santiago. Older people over 60 years with any type of MCI using a score < 21 in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test and a score of 0.05 in the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) Scale; and with preserved activities of daily living will be randomly assigned with an allocation ratio of 1:1 in either the yoga-based mindfulness intervention or the active control group based on the psycho-educational program. People who have performed yoga and/or mindfulness in the last 6 months or/and people with a psychiatric clinical diagnosis will be excluded from the study. Montreal Cognitive Assessment, the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADL), the Barthel Index (BI), the Pemberton happiness index, the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) as well as the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-5) will be administered by blinded outcomes assessors before random assignment (Pre-test), the week following the last session of the intervention (post-test), and then after 3- and 6-months follow-up.
Results: The YBM intervention protocol based on a video recording has been adapted and designed. This is the first RCT to examine the effects of a yoga-based mindfulness intervention in improving cognitive and physical functions and mental health outcomes for Chilean elderly diagnosed with MCI. It is expected to be implemented as an acceptable and effective non-pharmacological option for older people with MCI.
Conclusion: Providing evidence-based programs such as preventive therapy for Alzheimer's disease has relevant implications for public mental health services in Chile.
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
Cites 10
- Can Mindfulness Beat Alzheimer's Disease? The Maastricht Journal of Liberal Arts June 27, 2017
- Efficacy of Integrated Yoga and Ayurveda Rasayana on cognitive functions in elderly with mild cognitive impairment: Non-randomized three-arm clinical trial. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine 2022
- The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on Depression, Cognition, and Immunity in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Feasibility Study Clinical Interventions in Aging August 1, 2020
- The Effects of Mindfulness on Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment. Journal of Alzheimer's disease reports December 2, 2017
- Promising Links between Meditation and Reduced (Brain) Aging: An Attempt to Bridge Some Gaps between the Alleged Fountain of Youth and the Youth of the Field. Frontiers in Psychology 2017
and 5 more in the library