Mindfulness for Motor and Nonmotor Dysfunctions in Parkinson's Disease.
Nadeeka N Dissanayaka, Farah Idu Jion, Nancy A Pachana, John D O'Sullivan, Rodney Marsh, Gerard J Byrne, Paul Harnett
Parkinson's disease April 10, 2016 DOI: 10.1155/2016/7109052 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-post intervention study (uncontrolled) Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 14 |
| Population | Patients with Parkinson's disease |
| Duration | 8-week intervention with 6 sessions; 6-month follow-up |
| Measures | Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), FFMQ-15, Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, PD Cognitive Rating Scale (PDCRS), Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS), PD Quality of Life Questionnaire, Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | After an 8-week tailored group mindfulness intervention, 14 Parkinson's disease patients showed reduced anxiety, depression, and OQ-45 symptom distress, increased FFMQ-Observe scores, improved PDCRS subcortical scores, and better postural instability, gait, and rigidity; PDCRS gains persisted at 6-month follow-up. The authors state the intervention is associated with these improvements and call for a randomized controlled trial with a larger sample. |
Abstract
Background. Motor and nonmotor symptoms negatively influence Parkinson's disease (PD) patients' quality of life. Mindfulness interventions have been a recent focus in PD. The present study explores effectiveness of a manualized group mindfulness intervention tailored for PD in improving both motor and neuropsychiatric deficits in PD. Methods. Fourteen PD patients completed an 8-week mindfulness intervention that included 6 sessions. The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, PD Cognitive Rating Scale, Unified PD Rating Scale, PD Quality of Life Questionnaire, and Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45) were administered before and after the intervention. Participants also completed the FFMQ-15 at each session. Gains at postassessment and at 6-month follow-up were compared to baseline using paired t-tests and Wilcoxon nonparametric tests. Results. A significant increase in FFMQ-Observe subscale, a reduction in anxiety, depression, and OQ-45 symptom distress, an increase in PDCRS-Subcortical scores, and an improvement in postural instability, gait, and rigidity motor symptoms were observed at postassessment. Gains for the PDCRS were sustained at follow-up. Conclusion. The mindfulness intervention tailored for PD is associated with reduced anxiety and depression and improved cognitive and motor functioning. A randomised controlled trial using a large sample of PD patients is warranted.
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 17
- 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
- Distant delivery of a mindfulness-based intervention for people with Parkinson’s disease: the study protocol of a randomised pilot trial Pilot and Feasibility Studies January 16, 2017
- The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions in People with Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Clinical Gerontologist 2025
- 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
- Effects of virtual reality mindfulness on cognition and well-being in ALS: A randomized trial protocol. Contemporary Clinical Trials May 1, 2025
and 12 more in the library
Cites 14
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- A qualitative analysis of mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in Parkinson's disease Psychology and Psychotherapy Theory Research and Practice October 20, 2009
- Toward a theoretical model for mindfulness-based pain management. Journal of Pain July 2014
and 9 more in the library