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Effects of a Brief, Online, Focused Attention Mindfulness Training on Cognition in Older Adults: a Randomized Controlled Trial

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Abstract

Objectives

Many cognitive changes occur in later life, including declines in attentional control and executive functioning. These cognitive domains appear to be enhanced with mindfulness training, particularly focused attention mindfulness (FAM) meditation, suggesting this practice might slow age-related change. We hypothesized that FAM training would increase self-reported and behaviorally measured mindfulness; improve executive functioning, attentional control, and emotion regulation; and reduce self-reported daily cognitive errors in older adults. To address the call for higher methodological rigor in the field, we used a RCT design with an active control group, measured credibility and expectancy, used objective measures, and attempted to isolate mechanisms of action of mindfulness.

Methods

Fifty older adults aged 65 to 90 (M = 75.7, SD = 5.7) completed pre-training testing followed by 6 weeks of online daily FAM or mind-wandering (control) training and then returned for post-training testing.

Results

Conditions were comparable with respect to credibility and expectancy. However, most hypotheses were not supported. Though aspects of mindfulness, Fs(1,45) ≥ 7.42, ps ≤ .009, ηp2s ≥ 0.13, CIs90% = [0.02, 0.37] and inhibitory control, F(1,43) = 4.95, p = .031, ηp2 = 0.10, CI90% = [0.01, 0.25], increased, this was not specific to mindfulness training. There was modest evidence of an improvement in attentional control specific to the mindfulness group, F(1,43) = 4.59, p = .038, ηp2 = 0.10, CI90% = [0.01, 0.24], but this was not consistent across our two measures.

Conclusions

Results are encouraging for the continued study of mindfulness for improving aspects of attentional control in older adults. However, the present research requires replication in a larger, more diverse sample. Implications for future mindfulness studies with older adults are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to our excellent team of research assistants, including Dimitri Macris, Hannah Ritchie, Sara Feld, Katelyn McVeigh, Christina Boudreau, Jacqueline Marquez, Stephen Barney, Katie Huynh, Saphire Miramontes, Natasha Moushegian, Miyla McIntosh, and Xunchang Fang. Thank you to Lindsey Knowles and Deanna Kaplan for invaluable feedback and suggestions and to the participants who generously contributed their time and efforts to this study.

Funding

This study was funded by Mind and Life Institute (grant number: 2015–1440-Polsinelli).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, 355 W. 16th Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    Angelina J. Polsinelli

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, 1503 E University Blvd, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA

    Alfred W. Kaszniak, Elizabeth L. Glisky & Dev Ashish

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  1. Angelina J. Polsinelli
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  2. Alfred W. Kaszniak
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  4. Dev Ashish
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Contributions

AJP: designed and executed the study, analyzed the data, and wrote the manuscript. AWK: collaborated with the design of the study and final editing of the manuscript. ELG: collaborated with the design of the study and final editing of the manuscript. DA: collaborated with the design of the study and final editing of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Angelina J. Polsinelli.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of Arizona (no. 1300000709).

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All participants provided written, informed consent.

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Polsinelli, A.J., Kaszniak, A.W., Glisky, E.L. et al. Effects of a Brief, Online, Focused Attention Mindfulness Training on Cognition in Older Adults: a Randomized Controlled Trial. Mindfulness 11, 1182–1193 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01329-2

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