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Alzheimer's Research & Therapy Jun 2024Evidence links lifestyle factors with Alzheimer's disease (AD). We report the first randomized, controlled clinical trial to determine if intensive lifestyle changes may... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of intensive lifestyle changes on the progression of mild cognitive impairment or early dementia due to Alzheimer's disease: a randomized, controlled clinical trial.
BACKGROUND
Evidence links lifestyle factors with Alzheimer's disease (AD). We report the first randomized, controlled clinical trial to determine if intensive lifestyle changes may beneficially affect the progression of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or early dementia due to AD.
METHODS
A 1:1 multicenter randomized controlled phase 2 trial, ages 45-90 with MCI or early dementia due to AD and a Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score of 18 or higher. The primary outcome measures were changes in cognition and function tests: Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGIC), Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-Cog), Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB), and Clinical Dementia Rating Global (CDR-G) after 20 weeks of an intensive multidomain lifestyle intervention compared to a wait-list usual care control group. ADAS-Cog, CDR-SB, and CDR-Global scales were compared using a Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and CGIC was compared using Fisher's exact test. Secondary outcomes included plasma Aβ42/40 ratio, other biomarkers, and correlating lifestyle with the degree of change in these measures.
RESULTS
Fifty-one AD patients enrolled, mean age 73.5. No significant differences in any measures at baseline. Only two patients withdrew. All patients had plasma Aβ42/40 ratios <0.0672 at baseline, strongly supporting AD diagnosis. After 20 weeks, significant between-group differences in the CGIC (p= 0.001), CDR-SB (p= 0.032), and CDR Global (p= 0.037) tests and borderline significance in the ADAS-Cog test (p= 0.053). CGIC, CDR Global, and ADAS-Cog showed improvement in cognition and function and CDR-SB showed significantly less progression, compared to the control group which worsened in all four measures. Aβ42/40 ratio increased in the intervention group and decreased in the control group (p = 0.003). There was a significant correlation between lifestyle and both cognitive function and the plasma Aβ42/40 ratio. The microbiome improved only in the intervention group (p <0.0001).
CONCLUSIONS
Comprehensive lifestyle changes may significantly improve cognition and function after 20 weeks in many patients with MCI or early dementia due to AD.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
Approved by Western Institutional Review Board on 12/31/2017 (#20172897) and by Institutional Review Boards of all sites. This study was registered retrospectively with clinicaltrials.gov on October 8, 2020 (NCT04606420, ID: 20172897).
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Aged; Cognitive Dysfunction; Alzheimer Disease; Disease Progression; Aged, 80 and over; Life Style; Middle Aged; Dementia; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Neuropsychological Tests; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 38849944
DOI: 10.1186/s13195-024-01482-z -
PloS One 2024To investigate whether Heartfulness meditation practice, compared to Gratitude practice, leads to measurable changes in mental wellbeing among healthcare providers... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether Heartfulness meditation practice, compared to Gratitude practice, leads to measurable changes in mental wellbeing among healthcare providers across the US.
METHOD
Participants were randomly assigned to one of the following 6-week interventions: the trainer-guided virtual Heartfulness meditation program or the podcast-based self-guided gratitude practice group. The Professional Quality of Life Scale-5 (ProQOL-5) was used to determine Compassion Satisfaction (CS) and risk for Burnout (BO) and secondary traumatic stress (STS). The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) was used to assess vigor, dedication, and absorption at work. Outcomes were collected at baseline and the end of the study period. Qualitative questions regarding the experience of learning and practicing were also offered at the end of the six weeks.
RESULTS
The majority of participants were nurses (50%), followed by allied healthcare professionals (37%) and physicians (13%) (N = 83). There was a general trend towards increases in CS in the Heartfulness group compared to the gratitude group. However, this was not statistically significant. Strong evidence suggests there was a significant improvement in BO for the Heartfulness group between Week 0 and Week 6 (p = 0.002), as well as STS (p = 0.0004) and vigor (p = 0.0392). Qualitative data analysis revealed that the subjects in the Heartfulness arm reported improved sleep and decreased reactivity to stress. Subjects in the gratitude arm reported improved mood and favorable results using gratitude practices at home with family members.
CONCLUSION
In our study, Heartfulness meditation practice was associated with a significant improvement in burnout and vigor at work, with a trend towards compassion satisfaction after six weeks compared with gratitude practices. Qualitative analysis indicates the benefits of both Heartfulness and Gratitude practices. Further randomized trials with a larger sample size are needed to explore these science-based practices for the wellbeing of healthcare workers.
Topics: Humans; Meditation; Female; Male; Adult; Health Personnel; Burnout, Professional; Middle Aged; Quality of Life; Work Engagement; Empathy; Job Satisfaction
PubMed: 38848338
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304093 -
Heliyon Jun 2024This study investigated the effects of mindfulness training on alleviating fear of the COVID-19 epidemic among international students in China during the academic year...
This study investigated the effects of mindfulness training on alleviating fear of the COVID-19 epidemic among international students in China during the academic year 2020. The training group participants (N = 41) and the control group participants (N = 44) were surveyed pre-and post-training with the two English questionnaires: The Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and the fear of the COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S). The results showed that, regarding the relationship between the two main variables in the study, mindfulness is related negatively to the COVID-19 epidemic. Moreover, compared to the control group, results showed that individuals in the training group demonstrated significant improvements in mindfulness levels and decreased Fear of COVID-19. Thus, findings suggest that a short online mindfulness meditation training may reduce fear of the COVID-19 epidemic.
PubMed: 38845936
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31809 -
PloS One 2024Previous literature suggests that mindfulness meditation can have positive effects on mental health, however, its mechanisms of action are still unclear. In this...
Previous literature suggests that mindfulness meditation can have positive effects on mental health, however, its mechanisms of action are still unclear. In this pre-registered study, we investigate the effects of mindfulness training on lapses of attention (and their associated neural correlates) during meditation practice. For this purpose, we recorded Electroencephalogram (EEG) during meditation practice before and after 8 weeks of mindfulness training (or waitlist) in 41 participants (21 treatment and 20 controls). In order to detect lapses of attention and characterize their EEG correlates, we interrupted participants during meditation to report their level of focus and drowsiness. First, we show that self-reported lapses of attention during meditation practice were associated to an increased occurrence of theta oscillations (3-6 Hz), which were slower in frequency and more spatially widespread than theta oscillations occurring during focused attention states. Then, we show that mindfulness training did not reduce the occurrence of lapses of attention nor their associated EEG correlate (i.e. theta oscillations) during meditation. Instead, we find that mindfulness training was associated with a significant slowing of alpha oscillations in frontal electrodes during meditation. Crucially, frontal alpha slowing during meditation practice has been reported in experienced meditators and is thought to reflect relative decreases in arousal levels. Together, our findings provide insights into the EEG correlates of mindfulness meditation, which could have important implications for the identification of its mechanisms of action and/or the development of neuromodulation protocols aimed at facilitating meditation practice.
Topics: Humans; Meditation; Mindfulness; Male; Female; Adult; Electroencephalography; Self Report; Attention; Middle Aged
PubMed: 38843236
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299275 -
Supportive Care in Cancer : Official... Jun 2024Breast cancer survivors commonly experience menopausal symptoms, specifically when undergoing antihormonal therapy. Unfortunately, they often have a restricted range of... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
PURPOSE
Breast cancer survivors commonly experience menopausal symptoms, specifically when undergoing antihormonal therapy. Unfortunately, they often have a restricted range of treatment options available to alleviate menopausal symptoms. The objective of this qualitative study was to explore breast cancer survivors' experiences and effects of a yoga and meditation intervention supplementing previously reported RCT outcomes.
METHODS
The qualitative data included in this study were part of a larger randomized controlled trial which evaluated the efficacy and safety of a 12-week yoga and meditation intervention on menopausal symptoms in breast cancer survivors. All participants who underwent the yoga intervention (n = 19) were invited to take part in semi-structured interviews after all quantitative data collection had been completed. Interviews (n = 9) were recorded, transcribed, and then coded into superordinate themes using thematic analysis.
RESULTS
Nine female participants were interviewed, and the following themes emerged: (1) representations and expectations from the yoga intervention; (2) course structure and implementation; (3) perceptions and effects of the intervention (at emotional, physical, behavioral, and spiritual level); (4) differences between the study yoga intervention and other physical activities.
CONCLUSIONS
In accordance with the accounts of participants, yoga might offer a promising intervention for breast cancer survivors. All those interviewed either currently attended a yoga class or expressed a desire to continue practicing yoga. Additionally, our findings inform future studies regarding aspects such as the importance of extending outcome measures beyond specific cancer-related complains, the advantages of addressing homogenous groups (i.e., breast cancer specific), or considering that different intervention components might need different assistance to encourage long-term use.
Topics: Humans; Yoga; Female; Breast Neoplasms; Middle Aged; Meditation; Cancer Survivors; Qualitative Research; Menopause; Aged; Adult; Interviews as Topic
PubMed: 38842686
DOI: 10.1007/s00520-024-08603-2 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Yoga nidra (YN) practice aims to induce a deeply relaxed state akin to sleep while maintaining heightened awareness. Despite the growing interest in its clinical...
Yoga nidra (YN) practice aims to induce a deeply relaxed state akin to sleep while maintaining heightened awareness. Despite the growing interest in its clinical applications, a comprehensive understanding of the underlying neural correlates of the practice of YN remains largely unexplored. In this fMRI investigation, we aim to discover the differences between wakeful resting states and states attained during YN practice. The study included individuals experienced in meditation and/or yogic practices, referred to as 'meditators' (n = 30), and novice controls (n = 31). The GLM analysis, based on audio instructions, demonstrated activation related to auditory cues without concurrent default mode network (DMN) deactivation. DMN seed based functional connectivity (FC) analysis revealed significant reductions in connectivity among meditators during YN as compared to controls. We did not find differences between the two groups during the pre and post resting state scans. Moreover, when DMN-FC was compared between the YN state and resting state, meditators showed distinct decoupling, whereas controls showed increased DMN-FC. Finally, participants exhibit a remarkable correlation between reduced DMN connectivity during YN and self-reported hours of cumulative meditation and yoga practice. Together, these results suggest a unique neural modulation of the DMN in meditators during YN which results in being restful yet aware, aligned with their subjective experience of the practice. The study deepens our understanding of the neural mechanisms of YN, revealing distinct DMN connectivity decoupling in meditators and its relationship with meditation and yoga experience. These findings have interdisciplinary implications for neuroscience, psychology, and yogic disciplines.
Topics: Humans; Yoga; Female; Male; Adult; Meditation; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Brain; Middle Aged; Brain Mapping; Connectome; Young Adult
PubMed: 38839877
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63765-7 -
Social Science & Medicine (1982) May 2024Medicalization represents an increasingly significant form of social control. Emergent evidence suggests that workplace managers take up medicalized practices and...
Medicalization represents an increasingly significant form of social control. Emergent evidence suggests that workplace managers take up medicalized practices and discourses to produce a compliant labor force, but this phenomenon has received limited sociological attention. This paper extends prior theories of medicalization to investigate therapeutic management in the low-wage workplace. I draw upon eight months of ethnographic fieldwork in Disability Works, a nonprofit job training program for people with mental illnesses, and interviews with other providers and advocates within this field. Disability Works harnesses therapy, psychiatry, and "softer" therapeutic practices such as mindfulness meditation, sleep hygiene, and positive affirmations to produce its workforce. This paper identifies two dimensions of therapeutic management: (1) it aims to inculcate work norms at the level of client-workers' embodied dispositions, and (2) it aims to transform structural problems into individual ones. Findings illuminate therapeutic management as an emergent workplace regime and may guide future research on its effects.
PubMed: 38838531
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117026 -
PloS One 2024[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292406.].
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292406.].
PubMed: 38833502
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305180 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Young athletes commonly encounter various mental health challenges due to the distinct pressures inherent in sports environments. This study investigates the...
Young athletes commonly encounter various mental health challenges due to the distinct pressures inherent in sports environments. This study investigates the effectiveness of mobile-delivered mindfulness meditation interventions in alleviating mental health indicators of depression, perceived stress, and anxiety, and enhancing self-esteem and resilience among young male judo athletes in South Korea. Pre- and post-test questionnaires were completed by 53 judo athletes. Participants were then allocated to the intervention group (N = 27; M = 13.77 [SD = 1.11]), which used a mobile meditation software program, or the control group (N = 27; M = 13.56 [SD = 1.05]). Data analysis compared intervention and control group scores using multiple statistical methods, including independent sample t-tests, paired sample t-tests, and 2 (time) × 2 (group) repeated measures analysis of variance. Following the intervention, the mindfulness group exhibited significant enhancements in the mental health indicators of depression (GMD = 2.74 [95% CI 0.90-4.56], Cohen's D = 0.84), perceived stress (GMD = 0.35 [95% CI 0.002-0.70], Cohen's D = 0.56), and anxiety (GMD = 0.2 [95% CI 0.001-0.40, Cohen's D = 0.56]. Self-esteem also had a significant increase (GMD = 0.55 [95% CI - 0.22 to - 0.88], Cohen's D = 0.95). The findings of this study underscore the potential benefits of mobile-delivered mindfulness meditation interventions in addressing mental health challenges among young male judo athletes. The significant enhancements observed in scores on measures of depression, perceived stress, anxiety, and self-esteem among participants in the mindfulness group highlight the effectiveness of such interventions in promoting mental health in sports settings.
Topics: Humans; Male; Mindfulness; Meditation; Mental Health; Athletes; Republic of Korea; Martial Arts; Adolescent; Depression; Anxiety; Stress, Psychological; Self Concept; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 38830986
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63637-0 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2024This study conducts a bibliometric analysis using the Web of Science database on 1,950 articles published in the journal from 2012 to 2022. By constructing a knowledge...
This study conducts a bibliometric analysis using the Web of Science database on 1,950 articles published in the journal from 2012 to 2022. By constructing a knowledge graph, the research delineates the evolution, stages of development, and emerging trends in the field of mindfulness. Significant growth in the annual publication volume has been observed since 2012, with the research progression segmented into three distinct phases. The United States has emerged as a pivotal contributor to the field, dominating in terms of publication volume, researcher involvement, and institutional contributions. Through the application of keyword co-occurrence and reference co-citation analysis, five principal clusters were identified, focusing on mindfulness, meditation, depression, stress, and self-compassion, underscoring these as focal research areas. Furthermore, the exploration of mindfulness within the educational sphere in Taiwan is still nascent, signaling a critical need for bolstered research support in diverse thematic domains.
PubMed: 38827894
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1378143