Mindfulness and Older Adults with Subjective Cognitive Impairment V1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Examining the Effects of a Brief Mindfulness Based Intervention (BMBI) on Mood and Cognitive Functioning in an Older Adult Population.
IRAS ID
190767
Contact name
Pearlene Ng
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
This study aims to investigate the impact of a brief mindfulness-based intervention (BMBI) in comparison to a waitlist control (WLC) group on mood, quality of life, self-reported cognitive concerns and objective cognitive performance in older people with subjective memory concerns and mild cognitive impairment. It also aims to understand the mechanisms of change associated with levels of mindfulness, self-compassion and rumination.\n\nSubjective memory concern (SMC) is a phenomenon whereby a patient complains of memory loss in the absence of any objective cognitive decline on objective neuropsychological assessments. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a heterogeneous syndrome of cognitive decline that lies between normal ageing and early dementia (Cooper et al., 2013). Research evidence proposes that the presence of psychosocial stress and depression are associated with SMC and an increased likelihood of developing MCI. NICE guidelines (2006) reports that 50% of people who receive a diagnosis of MCI will eventually progress to develop dementia yet there is no intervention offered to older people who present with SMC or for those who receive a diagnosis of MCI at present. These findings point to a need of investigating a psychological intervention that can improve mood and enhance cognitive functions, such as, attention, working memory and executive function. One such intervention is mindfulness. \n\nMindfulness has been defined as the awareness that arises through paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non- judgmentally. Common mindfulness activities include body scans, mindful breathing, mindful eating and sitting meditation. The proposed study will recruit 90 older people with SMC or MCI from SLAM NHS memory clinics. Participants will be randomly allocated to the BMBI group or the WLC group. The BMBI will be delivered for 1 session, and participants will be asked to practice it at home for 1 week.
REC name
London - Chelsea Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/0223
Date of REC Opinion
17 Feb 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion