Mindfulness, defined as the ability to engage in non-judgmental awareness of the present moment, has been associated with an array of health benefits. Mindfulness may also represent a protective factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we tested the potential protective effect of trait mindfulness on cognitive decline and AD pathology in older adults at risk of AD dementia. Measures of trait mindfulness, longitudinal cognitive assessments, and AB- and tau- positron emission tomography (PET) scans were collected in 261 nondemented older adults with a family history of AD dementia from the PREVENT-AD observational cohort study. Multivariate partial least squares analyses were used to examine relationships between combinations of different facets of trait mindfulness and (1) cognitive decline, (2) AB, and (3) tau. Higher levels of trait mindfulness, particularly mindful nonjudgment, were associated with less cognitive decline, AB, and tau. Trait mindfulness may represent a psychological protective factor for AD dementia.
Trait mindfulness is associated with less amyloid, tau, and cognitive decline in individuals at risk for Alzheimer's disease