Mindfulness Training and Attentional Control in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Whitmoyer ◽  
Stephanie Fountain-Zargoza ◽  
Rebecca Andridge ◽  
Keith Bredemeier ◽  
Allison Londerée ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Active Control ◽  
Attentional Control ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Mindfulness Training ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Active Control Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled

Mindfulness-based interventions have been found to improve facets of attentional control. However, comparison with active control groups has been scarce, and few studies have examined mindfulness as a means to ameliorate age-related cognitive deficits. This rigorously-designed, placebo-controlled randomized controlled trial, investigated the effects of mindfulness-based attention training (MBAT) on attentional control in older adults relative to an active control group. Seventy-four community-dwelling older adults were randomized to four weeks of MBAT or an active lifestyle eduction control group. Pre- and post-intervention, participants completed two computerized measures of attentional control with intermittent assessments of self-reported mind-wandering. Although we found some evidence for greater reductions in mind-wandering in the MBAT than the active control group, the MBAT group did not exhibit greater improvements in attentional performance. Exploratory analyses revealed working memory as a significant moderator of the observed effects, such that those in the MBAT group with higher working memory showed greater improvement in attentional control. Thus, we found preliminary evidence for attentional benefits following mindfulness training only in individuals with high working memory. Our results call for more rigorous implementation of RCT methodology in future investigations of mindfulness training’s benefits for cognitive functioning in older adults.

Promoting Volunteering Among Older Adults in Hong Kong: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2019 ◽  
Vol 60 (5) ◽  
pp. 968-977 ◽  
Author(s):  
Da Jiang ◽  
Lisa M Warner ◽  
Alice Ming-Lin Chong ◽  
Tianyuan Li ◽  
Julia K Wolff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Active Control ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Action Planning ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Active Control Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Experimental Group

Abstract Background and Objectives Volunteering has consistently been associated with better mental, physical, and cognitive health in older adulthood. However, the volunteering rate of older adults in Hong Kong is much lower than in Western countries. Few studies have examined whether interventions can be effective in motivating older adults to volunteer in Hong Kong. To fill this gap, we conducted a randomized controlled trial to examine the impact of a theory-based social-cognitive intervention on volunteering. Research Design and Methods A total of 264 community-dwelling older adults in Hong Kong (Mage = 69.95 years, SDage = 6.90 years, 81.06% female) were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or an active control group. Participants in the experimental group received 4 weekly 1-hr face-to-face volunteering intervention sessions. Those in the active control group received parallel sessions targeting physical activity instead of volunteering. The time spent on volunteering per month was self-reported and measured at baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after the intervention. Self-efficacy, intention, action planning, and self-monitoring of volunteering were measured as mediators. Results Monthly volunteering minutes increased among participants in the experimental group when compared with the active control group at 6-week, 3-month, and 6-month follow-ups. Self-efficacy, intention, and action planning consistently mediated the effect of the intervention on volunteering minutes. Discussion and Implications The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the intervention on volunteering behavior in older adults in Hong Kong through well-established behavior change techniques.

scholarly journals Virtual Reality Social Prediction Improvement and Rehabilitation Intensive Training (VR-SPIRIT) for paediatric patients with congenital cerebellar diseases: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niccolò Butti ◽  
Emilia Biffi ◽  
Chiara Genova ◽  
Romina Romaniello ◽  
Davide Felice Redaelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Social Cognition ◽  
Active Control ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Active Control Group ◽  
Intensive Training ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Cerebellar Malformations ◽  
Social Prediction

Abstract Background: Patients with cerebellar malformations exhibit not only movement problems, but also important deficits in social cognition. Thus, rehabilitation approaches should not only involve the recovery of motor function but also of higher-order abilities, such as processing of social stimuli. In keeping with the general role of the cerebellum in anticipating and predicting events, we used a VR-based rehabilitation system to implement a social cognition intensive training specifically tailored to improve predictive abilities in social scenarios (VR-Spirit). Methods: The study is an interventional randomized controlled trial that aims to recruit 42 children, adolescents and young adults with congenital cerebellar malformations, randomly allocated to the experimental or active control group. The experimental group is administered the VR-Spirit, requiring the participants to compete with different avatars in the reaching of recreational equipment and implicitly prompting them to form expectations about their playing preference. The active control group participates to a VR-training with standard games currently adopted for motor rehabilitation. Both trainings are composed by 8 45-minute sessions and are administered in the GRAIL VR-Lab (Motekforce Link, NL), an integrated platform that allows patients to move in natural and attractive VR environments. An evaluation session in VR with the same paradigm used in the VR-Spirit but implemented in a different scenario is administered at the beginning (T0) and at the end (T1) of the two trainings. Moreover, a battery of neurocognitive tests spanning different domains are administered to all participants at T0, T1 and in a follow-up session after two months from the end of the two trainings (T2). Discussion: This study offers a novel approach for rehabilitation based on specific neural mechanisms of the cerebellum. We aim to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of a new intensive social cognition training in a sample of Italian patients aged 7-25 years with congenital cerebellar malformations. We expect that VR-Spirit could enhance social prediction ability and indirectly improve cognitive performance in diverse domains. Moreover, through the comparison with a VR-active control training we aim to verify the specificity of VR-Spirit in improving social perception skills.

Mindfulness Training and Attentional Control in Older Adults: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Mindfulness ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 203-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Whitmoyer ◽  
Stephanie Fountain-Zaragoza ◽  
Rebecca Andridge ◽  
Keith Bredemeier ◽  
Allison Londeree ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Attentional Control ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Mindfulness Training ◽  
Randomized Controlled

scholarly journals Virtual Reality Social Prediction Improvement and Rehabilitation Intensive Training (VR-SPIRIT) for paediatric patients with congenital cerebellar diseases: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niccolò Butti ◽  
Emilia Biffi ◽  
Chiara Genova ◽  
Romina Romaniello ◽  
Davide Felice Redaelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Social Cognition ◽  
Active Control ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Active Control Group ◽  
Intensive Training ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Cerebellar Malformations ◽  
Social Prediction

Abstract Background: Patients with cerebellar malformations exhibit not only movement problems, but also important deficits in social cognition. Thus, rehabilitation approaches should not only involve the recovery of motor function but also of higher-order abilities, such as processing of social stimuli. In keeping with the general role of the cerebellum in anticipating and predicting events, we used a VR-based rehabilitation system to implement a social cognition intensive training specifically tailored to improve predictive abilities in social scenarios (VR-Spirit). Methods: The study is an interventional randomized controlled trial that aims to recruit 42 children, adolescents and young adults with congenital cerebellar malformations, randomly allocated to the experimental or active control group. The experimental group is administered the VR-Spirit, requiring the participants to compete with different avatars in the reaching of recreational equipment and implicitly prompting them to form expectations about their playing preference. The active control group participates to a VR-training with standard games currently adopted for motor rehabilitation. Both trainings are composed by 8 45-minute sessions and are administered in the GRAIL VR-Lab (Motekforce Link, NL), an integrated platform that allows patients to move in natural and attractive VR environments. An evaluation session in VR with the same paradigm used in the VR-Spirit but implemented in a different scenario is administered at the beginning (T0) and at the end (T1) of the two trainings. Moreover, a battery of neurocognitive tests spanning different domains are administered to all participants at T0, T1 and in a follow-up session after two months from the end of the two trainings (T2). Discussion: This study offers a novel approach for rehabilitation based on specific neural mechanisms of the cerebellum. We aim to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of a new intensive social cognition training in a sample of Italian patients aged 7-25 years with congenital cerebellar malformations. We expect that VR-Spirit could enhance social prediction ability and indirectly improve cognitive performance in diverse domains. Moreover, through the comparison with a VR-active control training we aim to verify the specificity of VR-Spirit in improving social perception skills.

scholarly journals Impact of Mindfulness Training on In-the-Moment Attentional Control and Emotion Dysregulation in Older Adults: Secondary Analysis of a Pilot, Placebo-Controlled Randomized Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaadee Samimy ◽  
Heena Manglani ◽  
Stephanie Fountain-Zargoza ◽  
Rebecca Andridge ◽  
Ruchika Prakash
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Active Control ◽  
Emotion Dysregulation ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Mindfulness Training ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Training Effects ◽  
The Moment

Mindfulness-based interventions show increasing promise for improving attention and emotion regulation, processes that critically support healthy aging. Given their complex, multi-faceted nature, identifying specific aspects of attention and emotion regulation that are modifiable with training in older adults, particularly compared with active control groups, is an ongoing challenge. We performed pre-registered, secondary analyses of a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing effects of a four-week mindfulness-based attention training (MBAT) and a lifestyle education active control group (LifeEd) on attention and emotion dysregulation in older adults. Primary analyses found non-significant training effects on a global measure of attention, signal detection sensitivity. However, MBAT resulted in less mind-wandering post-training. Differential training effects were assessed for: 1) in-the-moment effects of mind-wandering on sustained attention, measured by performance decrements preceding self-reported mind-wandering; and 2) self-reported emotion dysregulation. Working memory performance at baseline was tested as a moderator of training effects. No significant between-group differences for change in in-the-moment effects of mind-wandering on attention or emotion dysregulation emerged. However, baseline working memory moderated effects of mindfulness training on emotion dysregulation. Thus, brief mindfulness training, relative to an active control group, did not mitigate in-the-moment effects of mind-wandering on attention or reduce emotion dysregulation in older adults. However, baseline working memory performance moderated training effects, such that older adults with higher working memory showed greater reductions in emotion dysregulation following mindfulness training. This has potential implications for identifying aging cohorts that may benefit most from this type of training.

scholarly journals A Randomized Controlled Trial of Illness Management and Recovery With an Active Control Group

2014 ◽  
Vol 65 (8) ◽  
pp. 1005-1011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle P. Salyers ◽  
Alan B. McGuire ◽  
Marina Kukla ◽  
Sadaaki Fukui ◽  
Paul H. Lysaker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Active Control ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Illness Management ◽  
Active Control Group ◽  
Illness Management And Recovery ◽  
Randomized Controlled

scholarly journals Team approach to polypharmacy evaluation and reduction: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dee Mangin ◽  
Larkin Lamarche ◽  
Gina Agarwal ◽  
Hoan Linh Banh ◽  
Naomi Dore Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Clinical Pathway ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Team Approach ◽  
Potentially Inappropriate Medications ◽  
Randomized Controlled

Abstract Background Polypharmacy in older adults can be associated with negative outcomes including falls, impaired cognition, reduced quality of life, and general and functional decline. It is not clear to what extent these are reversible if the number of medications is reduced. Primary care does not have a systematic approach for reducing inappropriate polypharmacy, and there are few, if any, approaches that account for the patient’s priorities and preferences. The primary objective of this study is to test the effect of TAPER (Team Approach to Polypharmacy Evaluation and Reduction), a structured operationalized clinical pathway focused on reducing inappropriate polypharmacy. TAPER integrates evidence tools for identifying potentially inappropriate medications, tapering, and monitoring guidance and explicit elicitation of patient priorities and preferences. We aim to determine the effect of TAPER on the number of medications (primary outcome) and health-related outcomes associated with polypharmacy in older adults. Methods We designed a multi-center randomized controlled trial, with the lead implementation site in Hamilton, Ontario. Older adults aged 70 years or older who are on five or more medications will be eligible to participate. A total of 360 participants will be recruited. Participants will be assigned to either the control or intervention arm. The intervention involves a comprehensive multidisciplinary medication review by pharmacists and physicians in partnership with patients. This review will be focused on reducing medication burden, with the assumption that this will reduce the risks and harms of polypharmacy. The control group is a wait list, and control patients will be given appointments for the TAPER intervention at a date after the final outcome assessment. All patients will be followed up and outcomes measured in both groups at baseline and 6 months. Discussion Our trial is unique in its design in that it aims to introduce an operationalized structured clinical pathway aimed to reduce polypharmacy in a primary care setting while at the same time recording patient’s goals and priorities for treatment. Trial registration Clinical Trials.gov NCT02942927. First registered on October 24, 2016.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document