Mobility Limitation
Conditions
Keywords
Meditation, Cognitive assessment, Executive function, Older adults, Randomized control trial, Mobility
Brief summary
Approximately 30% of community-dwelling older adults experience one or more falls per year, resulting in injuries, loss of independence, and reduced quality of life. While there are known physiological risk factors for falls, including poor balance and altered gait patterns, it is now recognized that impaired cognitive functioning is also a risk factor for falls. Within the broad construct of cognition, one specific domain that has been focused on in the falls literature is attention. The literature suggests that improving attention in those at-risk for falls may reduce older adult's risk of falling.
Detailed description
The current study aims to investigate the impact of meditation strategies on measures of attention and electrical signals in the brain in older adults. Investigators will recruit older adults who are living in the community. Participants will be assigned to one of two groups: 1) guided focused attention group, or 2) music group (control group). All participants will complete three in-person sessions per week and then be encouraged to practice independently on the other days in the week, for a total of four weeks.The current study focuses on focused attention meditation strategies, as it is recommended for beginner-level meditators. This will include training to be able to focus on one's breathing for 20 minute sessions. Focused attention meditation has been found to increase levels of executive functioning and attention. Participants will complete mobility and cognitive assessments at both the beginning and end of the intervention. These will be completed in the retirement homes for convenience. Participants will also attend an in-lab session to complete electroencephalogram (EEG) testing at both timepoints.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALGuided focused attention
Participants will meet for 20 minute group sessions with 6-10 participants in each group. There will be three meetings a week for a four week period. The focused attention practice itself will last for 20 minutes with instructions being given during the 20 minute period. All sessions will occur in the retirement home in a community room to ensure the sessions are easily accessible to the participants.
BEHAVIORALAcoustic music
Participants will meet for 20 minute group sessions with 6-10 participants in each group. There will be three meetings a week for a four week period. The acoustic music track itself will last for 20 minutes with instructions being given during the 20 minute period. All sessions will occur in the retirement home in a community room to ensure the sessions are easily accessible to the participants.
Sponsors
Western University, Canada
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
60 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
1. minimum 60 years of age, 2. minimum completed high school, 3. must be comfortable writing and reading English, 4. be able to walk independently, 5. must be right-handed (for EEG analysis), 6. score 6+/8 on the instrumental activities of daily living scale, 7. score \>24/30 on the Mini-Mental Status examination.
Exclusion criteria
To be included, participants must NOT: 1. have a diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease, 2. have a diagnosis of cognitive impairment (e.g., MCI), 3. have a diagnosis of a psychiatric condition, 4. have had a concussion in the last 12 months, 5. have had a stroke, 6. have musculoskeletal or joint disease, 7. experience dizziness or loss of balance, 8. have visual, auditory, or somatosensory impairment, or 9. a recent history (past 2 years) of regular meditation practice (1 or more times per week) or include a meditation component in their religious practice.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in sustained attention | 4 weeks | Measured by performance on sustained attention task. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in working memory | 4 weeks | Measured with the digit span task |
| Change in global attention | 4 weeks | Measured by electrophysiological measures of attention. |
| Change in mobility | 4 weeks | Measured by the Timed Up and Go test. |
| Change in set-shifting | 4 weeks | Measured with the trail making task |
| Change in memory | 4 weeks | Measured with the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test |
| Change in conflict resolution | 4 weeks | Measured with the stroop task |
| Change in mobility and balance | 4 weeks | Measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery. |
Countries
Canada
Outcome results
None listed