Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-20T21:57:26.148Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Impact of mind-body interventions in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 February 2019

Maryam Farhang Open the ORCID record for Maryam Farhang [Opens in a new window] ,
Claudia Miranda-Castillo ,
Miriam Rubio  and
Guilherme Furtado
Maryam Farhang*
Affiliation:
Millennium Institute for Research in Depression and Personality MIDAP, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Claudia Miranda-Castillo
Affiliation:
Millennium Institute for Research in Depression and Personality MIDAP, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Miriam Rubio
Affiliation:
School of Nursing, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Guilherme Furtado
Affiliation:
Center of Research Unit for Sport and Physical Activity (CIDAF) at Faculty of Sport Science and Physical Education, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Maryam Farhang, Millennium Institute for Research in Depression and Personality MIDAP, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Avda. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Macul, Santiago, Chile. Email: [email protected].
Get access

Abstract

Background:

Mind-body interventions have been associated with a range of positive outcomes in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The aim of the present study was to review the impact of different non-pharmacological programs based on mind-body intervention for older adults with MCI.

Methods:

A comprehensive search method as required by the Cochrane Collaboration has been performed through the following databases: Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINHAL, Cochrane, Ebsco. We included the studies that evaluated the impact of mind-body interventions such as mindfulness or meditation, yoga, Tai Chi and Qigong on cognitive function and everyday functionality of non-hospitalized adults aged 55 years or over with MCI.

Results:

Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Results indicated that mind-body interventions improved cognitive function, everyday activities functioning, and mindfulness, as well as resulting in a moderate reduction in fall risk, depression and stress and lower risk of dementia at one year.

Conclusion:

Several mind-body interventions focused broadly on mindfulness, yoga and Tai Chi training have been studied. This review shows that mind-body interventions improved cognitive function and everyday activities functioning, memory, resilience and mindfulness in older adults with MCI. However, the conclusions faced limitations, such as small sample size, heterogeneity of outcome measures, lack of an active control group and absence of long-term follow up. Further high-quality evidence is needed in order to determine whether mind-body interventions are cost-effective for improving cognitive decline in older adults with MCI and for delaying the rapid progression from MCI to Alzheimer or other types of dementia.

Keywords

mind-body interventionmild cognitive impairmentmindfulnessaging
Type
Review Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 31 , Issue 5: Issue Theme: Well-Being in Dementia , May 2019 , pp. 643 - 666
Copyright
© International Psychogeriatric Association 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Belleville, S. (2008). Cognitive training for persons with mild cognitive impairment. International Psychogeriatrics, 20, 57–66.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bo, A., Mao, W. and Lindsey, M. (2017). Effects of mind-body interventions on depressive symptoms among older Chinese adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Geriatric Psychiatry, 32, 509–521.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Borras-Boneu, M., Cañ, T., Castella, J., Ramos, S., Pimpinela, N. and Khalsa, D. S. (2016). Mild cognitive impairment: the effect of Kirtan Kriya meditation on psychological and cognitive status. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 12, P1001–P1002.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Büssing, A., Michalsen, A., Khalsa, S. B. S., Telles, S. and Sherman, K. J. (2012). Effects of yoga on mental and physical health: a short summary of reviews. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2012, 7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chan, A. S., Ho, Y. C., Cheung, M. C., Albert, M. S., Chiu, H. F. and Lam, L. C. (2005). Association between mind-body and cardiovascular exercises and memory in older adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 53, 1754–1760.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chang, J. Y., Tsai, P. F., Woods, S., Beck, C., Roberson, P. K. and Rosengren, K. (2011). Teaching Tai Chi to elders with osteoarthritis pain and mild cognitive impairment. American Journal of Recreation Therapy, 10, 11–16.Google ScholarPubMed
Deary, I. J. et al. (2009). Age-associated cognitive decline. British Medical Bulletin, 92, 135–152.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Desai, R., Tailor, A. and Bhatt, T. (2015). Effects of yoga on brain waves and structural activation: a review. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 21, 112–118.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Erickson, K. I. et al. (2011). Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 108, 3017–3022.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eyre, H. A. et al. (2016). Changes in neural connectivity and memory following a yoga intervention for older adults: a pilot study. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 52, 673–684.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eyre, H. A. et al. (2017). A randomized controlled trial of Kundalini yoga in mild cognitive impairment. International Psychogeriatrics, 29, 557–567.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fogarty, J. N. et al. (2016). Taoist Tai Chi and memory intervention for individuals with mild cognitive impairment. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 24, 169–180.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fong, D. Y., Chi, L. K., Li, F. and Chang, Y. K. (2014). The benefits of endurance exercise and Tai Chi Chuan for the task-switching aspect of executive function in older adults: an ERP study. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 6, 1–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Geda, Y. E. et al. (2011). Engaging in cognitive activities, aging and mild cognitive impairment: a population-based study. The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 23, 149–154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goldman, W. P. and Morris, J. C. (2001). Evidence that age-associated memory impairment is not a normal variant of aging. Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders, 15, 72–79.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gothe, N. P., Kramer, A. F. and Mcauley, E. (2014). The effects of an 8-week hatha yoga intervention on executive function in older adults. Journals of Gerontology - Series A Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 69, 1109–1116.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hariprasad, V., Varambally, S., Sivakumar, P., Thirthalli, J., Basavaraddi, I. and Gangadhar, B. (2013). Designing, validation and feasibility of a yoga-based intervention for elderly. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 55, 344.Google ScholarPubMed
Herrera, M. S., Fernández, M. B. and Barros, C. (2016). Aging, family relations and well-being in Chile. In: Rojas, M. (Ed.), Handbook of Happiness Research in Latin America. International Handbooks of Quality-of-Life (pp. 1–637). Dordrecht: Springer.Google Scholar
Heutz, R. (2017). Can mindfulness beat Alzheimer’s disease? The Maastricht Journal of Liberal Arts, 9, 33–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Higgins, J. P. T. et al. (2011). The Cochrane Collaboration’s tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials. BMJ, 343, 1–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hölzel, B. K. et al. (2008). Investigation of mindfulness meditation practitioners with voxel-based morphometry. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 3, 55–61.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Innes, K. E., Selfe, T. K., Khalsa, D. S. and Kandati, S. (2016). A randomized controlled trial of two simple mind-body programs, Kirtan Kriya meditation and music listening, for adults with subjective cognitive decline: feasibility and acceptability. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 26, 98–107.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. New York: Dell Publishing.Google Scholar
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10, 144–156.Google Scholar
Karakaya, T., Fußer, F., Schröder, J. and Pantel, J. (2013). Pharmacological treatment of mild cognitive impairment as a prodromal syndrome of Alzheimer’s disease. Current Neuropharmacology, 11, 102–108.Google Scholar
Karssemeijer, E. G. A. E., Aaronson, J. A. J., Bossers, W. J. W., Smits, T. T. and Kessels, R. P. C. R. (2017). Positive effects of combined cognitive and physical exercise training on cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment or dementia: a meta-analysis. Ageing Research Reviews, 40, 75–83.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Karydaki, M. et al. (2017). Comparison of resistance and chair yoga training on subjective sleep quality in MCI women. International Journal of Kinesiology and Sports Science, 5, 26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kasai, J. Y. T. et al. (2010). Effects of Tai Chi Chuan on cognition of elderly women with mild cognitive impairment. Einstein (São Paulo), 8, 40–45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Khalsa, D. S. (2014). How medical yoga meditation may modulate MCI progression. Alzheimer’s Dementia, 10, P769–P770.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Khalsa, D. S. (2015). Stress, meditation, and Alzheimer’s disease prevention: where the evidence stands. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 48, 1–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ladawan, S. et al. (2017). Effect of Qigong exercise on cognitive function, blood pressure and cardiorespiratory fitness in healthy middle-aged subjects. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 33, 39–45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Laird, K. T., Tanner-Smith, E. E., Russell, A. C., Hollon, S. D. and Walker, L. S. (2017). Comparative efficacy of psychological therapies for improving mental health and daily functioning in irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 51, 142–152.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lam, L. C. W. et al. (2011). Interim follow-up of a randomized controlled trial comparing Chinese style mind body (Tai Chi) and stretching exercises on cognitive function in subjects at risk of progressive cognitive decline. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 26, 733–740.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lam, L. C. W. et al. (2012). A 1-year randomized controlled trial comparing mind body exercise (Tai Chi) with stretching and toning exercise on cognitive function in older Chinese adults at risk of cognitive decline. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 13, 568.e15–568.e20.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lam, L. C. W., Chan, W. M., Kwok, T. C. and Chiu, H. F. (2014). Effectiveness of Tai Chi in maintenance of cognitive and functional abilities in mild cognitive impairment: a randomised controlled trial. Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, 20, 20–23.Google ScholarPubMed
Lam, L. C., Tam, C. W., Lui, V. W. et al. (2009). Modality of physical exercise and cognitive function in Hong Kong older Chinese community. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 24, 48–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Larouche, E., Hudona, C. and Gouleta, S. (2014). Potential benefits of mindfulness-based interventions in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease: an interdisciplinary perspective. Behavioural Brain Research, 276, 199–212.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Larouche, E., Chouinard, A.-M., Goulet, S. and Hudon, C. (2016). Mindfulness-based intervention prevents memory decline and improves mood and quality of life in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: preliminary findings. Alzheimer’s Dementia, 12, P310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lavretsky, H. (2009). Complementary and alternative medicine use for treatment and prevention of late-life mood and cognitive disorders. Aging & Health, 5, 61–78.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lavretsky, H. et al. (2013). A pilot study of yogic meditation for family dementia caregivers with depressive symptoms: effects on mental health, cognition, and telomerase activity. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 28, 57–65.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Li, F. et al. (2001b). An evaluation of the effects of Tai Chi exercise on physical function among older persons: a randomized controlled trial. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 23, 139–146.Google Scholar
Li, F., Hamber, P., Fisher, K. J. and Macauley, E. (2004). Tai Chi: improving functional balance and predicting subsequent falls in older persons. Journal of Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise, 36, 2046–2052.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Li, H., Li, J., Li, N., Li, B., Wang, P. and Zhou, T. (2011). Cognitive intervention for persons with mild cognitive impairment: a meta-analysis. Ageing Research Reviews, 10, 285–296.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Luders, E., Cherbuin, N. and Kurth, F. (2014). Forever Young (er): potential age-defying effects of long-term meditation on gray matter atrophy. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 1551.Google ScholarPubMed
Mallya, S. and Fiocco, A. J. (2016). Effects of mindfulness training on cognition and well-being in healthy older adults. Mindfulness, 7, 453–465.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Man, D. W., Tsang, W. W. and Hui-Chan, C. W. (2010). Do olderTai Chi practitioners have better attention and memory function? Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 16, 1259–1264.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marciniak, R., Sheardova, K., Cermáková, P., Hudecˇek, D., Šumec, R. and Hort, J. (2014). Effect of meditation on cognitive functions in context of aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Fronters in Behavioral Neuroscience, 8, 1–17.Google ScholarPubMed
Martins, C. (2014). Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Older Adults: Evidence for Practice. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.Google Scholar
Michaud, T. L., Su, D., Siahpush, M. and Murman, D. L. (2017). The risk of incident mild cognitive impairment and progression to dementia considering mild cognitive impairment subtypes. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders Extra, 7, 15–29.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Munder, T. and Barth, J. (2017). Cochrane’s risk of bias tool in the context of psychotherpy outcome research. Psychotherapy Research, 28, 347–355.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nguyen, M. H. and Kruse, A. (2012). A randomized controlled trial of Tai Chi for balance, sleep quality and cognitive performance in elderly Vietnamese. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 7, 185–190.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Orgeta, V., Qazi, A., Spector, A. and Orrell, M. (2015). Psychological treatments for depression and anxiety in dementia and mild cognitive impairment: systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Psychiatry, 207, 293–298.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Panic, N., Leoncini, E., De Belvis, G., Ricciardi, W. and Boccia, S. (2013). Evaluation of the endorsement of the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) statement on the quality of published systematic review and meta-analyses. PLoS One, 8, e83138.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prakash, R. S., Heo, S., Voss, M. W., Patterson, B. and Kramer, A. F. (2012). Age-related differences in cortical recruitment and suppression: implications for cognitive performance. Behavioural Brain Research, 230, 192–200.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prince, M. J. et al. (2015). The burden of disease in older people and implications for health policy and practice. The Lancet, 385, 549–562.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reid-Arndt, S. A., Matsuda, S. and Cox, C. R. (2012). Tai Chi effects on neuropsychological, emotional, and physical functioning following cancer treatment: a pilot study. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 18, 26–30.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roberts, R. and Knopman, D. S. (2013) Classification and epidemiology of MCI. Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, 29, 753–772.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sanford, A. (2017). Mild cognitive impairment. Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, 55, 464–467.Google Scholar
Siang, (2017). Mindfulness modulates biomarkers and cognition in elderly with mild cognitive impairment (MCI): a randomized controlled trial (Rct). Alzheimer’s Dement, 13, P1477.Google Scholar
Siu, M. and Lee, D. T. F. (2018). Effects of tai chi on cognition and instrumental activities of daily living in community dwelling older people with mild cognitive impairment. BMC Geriatrics, 18, 1–10.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Solfrizzi, V. et al. (2007). Incident occurrence of depressive symptoms among patients with mild cognitive impairment—the Italian longitudinal study on aging. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 24, 55–64 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sungkarat, S., Boripuntakul, S., Chattipakorn, N., Watcharasaksilp, K. and Lord, S. R. (2017). Effects of Tai Chi on cognition and fall risk in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 65, 721–727.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Suzman, R., Beard, J. R., Boerma, T. and Chatterji, S. (2015). Health in an ageing world—what do we know? The Lancet, 385, 484–486.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tao, J. et al. (2017). Tai Chi Chuan and Baduanjin practice modulates functional connectivity of the cognitive control network in older adults. Scientific Reports, 7, 41581.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Taylor-Piliae, R. E., Newell, K. A. and Cherin, R. (2010). Effects of Tai Chi and Western exercise on physical and cognitive functioning in healthy community-dwelling older adults. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 18, 261–279.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thumala, D. et al. (2017). Aging and health policies in Chile: new agendas for research. Health Systems & Reform, 3, 253–260.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
United Nations (2015). World population prospects: the 2015 revision, key findings and advance tables. Working Paper No. ESA/P/WP.241. World Population Prospects. New York, NY: United Nations.Google Scholar
Voelcker-Rehage, C., Godde, B. and Staudinger, U. M. (2011). Cardiovascular and coordination training differentially improve cognitive performance and neural processing in older adults. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 5, 26.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wang, C., Collet, J. P. and Lau, J. (2004). The effect of Tai Chi on health outcomes in patients with chronic conditions: a systematic review. Archives of Internal Medicine, 164, 439–501.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wang, S. T. (2007). Effect of Baduanjin on physiological age of intelligence for old people. Journal of Clinical Rehabilitative Tissue Engineering Research, 11, 7910–7913.Google Scholar
Wang, W. et al. (2010). Tai Chi exercise versus rehabilitation for the elderly with cerebral vascular disorder: a single-blinded randomized controlled trial. Psychogeriatrics, 10, 160–166.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wayne, P., Walsh, J. and Taylor-Piliae, R. (2014). The impact of tai chi on cognitive performance in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 62, 25–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wells, R. E. et al. (2013). Meditation’s impact on default mode network and hippocampus in mild cognitive impairment: pilot study. Neuroscience Letters, 556, 15–19.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wolf, S. L., Coogler, C. and Xu, T. (1997). Exploring the basis for Tai Chi Chuan as a therapeutic exercise approach. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 78, 886–892.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wong, W. P., Chambers, R., Coles, J., Wu, D. B. and Hassed, C. (2017). The effects of mindfulness on older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease Reports, 1, 181–193.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wong, W. P., Hassed, C., Chambers, R. and Coles, J. (2016). The effects of mindfulness on persons with mild cognitive impairment: protocol for a mixed-methods longitudinal study. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 8, 1–15.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yang, H. et al. (2016). Neurochemical and neuroanatomical plasticity following memory training and yoga interventions in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 8, 277.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zheng, G., Liu, F., Li, S., Huang, M., Tao, J. and Chen, L. (2015). Tai Chi and the protection of cognitive ability: a systematic review of prospective studies in healthy adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 49, 89–97.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zheng, G. et al. (2016). Effect of Baduanjin exercise on cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. BMJ OPEN, 6, e010602.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhu, H., Zhang, N. and Cheng, J. I. (2015). Influence of Baduanjin on mild cognitive impairment in elderly diabetic patients. Chinese Journal of Practical Nursing, 31, 1202–1204.Google Scholar