Enhanced declarative memory in long-term mindfulness practitioners

Shemesh, Limor; Mendelsohn, Avi; Panitz, Daniel Yochai; Berkovich‐Ohana, Aviva

doi:10.1007/s00426-022-01642-6

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 83 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“… 13 , 26 Similarly, there is minimal extant evidence for MBIs having beneficial effects on episodic memory 4 ; however, studies comparing long-term meditators with matched controls have reported benefits. 27 , 28 Despite Age-Well’s 18-month intervention period, longer interventions may be required to detect cognitive effects in cognitively healthy adults, as MBIs may be more effective in limiting cognitive decline than enhancing cognition. 4 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Meditation Training and Non-Native Language Training on Cognition in Older Adults

Demnitz-King,

Requier,

Whitfield

et al. 2023

JAMA Netw Open

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ImportanceNonpharmacological interventions are a potential strategy to maintain or promote cognitive functioning in older adults.ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of 18 months’ meditation training and 18 months’ non-native language training on cognition in older adults.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis study was a secondary analysis of the Age-Well trial, an 18-month, observer-masked, randomized clinical trial with 3 parallel arms. Eligible participants were community-dwelling adults aged 65 years and older residing in Caen, France. Participants were enrolled from November 24, 2016, to March 5, 2018, and randomly assigned (1:1:1) to meditation training, non-native language (English) training, or no intervention arms. Final follow-up was completed on February 6, 2020. Data were analyzed between December 2021 and November 2022.InterventionsThe 18-month meditation and non-native language training interventions were structurally equivalent and included 2-hour weekly group sessions, daily home practice of 20 minutes or longer, and 1 day of more intensive home practice. The no intervention group was instructed not to change their habits and to continue living as usual.Main Outcomes and MeasuresCognition (a prespecified secondary outcome of the Age-Well trial) was assessed preintervention and postintervention via the Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite 5 (PACC5), and composites assessing episodic memory, executive function, and attention.ResultsAmong 137 randomized participants, 2 were excluded for not meeting eligibility criteria, leaving 135 (mean [SD] age, 69.3 [3.8] years; 83 female [61%]) eligible for analysis. One participant among the remaining 135 did not complete the trial. In adjusted mixed effects models, no interaction effects were observed between visit and group for PACC5 (F2,131.39 = 2.58; P = .08), episodic memory (F2,131.60 = 2.34; P = .10), executive function (F2,131.26 = 0.89; P = .41), or attention (F2,131.20 = 0.34; P = .79). Results remained substantively unchanged across sensitivity and exploratory analyses.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this secondary analysis of an 18-month randomized trial, meditation and non-native language training did not confer salutary cognitive effects. Although further analyses are needed to explore the effects of these interventions on other relevant outcomes related to aging and well-being, these findings did not support the use of these interventions for enhancing cognition in cognitively healthy older adults.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02977819

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Meditation Training and Non-Native Language Training on Cognition in Older Adults

Demnitz-King,

Requier,

Whitfield

et al. 2023

JAMA Netw Open

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Attention improves students' work habits, organisational skills and academic performance and speeds up information processing (López et al 2016). Improved attention has been associated with memory, cognitive restructuring of thoughts and cognitive exibility (Shemesh et al 2023).…”

Section: Attentionmentioning

confidence: 99%

`Virtual EMO-Mind´ for Primary School Students: Effects on Mindfulness Skills, Attention, Impulsiveness, and Emotional Stability

Olarza,

Aritzeta,

Soroa

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mindfulness, though beneficial, faces engagement challenges, particularly in children. Recognising the potential of virtual reality, this study pioneers a virtual mindfulness intervention called `Virtual EMO-Mind´ for school-aged students, aiming to enhance attention, impulsivity regulation, and emotional stability. With 511 participants aged 9 to 12 (Mage= 10.65 years; SDage= 0.69; 51.9% girls; 48.1% boys), a quasi-experimental design compared the intervention group (n = 432) to a control group (n = 79). The four-session `Virtual EMO-Mind´ programme included three phases: 1) A preliminary concentration activity, 2) The immersive mindfulness experiences in virtual environments representing different seasons, and 3) The conscious breathing activity. We used Student’s t statistic to compare the initial and final scores obtained in the experimental group. In addition, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted to explore differences between the experimental and control groups, as well as to analyse the differential effects of the programme on girls and boys, and on participants in Years 5 and 6. The results showed significant improvements in mindfulness skills, attention span, impulsivity regulation, and emotional stability. Participants reported motivation and a positive experience with virtual reality, indicating a well-received and engaging intervention. These findings support the potential of `Virtual EMO-Mind´ as an effective intervention for enhancing psychological well-being in school settings.

show abstract

“…Attention is a core component of mindfulness (Shapiro at al., 2006). It has been demonstrated that mindfulness is beneficial for coping with simulation anxiety (Tomlinson et al, 2018a; Wheeler et al, 2021) and positively correlated to declarative and episodic memory, with potential implications for learning and performance (Brown at al., 2016; Shemesh at al., 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Healthcare Students’ Anxiety, Cognitive Load, and Trait-mindfulness during Interprofessional obstetric Simulation Training

Takhdat,

Rebahi,

Eddabbah

et al. 2024

Simulation & Gaming

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Simulation anxiety can hinder healthcare students' learning. Trait-mindfulness may help reduce learners' anxiety and improve their cognitive load during simulation training. However, the relationship between healthcare students' anxiety, trait mindfulness, and cognitive load has not been studied together during undergraduate interprofessional obstetric emergency simulation training. Methods This observational correlational research examined the relationship between healthcare students' anxiety, trait-mindfulness, and cognitive load. Furthermore, it examined whether healthcare students' trait-mindfulness can moderate the effect of anxiety on cognitive load during undergraduate interprofessional obstetric emergency simulation training. Forty-six undergraduate medical and nursing students were enrolled in this study. Each participant (in a team of 3 to 4) completed one postpartum hemorrhage scenario. The French versions of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y; Gauthier & Bouchard, 1993), the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (Germann et al., 2009), and Paas’s cognitive load scale (Paas, 1992) were used to measure anxiety, trait-mindfulness, and cognitive load, respectively. Results The study results show a positive correlation between healthcare students’ state-anxiety and cognitive load. Additionally, healthcare students’ mindfulness moderated the effect of state-anxiety on cognitive load during simulation training. Discussion As a personality trait, healthcare students’ mindfulness is associated with reduced simulation anxiety and improved cognitive load during obstetric emergency simulation training. Besides the learning tasks and simulation environment characteristics, simulation instructors should consider healthcare students’ anxiety and mindfulness to optimize their cognitive load during simulation training. Conclusion The study demonstrated that healthcare students’ trait mindfulness mitigates the magnitude of simulation anxiety on cognitive load during emergency simulation training. It suggests further examining healthcare students’ personality traits to detect potential interactions of their traits with the simulation learning process.

show abstract

Enhanced declarative memory in long-term mindfulness practitioners

Cited by 3 publications

References 83 publications

Effects of Meditation Training and Non-Native Language Training on Cognition in Older Adults

Effects of Meditation Training and Non-Native Language Training on Cognition in Older Adults

`Virtual EMO-Mind´ for Primary School Students: Effects on Mindfulness Skills, Attention, Impulsiveness, and Emotional Stability

Healthcare Students’ Anxiety, Cognitive Load, and Trait-mindfulness during Interprofessional obstetric Simulation Training

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About