Effects of an 8-week meditation program on mood and anxiety in patients with memory loss.

Authors

Aleezé Sattar Moss, Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative MedicineFollow
Nancy Wintering, Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative MedicineFollow
Hannah Roggenkamp, Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine
Dharma Singh Khalsa, Alzheimer Research and Prevention Foundation, Tucson, AZFollow
Mark R Waldman, Private Practice, Agoura, CA
Daniel Monti, Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative MedicineFollow
Andrew B Newberg, Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative MedicineFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2012

Comments

This article has been peer reviewed. It was published in THE JOURNAL OF ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE.

Volume 18, Issue 1, January 2012, Pages 48-53.

The published version is available at DOI: 10.1089/acm.2011.0051. Copyright © Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

Abstract

Abstract Background: This study assesses changes in mood and anxiety in a cohort of subjects with memory loss who participated in an 8-week Kirtan Kriya meditation program. Perceived spirituality also was assessed. Previous reports from this cohort showed changes in cognitive function and cerebral blood flow (CBF). The purpose of this analysis was to assess outcome measures of mood and affect, and also spirituality, and to determine whether or not results correlated with changes in CBF.

Methods: Fifteen (15) subjects (mean age 62±7 years) with memory problems were enrolled in an 8-week meditation program. Before and after the 8-week meditation, subjects were given a battery of neuropsychologic tests as well as measures of mood, anxiety, and spirituality. In addition, they underwent single photon emission computed tomography scans before and after the program. A region-of-interest template obtained counts in several brain structures that could also be compared to the results from the affect and spirituality measures.

Results: The meditation training program resulted in notable improvement trends in mood, anxiety, tension, and fatigue, with some parameters reaching statistical significance. All major trends correlated with changes in CBF. There were nonsignificant trends in spirituality scores that did not correlate with changes in CBF.

Conclusions: An 8-week, 12 minute a day meditation program in patients with memory loss was associated with positive changes in mood, anxiety, and other neuropsychologic parameters, and these changes correlated with changes in CBF. A larger-scale study is needed to confirm these findings and better elucidate mechanisms of change.

Recommended Citation

Moss, Aleezé Sattar; Wintering, Nancy; Roggenkamp, Hannah; Khalsa, Dharma Singh; Waldman, Mark R; Monti, Daniel; and Newberg, Andrew B, "Effects of an 8-week meditation program on mood and anxiety in patients with memory loss." (2012). Marcus Institute of Integrative Health Faculty Papers. Paper 6.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/jmbcimfp/6

PubMed ID

22268968