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Improving Cognition in Normally Aging Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness Meditation (Samatha) as a Treatment for Attentional Inhibitory Deficits

Biermann, Jeanette S.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1310147941

Abstract Details

2011, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, Counseling Psychology.
According to Hasher and Zacks's (1988) Inhibitory Deficit Theory (IDT), a decline in the ability to inhibit task-irrelevant information from grabbing one's attention is the underlying cause for age-related differences in cognitive abilities. Unlike some other theories of cognitive aging, IDT provides a leverage point available to older adults for a low-cost, non-pharmaceutical intervention that could prevent or at least slow the decline in cognitive functioning with age: attentional functioning, or more specifically, inhibitory attentional functioning. This study investigated the efficacy of attentional process training in the form of meditation (samatha) on the neuropsychological functioning of cognitively intact older adults. Forty-two community dwelling adults (average age 73 years) participated in a 4 week, randomized wait-list-controlled clinical trial. Compliance with twice-weekly attendance and at-home practice, and a self-evaluation of achievement at the end of the training indicated that older adults can and will learn samatha. Objective efficacy measures consisted of participants' change scores on the Trail Making Test (TMT) and the Reading-with-Distraction Task (RwDT) from pretreatment baseline to assessment after completion of the experimental group's samatha training. The Attention-Related Cognitive Errors Scale (ARCES) and the Everyday Memory Failures Scale (MFS) were used as subjective measures. Improvement on the RwDT was statistically significant (d = .75), suggesting that the intervention had a beneficial effect on inhibitory attentional functioning. Improvement on TMT B (d = .40) did not reach statistical significance. Hence the study failed to provide strong evidence that the 4 week intervention could effect improvement in cognitive functioning beyond attention. MFS and ARCES change scores had small, statistically non-significant improvements, indicating that, on average, participants did not perceive improvement in their memory and attentional functioning. Implications for practice and further research and the study's strengths and limitations are discussed.
James R. Rogers, Dr. (Advisor)
Paula Hartman-Stein, Dr. (Committee Member)
Kevin Kaut, Dr. (Committee Member)
John Queener, Dr. (Committee Member)
Charles Waehler, Dr. (Committee Member)
177 p.
Aging; Behavioral Sciences; Clinical Psychology; Cognitive Psychology; Cognitive Therapy; Counseling Psychology; Experimental Psychology; Gerontology; Mental Health; Psychological Tests; Psychology; Psychotherapy
attention; cognition; aging; mindfulness; meditation; samatha; shamatha; Trail Making Test; Reading with Distraction Test

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Biermann, J. S. (2011). Improving Cognition in Normally Aging Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness Meditation (Samatha) as a Treatment for Attentional Inhibitory Deficits [Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1310147941

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Biermann, Jeanette. Improving Cognition in Normally Aging Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness Meditation (Samatha) as a Treatment for Attentional Inhibitory Deficits. 2011. University of Akron, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1310147941.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Biermann, Jeanette. "Improving Cognition in Normally Aging Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness Meditation (Samatha) as a Treatment for Attentional Inhibitory Deficits." Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1310147941

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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