Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24571182›Full record

SynthesisAnnals of the New York Academy of Sciences2014

The potential effects of meditation on age-related cognitive decline: a systematic review.

Tim Gard, Britta K Hölzel, Sara W Lazar

4 registry-linked trialsAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 4 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 112 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
112citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT02286791 nacompletednot on this map

Mindful Awareness Program for the Prevention of Dementia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorNational University of SingaporeRan2014 to 2015Enrolled55ConditionsDementiaArmsMindful Awareness Program, Health Education Program
NCT03674749 naunknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2018, after this paper: background citation

Effect of Meditation and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Cognition, Healing Process and Overall Well-being in Elderly Patients With Chronic Wounds

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity Health Network, TorontoRan2018 to 2020Enrolled50ConditionsWoundArmsMeditation and Hyperbaric Oxygen Treament
NCT04000984 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2016, after this paper: background citation

Investigating the Beneficial Effects of Mindfulness-based Training on Neuropsychological Outcomes in Mild Cognitive Impairment

TypeinterventionalSponsorSingapore General HospitalRan2016 to 2019Enrolled81ConditionsMild Cognitive ImpairmentArmsMindfulness Based Training (MBT) Program, Cognitive Rehabilitation Training
NCT07173608 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

Transforming Adolescent Perception and Mental Health Through Meditation and Cognitive Reappraisal A Mixed Method Study

TypeinterventionalSponsorBeth Israel Deaconess Medical CenterRan2026 to 2028Enrolled96ConditionsMeditation, Cognitive Reappraisal, Emotional RegulationArmsInner Engineering Program
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

112 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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52 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Tim GardMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Britta K HölzelInstitute for Medical Psychology, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.
Sara W LazarMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

Funding

Quantification of Outcome Measures for Mind Body InterventionsR01AT006464 · NCCIH · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI DENNINGER, JOHN W · 2010 to 2015
$2.9M
Structural, Functional, and Behavioral Effects of MeditationR01AT006344 · NCCIH · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI LAZAR, SARA W · 2011 to 2015
$2.2M
Preliminary study of a Yoga Program to catalyze health behavior changeR34AT007197 · NCCIH · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI LAZAR, SARA W · 2013 to 2014
$813k
fMRI Investigation of MeditationK01AT000694 · NCCIH · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI LAZAR, SARA W · 2001 to 2005
$653k
Impact of long-term meditation on brain structure and function in normal agingR21AT003673 · NCCIH · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI LAZAR, SARA W · 2006 to 2007
$475k
NCCIH NIH HHS K01 AT000694NCCIH NIH HHS R01 AT006344NCCIH NIH HHS R01AT006344NCCIH NIH HHS R01 AT006464NCCIH NIH HHS R01AT006464NCCIH NIH HHS R21 AT003673NCCIH NIH HHS R34 AT007197
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

With a rapidly aging society it becomes increasingly important to counter normal age-related decline in cognitive functioning. Growing evidence suggests that cognitive training programs may have the potential to counteract this decline. On the basis of a growing body of research that shows that meditation has positive effects on cognition in younger and middle-aged adults, meditation may be able to offset normal age-related cognitive decline or even enhance cognitive function in older adults. In this paper, we review studies investigating the effects of meditation on age-related cognitive decline. We searched the Web of Science (1900 to present), PsycINFO (1597 to present), MEDLINE (1950 to present), and CABI (1910 to present) to identify original studies investigating the effects of meditation on cognition and cognitive decline in the context of aging. Twelve studies were included in the review, six of which were randomized controlled trials. Studies involved a wide variety of meditation techniques and reported preliminary positive effects on attention, memory, executive function, processing speed, and general cognition. However, most studies had a high risk of bias and small sample sizes. Reported dropout rates were low and compliance rates high. We conclude that meditation interventions for older adults are feasible, and preliminary evidence suggests that meditation can offset age-related cognitive decline.

Indexed as

AgingMeditationMindfulnessAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAge FactorsAttentionClinical Trials as TopicCognitionCognition DisordersExecutive FunctionFemaleHumansMaleMemoryagingcognitive declinemeditationmindfulness

Identifiers

PMID24571182
PMCPMC4024457

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.