Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40070630›Full record

ArticleCureus2025

Effects of a Loosening Meditation Practice on Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Study.

Yoshinori Kajimoto, Shinobu Tamura, Kosuke Kawamura, Masato Kashiba, Etsuko Kishida, Hiroko Asada, Akihiro Yamamoto, Hidefumi Ito, Daien Oshita, Masaya Hironishi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

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No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

10 authors.

Yoshinori KajimotoInternal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University Kihoku Hospital, Katsuragi-cho, JPN.
Shinobu TamuraInternal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University Kihoku Hospital, Katsuragi-cho, JPN.
Kosuke KawamuraNursing, Kyoto Tachibana University, Kyoto, JPN.
Masato KashibaPsychiatry, School of Health and Nursing Science, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, JPN.
Etsuko KishidaNursing, Wakayama Medical University Kihoku Hospital, Katsuragi-cho, JPN.
Hiroko AsadaInternal Medicine, Asada Clinic, Osaka, JPN.
Akihiro YamamotoNursing, School of Health and Nursing Science, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, JPN.
Hidefumi ItoNeurology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, JPN.
Daien OshitaClinical Meditation, Hida-Senkoji Temple, Hida, JPN.
Masaya HironishiInternal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University Kihoku Hospital, Katsuragi-cho, JPN.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background Holistic medical practices, including meditation and mindfulness, are increasingly recognized for their benefits in mental health and stress reduction, with applications in clinical settings. However, their effects on older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remain underexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of loosening meditation, a brief and accessible practice we developed, on this population. Methods Nine older adults with MCI, defined by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores of 21-28 during the screening period, participated in this pilot study. The sessions of our loosening meditation were conducted weekly over four weeks. Cognitive function was assessed using the MMSE and the Revised Hasegawa's Dementia Scale (HDS-R), while psychological well-being was evaluated with the 30-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30) and the Japanese version of the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology Mood Adjective Checklist (JUMACL). Serum levels of representative stress biomarkers were measured before and after the first meditation session. Results Participants had a mean age of 78.1 years (± 4.8 years) and a mean MMSE score of 25.1 points (± 2.5). These participants could complete all sessions safely. No significant differences were observed in MMSE, HDS-R, GHQ-30, or JUMACL (tension arousal) scores before and after the intervention. However, JUMACL (emotion arousal) scores significantly improved after the fourth session (pre-first, mean 25.3 ± 6.2; post-fourth, mean 28.7 ± 7.3; p = 0.004). Among these stress biomarkers, serum cortisol levels significantly decreased following the first session (before versus after, mean 10.8 ± 5.8 versus 7.4 ± 2.3 μg/dl; p = 0.04). Additionally, although not statistically significant, there was a trend towards a lower level of adrenaline after the first session (before versus after, mean 0.057 ± 0.026 versus 0.050 ± 0.027 ng/ml; p = 0.06). Conclusions Our loosening meditation was feasible, acceptable, and safe, and might enhance mood and reduce stress even in older adults with MCI. These preliminary findings suggest its potential as a supportive intervention for this population.

Indexed as

cognitive functioncortisolloosening meditationmild cognitive impairmentpsychological well-being

Identifiers

PMID40070630
PMCPMC11896669

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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.