Can meditation improve attention in older adults? Study protocol for a 4-week proof-of-concept intervention

Four weeks of meditation training improves sustained attention in community-dwelling older adults: a proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial

Introduction: With our rapidly expanding population of older adults, identifying effective intervention strategies to improve cognitive functioning is an increasing priority. This study sought to examine whether 4 weeks of thrice-weekly meditation training can improve attention in older adults, as well as whether such benefits may extend to other domains of cognition as well as mobility. Methods: Forty-three participants (mean age 68 years) were randomized into either the focused attention meditation group or the music listening control group (Clinicaltrials.gov ID NCT03417635). Participants completed three 20-minute guided group sessions per week for four consecutive weeks. Our primary outcome measure was behavioural performance on the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART). Secondary and tertiary outcome measures included event-related potentials (ERPs) during the SART task, measures of executive functioning, and measures of mobility. Results: We found that meditation training significantly improved attention, as demonstrated by improved SART accuracy and changes in N2 ERP amplitude and latency. Discussion: These findings suggest that meditation may lead to changes in attention and underlying cognitive processing in older adults, although a full-scale definitive trial is needed. Future research on the long-term benefits with real world applications is warranted.

Development of an iPad-based assessment tool for measuring attention and validation in older employees

BACKGROUND

In recent years, the elderly population has increasingly worked in various workplaces. Hence, measurements to assess the work attention of the elderly has become an important need.

OBJECTIVES

The aims of this research project are to develop an iPad-based attention assessment tool, "Shih-Hsu Test of Attention" (SHTA) for work attention, that adopts touchscreen as the medium interface, and to explore criterion-related validity and test-retest reliability of this new attention assessment tool for elders.

METHODS

Thirty-one participants aged between 65-85 years were recruited in this study on a voluntary basis. Each participant was assessed two times. The participants completed both the SHTA and Chu's Attention Test (CAT), and the SHTA was used to test participants after three weeks.

RESULTS

The analytical results demonstrate that the SHTA has acceptable criterion-related validity (γ= 0.400, p < 0.05*) and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.920, p < 0.01**).

CONCLUSIONS

Our preliminary findings show that the iPad-based auditory attention assessment tool, SHTA, has satisfactory criterion-related validity and test-retest reliability, which supports the use of SHTA as an attention assessment tool for older employees.