Investigating a Mindfulness-Based Intervention as an Attentional Network Training to Improve Cognition in Older Adults with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized-controlled Trial

Episodic memory deficits, often combined with impaired attention, are typical in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). A Mindfulness-Based Intervention (MBI) could promote cognitive decline prevention or remediation through attentional network training. This randomized-controlled trial examined MBI’s effects on objective (tests) and subjective (self-reported) measures of memory and attention, compared to a Psychoeducation-Based Intervention (PBI), in 41 older adults with aMCI. No distinctive benefits of the MBI were observed on objective tests, with both interventions improving attentional control. Moreover, the appreciation of one’s cognitive functioning through questionnaires similarly improved for both interventions. Only in semi-structured interviews did a greater proportion of participants report benefits following the MBI compared to the PBI. This study does not provide sufficient support for the implementation of a MBI to enhance objective cognition by means of attentional network training in aMCI. However, it suggests a positive impact of non-pharmacological interventions on perceived cognition.