A Pilot Study of the Impact of Personalized Digital Meditation on Improving Cognition and Sleep and Reducing Stress in MCI

摘要 该项目的总体目标是收集试点数据，以确定是否使用一种新形式的 闭环式数字冥想(MediTrain)，我们之前已经展示了它可以改善认知和 减少老年人(OA)的压力，也导致认知正常的OA和 轻度认知障碍(MCI)者。MCI是正常衰老和衰老之间的过渡阶段 痴呆症与进展为阿尔茨海默病和相关疾病的风险增加有关 痴呆(ADRD)。我们已经证明，数字冥想干预(MediTrain)可以改善 健康骨性关节炎患者集中注意的调节。注意力的变化性是早期的临床前标志 神经病理学，在MCI患者中升高。除了表现出应激反应性降低之外 随着端粒的延长，有几个来自OA的轶事报道说他们感觉到了睡眠 已经有所改善。因为睡眠障碍在阿尔茨海默病中很常见，并显著增加患上 从MCI转变为痴呆症，了解这种干预是否能改善睡眠至关重要。 这项拟议研究的目标是收集飞行员数据，以评估MediTrain对 改善MCI患者睡眠和压力的量化指标 认知正常的骨性关节炎。为了达到这些目的，我们将对90名患者进行随机对照试验 OA(45名认知正常，45名MCI)，他将完成为期6周的医疗培训干预。 结果衡量标准将包括认知/注意任务以及神经成像(EEG和MRI)， 睡眠和压力的定量生理指标，以及衰老的血液生物标记物(端粒长度)。 失眠的客观衡量标准(入睡潜伏期和入睡后的觉醒时间)和失眠量 在整个干预期间，将使用参与者家中的睡眠状况分析器对NREM3进行评估。 这项研究将为理解冥想的效用提供重要的贡献。 作为一种支持认知储备和提高MCI患者骨性关节炎整体幸福感的治疗工具， 通过显示改善睡眠质量和减少压力的真实指标。

Abstract The overall goal of this project is to collect pilot data to determine if treatment with a novel form of closed-loop digital meditation (MediTrain), which we have previously shown improves cognition and reduces stress in older adults (OA), also leads to sleep benefits in both cognitively normal OA and in those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MCI is a transitional stage between normal aging and dementia and is associated with increased risk of progressing to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). We have demonstrated that a digital meditation intervention (MediTrain) improves regulation of focused attention in healthy OA. Variability in attention is a preclinical marker of incipient neuropathology and is elevated in MCI patients. In addition to exhibiting decreased stress reactivity and a lengthening of telomeres, there were several anecdotal reports from OA that they felt their sleep had improved. Because sleep disturbances are common in AD and significantly increase the risk of conversion from MCI to dementia, understanding if this intervention led to improved sleep is critical. The goal of this proposed research is to collect pilot data to evaluate the efficacy of MediTrain on improving quantitative metrics of sleep and stress in patients with MCI at levels beyond those seen in cognitively normal OA. To accomplish these aims, we will conduct a randomized controlled trial on 90 OA (45 cognitively normal and 45 with MCI) who will complete 6 weeks of our MediTrain intervention. Outcome measures will consist of cognitive/attention tasks coupled with neuroimaging (EEG and MRI), quantitative physiological indices of sleep and stress, and blood biomarkers of aging (telomere length). Objective measures of insomnia (latency to sleep onset and wake after sleep onset) and amount of NREM3 will be assessed using sleep profilers in participants’ homes throughout the intervention period. This research will provide an important contribution toward understanding the utility of using meditation as a therapeutic tool for bolstering cognitive reserve and increasing overall wellbeing in OA with MCI, by showing transfer to real-world metrics of improved sleep quality and reduced stress.