Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Symptom Management in Older Individuals with HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder.
Judith T Moskowitz, Brijesh Sharma, Shireen Javandel, Patricia Moran, Robert Paul, Victor De Gruttola, Dimitre Tomov, Haleem Azmy, Rodrigo Sandoval, Madeline Hillis, Karen P Chen, Torie Tsuei, Elizabeth L Addington, Peter D Cummings, Joanna Hellmuth, Isabel Elaine Allen, Beau M Ances, Victor Valcour, Benedetta Milanini
AIDS and behavior June 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-024-04295-1 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractOlder adults with HIV and cognitive impairment who took an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program showed significant improvement in depression symptoms immediately after the program compared to a waitlist control group, but this benefit was not maintained one month later. The MBSR group also reported improved quality of life from the start of the program to the 16-week follow-up. Cognitive performance, including speed of information processing, working memory, attention, and impulsivity, did not differ between the MBSR and control groups. MBSR may help alleviate depression and improve quality of life in older individuals with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder, but sustaining these benefits requires further study.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 180 |
| Population | Adults 55 years or older with HIV and cognitive impairment |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction |
| Duration | 8-week intervention, 16-week follow-up |
| Keywords | Aging Cognition Hiv-associated neurocognitive disorder |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key finding | MBSR significantly improved depression symptoms at 8 weeks but not at 16 weeks, and improved quality of life at 16 weeks, with no effect on cognitive performance. |
Abstract
The growing number of people aging with HIV represents a group vulnerable to the symptom burdens of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). Among younger groups, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) has been shown to help people living with HIV manage HIV-related and other life stress, and although there is some theoretical and empirical evidence that it may be effective among those with cognitive deficits, the approach has not been studied in older populations with HAND. Participants (n = 180) 55 years or older with HIV and cognitive impairment were randomly assigned to either an 8-week MBSR arm or a waitlist control. We assessed the impact of MBSR compared to a waitlist control on psychological outcomes [stress, anxiety, depression, and quality of life (QOL)] and cognitive metrics (e.g., speed of information processing, working memory, attention, impulsivity) measured at baseline, immediately post intervention (8 weeks) and one month later (16 weeks). Intent to treat analyses showed significant improvement in the MBSR group compared to control on symptoms of depression from baseline to 8 weeks, however, the difference was not sustained at 16 weeks. The MBSR group also showed improvement in perceived QOL from baseline to 16 weeks compared to the waitlist control group. Cognitive performance did not differ between the two treatment arms. MBSR shows promise as a tool to help alleviate the symptom burden of depression and low QOL in older individuals living with HAND and future work should address methods to better sustain the beneficial impact on depression and QOL.