University of South Carolina
Older adults from disadvantaged backgrounds may score lower on memory and thinking tests because of test anxiety and stress, not because of true memory problems. This can lead to being wrongly diagnosed with dementia. This study will test whether a short, 15-minute guided meditation before taking a memory and thinking test helps older adults do better on the test and feel less stressed. About 60 adults age 50 and older, with lower education and income levels, will take part. Participants will be randomly assigned to either listen to a guided meditation or listen to a neutral story for 15 minutes before taking the test. The study will measure stress using heart rate, blood pressure, saliva samples, and a stress questionnaire.
This pilot study examines whether a brief mindfulness meditation intervention, administered immediately before cognitive testing, can reduce measurement bias caused by test-related anxiety in older adults from low-income, low-education backgrounds. Participants are randomized to a 15-minute guided mindfulness meditation session or a 15-minute neutral story-listening control session, both administered immediately before the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Physiological stress markers (heart rate variability, blood pressure, salivary pH) and self-reported anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inven…
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 50 years or older * Self-identified low educational attainment (high school diploma or less) * Low socioeconomic status per local criteria * Able to provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of dementia * Uncorrected hearing impairment preventing completion of the audio-guided intervention * Uncorrected vision impairment preventing completion of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) * Current regular mindfulness meditation practice * Diagnosis of atrial fibrillation
A 15-minute audio-guided mindfulness meditation session delivered via the study application, administered immediately before cognitive testing.
A 15-minute audio recording of a neutral, non-mindfulness-based story delivered via the study application, administered once immediately before cognitive testing.