title: Mindfulness-based stress reduction for older adults: effects on executive function, frontal alpha asymmetry and immune function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has enhanced cognition, positive emotion, and immunity in younger and middle-aged samples; its benefits are less well known for older persons. Here we report on a randomized controlled trial of MBSR for older adults and its effects on executive function, left frontal asymmetry of the EEG alpha band, and antibody response.
  
  
  METHODS
  Older adults (n = 201) were randomized to MBSR or waiting list control. The outcome measures were: the Trail Making Test part B/A (Trails B/A) ratio, a measure of executive function; changes in left frontal alpha asymmetry, an indicator of positive emotions or approach motivation; depression, mindfulness, and perceived stress scores, and the immunoglobulin G response to a protein antigen, a measure of adaptive immunity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MBSR participants had a lower Trails B/A ratio immediately after intervention (p < 0.05); reduced shift to rightward frontal alpha activation after intervention (p = 0.03); higher baseline antibody levels after intervention (p < 0.01), but lower antibody responses 24 weeks after antigen challenge (p < 0.04), and improved mindfulness after intervention (p = 0.023) and at 21 weeks of follow-up (p = 0.006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MBSR produced small but significant changes in executive function, mindfulness, and sustained left frontal alpha asymmetry. The antibody findings at follow-up were unexpected. Further study of the effects of MBSR on immune function should assess changes in antibody responses in comparison to T-cell-mediated effector functions, which decline as a function of age.
authors.affiliation: Rochester Center for Mind-Body Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA. jan_moynihan @ urmc.rochester.edu
authors.forename: Jan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Moynihan
authors.forename: Benjamin P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Klorman
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Krasner
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Duberstein
authors.forename: Kirk Warren
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Nancy L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Talbot
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity / Q000276:immunology*; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D000513:Alpha Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D006433:Hemocyanins / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064866:Mindfulness; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D006433:Hemocyanins; C032808:keyhole-limpet hemocyanin