title: Mindfulness-based intervention for prodromal sleep disturbances in older adults: design and methodology of a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: Sleep problems are prevalent among older adults, often persist untreated, and are predictive of health detriments. Given the limitations of conventional treatments, non-pharmacological treatments such as mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are gaining popularity for sleep ailments. However, nothing is yet known about the impact of MBIs on sleep in older adults with prodromal sleep disturbances. This article details the design and methodology of a 6-week parallel-group RCT calibrated to test the treatment effect of the Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) program versus sleep hygiene education for improving sleep quality, as the main outcome, in older adults with prodromal sleep disturbances. Older adults with current sleep disturbances will be recruited from the urban Los Angeles community. Participants will be randomized into two standardized treatment conditions, MAPs and sleep hygiene education. Each condition will consist of weekly 2-hour group-based classes over the course of the 6-week intervention. The primary objective of this study is to determine if mindfulness meditation practice as engaged through the MAPs program leads to improved sleep quality relative to sleep hygiene education in older adults with prodromal sleep disturbances.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Electronic address: davidbla@usc.edu.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Black
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Gillian A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: O'Reilly
authors.affiliation: Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Olmstead
authors.affiliation: Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Breen
authors.affiliation: Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Irwin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D019122:Meditation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D064866:Mindfulness; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D062706:Prodromal Symptoms; D011788:Quality of Life; D012107:Research Design; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Design and methodology; Inflammatory markers; Mindfulness; Older adults; Randomized controlled trial; Sleep problems