Focus on Alternative and Complementary TherapiesVolume 21, Issue 3-4 p. 178-179 Summaries and Commentaries The effectiveness of Kirtan Kriya meditation or music therapy for subjective cognitive decline R Perry, R Perry rachel.perry@bristol.ac.uk University of Bristol, Bristol, UKSearch for more papers by this authorKE Innes, KE Innes West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USASearch for more papers by this authorTK Selfe, TK Selfe West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USASearch for more papers by this author R Perry, R Perry rachel.perry@bristol.ac.uk University of Bristol, Bristol, UKSearch for more papers by this authorKE Innes, KE Innes West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USASearch for more papers by this authorTK Selfe, TK Selfe West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USASearch for more papers by this author First published: 24 April 2017 https://doi.org/10.1111/fct.12264Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume21, Issue3-4December 2016Pages 178-179 RelatedInformation

Objective. To investigate the effects of an 8-week meditation program on perceived stress, sleep, mood, and related outcomes in adults with cognitive impairment and their caregivers. Methods. Community-dwelling adults with a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or early-stage Alzheimer's disease, together with their live-in caregivers, were enrolled in the study. After a brief training, participants were asked to meditate for 11 minutes, twice daily for 8 weeks. Major outcomes included measures of perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), sleep (General Sleep Disturbance Scale), mood (Profile of Mood States), memory functioning (Memory Functioning Questionnaire), and blood pressure. Participants were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Results. Ten participants (5 of 6 dyads) completed the study. Treatment effects did not vary by participant status; analyses were thus pooled across participants. Adherence was good (meditation sessions completed/week: X = 11.4 ± 1.1). Participants demonstrated improvement in all major outcomes, including perceived stress (P < 0.001), mood (overall, P = 0.07; depression, P = 0.01), sleep (P < 0.04), retrospective memory function (P = 0.04), and blood pressure (systolic, P = 0.004; diastolic, P = 0.065). Conclusions. Findings of this exploratory trial suggest that an 8-week meditation program may offer an acceptable and effective intervention for reducing perceived stress and improving certain domains of sleep, mood, and memory in adults with cognitive impairment and their caregivers.