Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40520277›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in public health2025

Meditation for subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Jiaxin Shi, Hao Tian, Jingwen Wei, Wenhan Xu, Qin Luo, Jin Peng, Jun Xia, Wenying Huai, Ying Xiong, Yunhui Chen

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Jiaxin Shi *CDUTCM-KEELE Joint Health and Medical Sciences Institute, School of Acupuncture and Tuina, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Hao Tian *CDUTCM-KEELE Joint Health and Medical Sciences Institute, School of Acupuncture and Tuina, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Jingwen WeiWest China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Wenhan XuCDUTCM-KEELE Joint Health and Medical Sciences Institute, School of Acupuncture and Tuina, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Qin LuoCDUTCM-KEELE Joint Health and Medical Sciences Institute, School of Acupuncture and Tuina, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Jin PengCDUTCM-KEELE Joint Health and Medical Sciences Institute, School of Acupuncture and Tuina, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Jun XiaCDUTCM-KEELE Joint Health and Medical Sciences Institute, School of Acupuncture and Tuina, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Wenying HuaiCDUTCM-KEELE Joint Health and Medical Sciences Institute, School of Acupuncture and Tuina, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Ying XiongWest China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Yunhui ChenCDUTCM-KEELE Joint Health and Medical Sciences Institute, School of Acupuncture and Tuina, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Meditation has gained increasing recognition as a simple, cost-effective, and non-invasive therapeutic approach for older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease (AD). This meta-analysis aimed to systematically evaluate its effectiveness on this population. Methods: A comprehensive search across nine databases was performed from inception to April 1, 2024, to identify eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The primary outcome was global cognitive performance measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), while the secondary outcomes included sleep quality estimated through the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), health status assessed using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and depression evaluated with the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). This meta-analysis utilized R 4.3.1 software and adhered to the Cochrane Handbook and PRISMA reporting guidelines. Results: A total of 25 RCTs published between 2013 and 2024 involving 2,095 participants were included in this study. The pooled findings demonstrated that meditation significantly improved global cognitive performance (MD 2.22, 95% CI: 0.83-3.62, Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests that meditation is an effective adjunct therapy for improving global cognitive performance, sleep quality, and health status in older adults with SCD, MCI, and AD. However, given the heterogeneity and limited sample sizes, these findings should be interpreted with caution. More large-scale and high-quality RCTs are needed to further substantiate these effects.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseCognitive DysfunctionMeditationAgedHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicAlzheimer’s diseasemeditationmeta-analysismild cognitive impairmentsubjective cognitive decline

Identifiers

PMID40520277
PMCPMC12162321

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.