Nonpharmacological interventions have long been considered a potential strategy to maintain or enhance cognitive functioning in older adults. A recent study conducted in Caen, France, found no strong effects of 18 months' meditation training and 18 months' non-native language training on cognition in older individuals. The findings were published in Journal of American Medical Association,
The trial, which concluded in February 2020, involved 137 community-dwelling adults aged 65 years and older. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: meditation training, non-native language (English) training, or no intervention. The meditation and language training groups attended 2-hour weekly group sessions, engaged in daily home practice for at least 20 minutes, and had one day of more intensive home practice. The no intervention group was instructed to maintain their usual lifestyle.

The primary outcome of interest was cognition, assessed using the Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite 5 (PACC5) and composites measuring episodic memory, executive function, and attention. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were conducted to determine any changes in cognitive performance.
The results of the analysis, which included 135 participants, revealed that neither meditation nor non-native language training demonstrated significant cognitive benefits. The adjusted mixed effects models did not show any interaction effects between the intervention groups and cognitive measures. Specifically, there were no significant differences observed in PACC5, episodic memory, executive function, or attention between the groups.
These findings suggest that, based on the parameters of this study, meditation and non-native language training did not enhance cognitive function in cognitively healthy older adults. However, it is important to note that further analyses are necessary to explore the potential effects of these interventions on other aspects of aging and well-being.
While this study did not provide evidence in favor of using meditation or non-native language training to promote cognition in older adults, it contributes to the growing body of research on nonpharmacological interventions. Future studies may delve deeper into understanding the mechanisms underlying cognitive health and explore alternative interventions that could be more effective in maintaining or improving cognitive functioning in older individuals.
Source:
Demnitz-King, H., Requier, F., Whitfield, T., Schlosser, M., Gonneaud, J., Ware, C., Barnhofer, T., Coll-Padros, N., Klimecki, O. M., Lutz, A., Chételat, G., … Collette, F. (2023). Effects of Meditation Training and Non-Native Language Training on Cognition in Older Adults. In JAMA Network Open (Vol. 6, Issue 7, p. e2317848). American Medical Association (AMA). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.17848