Mindfulness Meditation to Reduce Cognitive Load

November 2, 2026 updated by: Jean Neils-Strunjas, University of South Carolina

Mindful Meditation to Reduce Stress and Cognitive Load for Older Adults

Older adults from disadvantaged backgrounds may score lower on memory and thinking tests because of test anxiety and stress, not because of true memory problems. This can lead to being wrongly diagnosed with dementia. This study will test whether a short, 15-minute guided meditation before taking a memory and thinking test helps older adults do better on the test and feel less stressed. About 60 adults age 50 and older, with lower education and income levels, will take part. Participants will be randomly assigned to either listen to a guided meditation or listen to a neutral story for 15 minutes before taking the test. The study will measure stress using heart rate, blood pressure, saliva samples, and a stress questionnaire.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This pilot study examines whether a brief mindfulness meditation intervention, administered immediately before cognitive testing, can reduce measurement bias caused by test-related anxiety in older adults from low-income, low-education backgrounds. Participants are randomized to a 15-minute guided mindfulness meditation session or a 15-minute neutral story-listening control session, both administered immediately before the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Physiological stress markers (heart rate variability, blood pressure, salivary pH) and self-reported anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) are assessed to evaluate the intervention's effect on stress. Assessments and physiological data collection are administered via a custom application developed by the study team, which standardizes test administration and scoring.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
60

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • South Carolina
      • Columbia, South Carolina, United States, 29201
      • Columbia, South Carolina, United States, 29201
        • University of South Carolina, Aging Gracefully Lab
        • Contact:
      • Kingstree, South Carolina, United States, 29556
        • Vital Aging of Williamsburg County, Inc
        • Contact:
      • West Columbia, South Carolina, United States, 29169
        • Brookland-Lakeview Empowerment Center
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

50 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 50 years or older
  • Self-identified low educational attainment (high school diploma or less)
  • Low socioeconomic status per local criteria
  • Able to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosis of dementia
  • Uncorrected hearing impairment preventing completion of the audio-guided intervention
  • Uncorrected vision impairment preventing completion of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)
  • Current regular mindfulness meditation practice
  • Diagnosis of atrial fibrillation

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Mindfulness Meditation

Participants complete a 15-minute guided mindfulness meditation session immediately before completing the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).
Behavioral: Guided Mindfulness Meditation

A 15-minute audio-guided mindfulness meditation session delivered via the study application, administered immediately before cognitive testing.
Active Comparator: Story-Listening Control

Participants listen to a 15-minute neutral, non-mindfulness story immediately before completing the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).
Behavioral: Neutral Story Listening

A 15-minute audio recording of a neutral, non-mindfulness-based story delivered via the study application, administered once immediately before cognitive testing.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in MoCA Total Score
Time Frame: Immediately following the 15-minute intervention session (single study visit)

Cognitive performance measured using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), ranging from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating better cognitive performance, administered by an examiner immediately after the assigned 15-minute intervention session.
Immediately following the 15-minute intervention session (single study visit)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Heart Rate Variability
Time Frame: Baseline to immediately post-session

Change in heart rate variability measured continuously via the study application before and during the assigned intervention session.
Baseline to immediately post-session
Change in Systolic Blood Pressure
Time Frame: Baseline to immediately post-session

Change in systolic blood pressure measured via automated cuff before and immediately after the assigned intervention session.
Baseline to immediately post-session
Change in Salivary pH
Time Frame: Baseline to immediately post-session

Change in salivary pH measured via test strips before and immediately after the assigned intervention session.
Baseline to immediately post-session
Change in State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Score
Time Frame: Baseline to immediately post-assessment

Change in self-reported state anxiety measured using the State Anxiety subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), a 20-item scale ranging from 20 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater state anxiety, administered at baseline and immediately after the assigned intervention session.
Baseline to immediately post-assessment
Change in Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) Score
Time Frame: Baseline to immediately post-assessment

Change in self-reported perceived stress measured using the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), ranging from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater perceived stress, administered at baseline and immediately after the assigned intervention session.
Baseline to immediately post-assessment
Recruitment Rate
Time Frame: Up to 4 months

Percentage of eligible individuals screened who agree to enroll in the study.
Up to 4 months
Retention Rate
Time Frame: Day 1

Percentage of enrolled participants who complete their assigned study visit.
Day 1
Intervention Adherence
Time Frame: Day 1

Percentage of participants who complete the full 15-minute assigned intervention session (mindfulness meditation or story-listening control), as recorded by the study application
Day 1
Participant Acceptability
Time Frame: Day 1

Acceptability assessed via a 3-item investigator-developed measure: (1) enjoyment of the session, (2) comfort during the session, (3) perceived health benefit. Each item is rated on a 3-point scale (No / Neutral / Yes) and reported individually.
Day 1
Task Feasibility (Participant-Reported)
Time Frame: Day 1

Feasibility assessed via a 2-item investigator-developed measure: (1) physical ease of the seated/lying position, (2) clarity of the recorded audio instructions. Each item is rated on a 3-point scale and reported individually.
Day 1

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of South Carolina

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 14, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 15, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 15, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 8, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 2, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 9, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 9, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 2, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • STUDY00000925
  • CL034115600N230020280007408 (Other Grant/Funding Number: University of South Carolina-Columbia)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

IPD Plan Description

Data sharing plans have not yet been finalized. As a pilot study with a small sample size (n=60), the investigators will determine after study completion whether de-identified individual participant data will be made available, and if so, under what conditions (e.g., data use agreement, timeframe, and mechanism of access).

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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