The Evolution of Subjective Cognition after Meditation and English-Learning Interventions: A Secondary Analysis of the Three-Arm Age-Well Randomized Controlled Trial

Aging is associated with cognitive changes, even in the absence of brain pathology. This study aimed to determine if meditation training is associated to the perception of less cognitive difficulties in older adults by comparing its effects to active (English learning) and passive control groups. One hundred and thirty-four participants from the “Silver Sante study” were included: 45 in the meditation group (mean age: 69.09 ± 3.70), 45 in the English learning training group (mean age: 69.93 ± 4.54) and 44 in the passive control group (mean age: 67.61 ± 2.51). Subjective measures of cognition were taken before and after the 18-month intervention (or no intervention for the passive control group). Perception of attentional efficiency was based on scores from the internal and external scales of the Attentional Style Questionnaire (ASQ). Perception of memory capacities was measured by the McNair Cognitive Difficulty Scale and the total score was used in the analysis. Deltas (differences between post-test and pre-test scores) were calculated for the analyses. Generalized mixed effects models controlling for age, gender, education and baseline score showed no between-group differences on internal score of the ASQ or on the total score of the McNair scale. However, there was a significant positive effect of the meditation intervention on the external score of the ASQ (p<.01, Rsp²=.07) compared to English learning training and control groups. This suggests a benefit of meditation practice on the management of distracting information in daily life. This can be explained by training the ability to focus on specific information (e.g., breath) and ignore stimulation from other kinds of stimuli (e.g., noise).