Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is usually preceded by Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), in which memory losses have started but do not yet impair functioning, still allowing to intervene. Stress is associated with greater risk to develop aMCI and AD in older adults, therefore the present study targeted it. The goal of this study is to assess the impact of two interventions that are not based on medication, mindfulness meditation and psychoeducation on stress at the psychological and biological level among aMCI older adults. Methods: Forty-eight aMCI participants were recruited and took part to either a mindfulness based intervention (MBI) or a psychoeducation based intervention (PBI) for 8 weekly sessions. Perceived stress, stress hormone level at wake up, and coping strategies were assessed before and after the intervention. Data regarding mindfulness attitudes and time dedicated to at-home meditative practices were collected only for MBI. Results: The results revealed: 1) a reduction of stress hormone level at wake up among MBI participants who practiced at-home meditation the most; 2) a decrease of perceived stress for PBI; 3) an increase in mindfulness attitudes for MBI and; 4) enhanced coping strategies based on problem resolution for both interventions. Conclusion: In sum, this study supports the potential of MBI and PBI to reduce stress at the biological and psychological level, respectively, and increase adaptive coping strategies in older adults at risk for AD with few medication therapeutic options.