Mindfulness to Enhance Cognitive Health in Latinx Older Adults

Launched by WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · Jun 26, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying whether mindfulness training—a type of mental exercise that helps people focus and stay calm—can help improve brain health and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in older Latinx adults. Alzheimer’s is a condition that affects memory and thinking, and this study wants to see if practicing mindfulness can protect the brain, especially in this community that may be more at risk.

To join the study, you need to be 65 or older, identify as Hispanic or Latinx, and live in the community (not in a nursing home). Participants should be generally healthy and able to take part in the activities, but should not have a history of extensive mindfulness practice. The study is open to men, women, and non-binary individuals. During the trial, participants will be involved in mindfulness training and undergo assessments to see how their thinking and memory are affected. People with serious medical or mental health issues, sensory problems that would make participation difficult, current substance abuse, or those already using certain brain-training or medications that affect the brain won’t be eligible. This study is currently recruiting participants who meet these criteria.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Hispanic/Latinx
• • Age 65 and older
• • Male, female, or non-binary
• • Community living
• • Medically stable and willing to undergo the study procedures
• • No extensive mindfulness training experience
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Clinically unstable psychiatric disorder that requires immediate treatment (e.g., ECT)
• • Medical conditions suggesting significantly shortened lifespan (e.g., metastatic cancer) or prohibiting safe participation in the interventions/assessments (e.g., Parkinson's disease, musculoskeletal conditions)
• • Sensory impairment (hearing, vision) preventing participation
• • Current alcohol or substance abuse
• • Current/concurrent cognitive training known to affect neuroplasticity (e.g., brain-training programs), or other interventions expected to affect neuroplasticity significantly (e.g., psychedelics, cholinesterase inhibitors, high-dose sedatives).