Mindfulness or meditation therapy for Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials

Abstract Background Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide. Mindfulness and meditation therapies have been demonstrated as effective alternative treatments for patients with neurological disorders. However, the effects of mindfulness and meditation therapies on PD remain unclear. This meta‐analysis investigated the effects of mindfulness and meditation therapies in PD patients. Methods A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov for randomized controlled trials comparing mindfulness and meditation therapies with control treatments in patients with PD. Results Nine articles involving eight trials were included, with a total of 337 patients. Our meta‐analysis revealed that mindfulness and meditation therapies significantly improved Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale‐Part III score (mean difference [MD] = −6.31, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = −8.57 to −4.05) and cognitive function (standard mean difference [SMD] = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.23 to 1.02). However, no significant differences were discovered between mindfulness therapies and control in gait velocity (MD = 0.05, 95% CI = −0.23 to 0.34), Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire‐39 Summary Index (MD = 0.51, 95% CI = −1.12 to 2.14), activities of daily living (SMD = −1.65, 95% CI = −3.74 to 0.45), depression (SMD = −0.43, 95% CI = −0.97 to 0.11), anxiety (SMD = −0.80, 95% CI = −1.78 to 0.19), pain (SMD = 0.79, 95% CI = −1.06 to 2.63), or sleep disturbance (SMD = −0.67, 95% CI = −1.58 to 0.24). Conclusion Mindfulness and meditation therapies may serve as complementary and alternative treatments for PD patients.