Mind-Body Therapies for Late-Life Mental and Cognitive Health.

Author: Laird KT1, Paholpak P1,2, Roman M3, Rahi B1, Lavretsky H4,5
Affiliation: <sup>1</sup>Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA. <sup>2</sup>Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand. <sup>3</sup>David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA. <sup>4</sup>Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA. hlavretsky@mednet.ucla.edu. <sup>5</sup>Late-life Mood, Stress, and Wellness Research Program, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. hlavretsky@mednet.ucla.edu.
Conference/Journal: Curr Psychiatry Rep.
Date published: 2018 Jan 25
Other: Volume ID: 20 , Issue ID: 1 , Pages: 2 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1007/s11920-018-0864-4. , Word Count: 143


PURPOSE OF REVIEW: A growing body of research supports the use of mind-body therapies (MBTs) as minimally invasive and effective approaches for the management of late-life mood and cognitive disorders.

RECENT FINDINGS: Recent randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses indicate that MBTs are effective for enhancing well-being, mood, sleep, and cognition in older adults. Evidence suggests that mindful movement (e.g., yoga, tai chi, walking meditation) may even outperform conventional physical exercise with regard to effects on quality of life, mood, and cognitive functioning. Practitioners may recommend MBTs as holistic, effective approaches for the management of common late-life mood and cognitive disorders. Continued research on MBTs will inform the development of even more effective/targeted interventions and contribute to greater acceptance and integration of these therapies into geriatric medicine and psychiatry.

KEYWORDS: Cognition; Geriatric mood disorders; Mind-body interventions

PMID: 29372339 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-018-0864-4