The SCD-Well randomized controlled trial: Effects of a mindfulness- based intervention versus health education on mental health in patients with subjective cognitive decline (SCD)

International audienceIntroduction: Subjectively experienced cognitive decline in older adults is an indicator of increased risk for dementia and is also associated with increased levels of anxiety symptoms. As anxiety is itself emerging as a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia, the primary question of the present study is whether an 8-week mindfulness-based intervention can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms in patients with subjective cognitive decline (SCD). The secondary questions pertain to whether such changes extend to other domains of psychological, social, and biological functioning (including cognition, self-regulation, lifestyle, well-being and quality of life, sleep, and selected blood-based biomarkers) associated with mental health, older age, and risk for dementia. Methods: SCD-Well is a multicenter, observer-blinded, randomized, controlled, superiority trial, which is part of the Horizon 2020 European Union-funded "Medit-Ageing" project. SCD-Well compares an 8-week mindfulness-and compassion-based intervention specifically adapted for older Thorsten Barnhofer and Olga Klimecki share second authorship. Frank Jessen and Gael Ch etelat share last authorship. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03005652. T.B. has received honoraria for workshops on mindfulness-based interventions and is the co-author of a book on mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. All other authors declare that they have no competing interests