Yoga-based mindfulness intervention for older adults with mild cognitive impairment

INTERVENTION: Participants within the outpatient clinic at Clinical Hospital‐Universidad de Chile will be allocated to the intervention or the comparator with a 1:1 ratio based on random computer‐generated numbers, using simple random sampling. Participants assigned to the experimental group will receive the Yoga‐based mindfulness intervention (YBM) for 1 hour once weekly for a total of 8 weeks. The YBM intervention will be based on video (that has been recorded by facilitators who have knowledge about yoga and mindfulness and who will be blinded to the identifiable data) according to the following characteristics. Information about yoga and mindfulness will be delivered to seniors through specific exercises in each session. Mindful chair‐based Hatha yoga will be used with an emphasis on proper Hatha yoga physical exercise or body awareness exercises (Patel, Newstead, Ferrer, 2012) and mindfulness. If participants find themselves unable to do a particular posture, they should be free to skip it and engage with their body with the attitude of kindness and acceptance, and after the completion of each posture the participants will be asked to be aware of which groups of muscles will be contracting, stretching and will be used to keep their body steady and balanced. The mindfulness component will be based on the MBSR guideline developed by Kabat‐Zinn (1990) which has been adapted from the mindfulness protocol developed by Wong (2016) for older people with MCI. The program will include both formal and informal mindfulness practices. Participants will be encouraged to practice formal mindfulness meditation techniques by using techniques such as body scan, breath meditations and loving‐kindness meditation to observe and maintain attention on an object of meditation without judgment and reac CONDITION: Cognitive and physical functions and mental health outcomes of older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) ; Mental and Behavioural Disorders PRIMARY OUTCOME: Cognitive function assessed using a Spanish version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCAS1‐ 2) via live video call at baseline and post‐intervention, 3 and 6 months follow up. INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Aged 60 years and above 2. People who have MCI diagnosed by three criteria: 2.1. By a neurologist and/or psychiatrist, and/or geriatrician, and/or the neuropsychologist. through evaluation by saying that they had memory problems confirmed by an informant (in case if they have a formal or informal caregiver or simply, their partner), (but without problems in their activities of daily living) 2.2. Score < 21 at the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA <21) 2.3. Without dementia according to the criteria of the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR) a score of 0.5 SECONDARY OUTCOME: ; Assessed using the telephone‐based survey before random assignment (pre‐test), the week following the last session of the intervention (post‐test), and then at 3‐ and 6‐months follow‐up:; 1. Physical function assessed using:; 1.1. The Barthel Index (BI) to measure performance in activities of daily living (ADL); 1.2. The Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADL) to assess the independent living skills of an individual and measures functional ability as well as declines and improvements over time; 2. Psychological well‐being assessed using the Pemberton happiness index; 3. Anxiety assessed using the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI); 4. Depression assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS‐5);