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The ATENción Plena en Enfermedad de Alzheimer (ATENEA-Mindfulness in Alzheimer's Disease) Program for Caregivers: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
Sánchez-Pérez A, Mendialdua-Canales D, Hurtado-Pomares M, Peral-Gómez P, Juárez-Leal I, Espinosa-Sempere C, Fernández-Pires P, Zango-Martín I et al.. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 2022-03-15
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
A person affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD) gradually loses the ability to perform activities of daily living and becomes dependent on caregivers, thereby having a negative impact on the caregivers' quality of life. There is evidence that suggests that interventions aimed at caregivers, such as mindfulness, may be effective at reducing this burden and emotional issues, such as depression and anxiety, and improving their quality of life. However, there is a lack of consistency in the findings and conclusions remain tentative. In addition, as neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSs) of AD are major determinants of the caregiver's burden, these interventions should examine the relationship between these symptoms and caregiver outcomes. Importantly, to improve the design of therapeutic interventions for caregivers and complement the treatment of AD, aspects related to occupational performance and the participation of people with AD and their caregivers should also be considered. Therefore, this study will aim to examine first, the effects of a mindfulness-based program designed for caregivers on NPSs of AD and caregivers' anxiety and depression; second, the effects of this program on patients' functional capacity, cognitive performance, executive functions, and quality of life, and on caregivers' burden, quality of life, occupational balance, executive functions, psychological wellbeing, and self-compassion. We believe that the findings of this study will have significant implications for future healthcare strategies focused on improving the quality of life and wellbeing of caregivers.
Key findings
- There is evidence that suggests that interventions aimed at caregivers, such as mindfulness, may be effective at reducing this burden and emotional issues, such as depression and anxiety, and improving their quality of life.
- We believe that the findings of this study will have significant implications for future healthcare strategies focused on improving the quality of life and wellbeing of caregivers.
Why it matters
This is a protocol for a trial of a mindfulness program for caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease. No results are reported, and it focuses on caregiver outcomes rather than treating or preventing the disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 38/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Healthcare: journal h-index 120 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2022 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 7 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.2 citations a year over 6 year(s) since 2022 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 7 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Eva María Navarrete‐Muñoz: h-index 40 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona: institution h-index 782 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 6 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 35327020) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 38 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Sánchez-Pérez, A., Mendialdua-Canales, D., Hurtado-Pomares, M., Peral-Gómez, P., Juárez-Leal, I., Espinosa-Sempere, C., et al. (2022). The ATENción Plena en Enfermedad de Alzheimer (ATENEA-Mindfulness in Alzheimer's Disease) Program for Caregivers: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland). https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10030542
Vancouver
Sánchez-Pérez A, Mendialdua-Canales D, Hurtado-Pomares M, Peral-Gómez P, Juárez-Leal I, Espinosa-Sempere C, et al. The ATENción Plena en Enfermedad de Alzheimer (ATENEA-Mindfulness in Alzheimer's Disease) Program for Caregivers: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland). 2022. doi:10.3390/healthcare10030542. PMID: 35327020.
BibTeX
@article{sanchezperez2022-35327020,
author = {Sánchez-Pérez, A. and Mendialdua-Canales, D. and Hurtado-Pomares, M. and Peral-Gómez, P. and Juárez-Leal, I. and Espinosa-Sempere, C. and Fernández-Pires, P. and Zango-Martín, I. and others},
title = {{The ATENción Plena en Enfermedad de Alzheimer (ATENEA-Mindfulness in Alzheimer's Disease) Program for Caregivers: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial}},
journal = {Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)},
year = {2022},
doi = {10.3390/healthcare10030542},
pmid = {35327020},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10030542}
}
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