Modified-Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction as a Treatment for Cognitive Recovery in Patients with Minor Stroke: a Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.
Sophia G Girgenti, Isabella Dallasta, Erin Lawrence, Dawn Merbach, Jonathan Simon, Rafael Llinas, Neda F Gould, Elisabeth Breese Marsh
medRxiv November 11, 2024 preprint DOI: 10.1101/2024.11.11.24317111 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Pilot study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Patients with subacute minor stroke |
| Intervention | traditional Stroke Support Group (SSG) |
| Duration | 8-week intervention, 3-month follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Cognition Cognitive networks Function Recovery Stroke |
| Key findings | Modified MBSR modestly improved processing speed, executive function, and global cognitive function compared to a stroke support group in patients recovering from minor stroke. |
Abstract
Well-developed rehabilitation paradigms exist for post-stroke language and motor impairments. However, no such recovery program has been identified for commonly disabling cognitive deficits in patients following minor stroke. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is thought to engage the frontal lobes, improving concentration and attention, and therefore may be an effective option. We prospectively enrolled a cohort of patients with subacute minor stroke and randomized them to either an 8-week online modified-MBSR course or online traditional Stroke Support Group (SSG). All patients underwent a battery of cognitive tests and measures of patient reported outcomes (PROs) pre- and post-intervention. ANOVA was used to compare changes in scores over time across both groups, as well as a third group of control patients having received neither intervention (n=128). A total of 30 patients were randomized (n=16 for m-MBSR; n=14 for SSG). The average age of the cohort was 65.9 years. Both groups scored similarly on assessments one-month post-stroke and demonstrated increased T-scores on cognitive tasks at the 3-month visit. However, the m-MBSR group showed moderately elevated levels of improvement, specifically in processing speed, executive, and global cognitive function. Level of engagement was not associated with better clinical scores, though was unexpectedly low for both groups. m-MBSR appears to modestly improve frontal lobe activity and demonstrates some success in increasing cognitive performance. However, further studies are needed to determine if it is more efficacious in the chronic stage of recovery when more patients are able to fully engage and actively participate.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 13
- Effects of Meditation Experience on Functional Connectivity of Distributed Brain Networks Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) improves long-term mental fatigue after stroke or traumatic brain injury Brain Injury July 13, 2012
- Progressive increase of high-frequency EEG oscillations during meditation is associated with its trait effects on heart rate and proteomics: a study on the Tibetan Buddhist. Cerebral Cortex September 4, 2022
- The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Negative Self-Representations in Social Anxiety Disorder—A Randomized Wait-List Controlled Trial Frontiers in Psychiatry May 12, 2021
- Systematic Review and Meta-analysis: Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Rheumatoid Arthritis. Current rheumatology reports October 18, 2018
and 8 more in the library