Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Regulates Brain Connectivity in Patients With Late-Life Depression.
Hui Li, Wei Yan, Qianwen Wang, Lin Liu, Xiao Lin, Ximei Zhu, Sizhen Su, Wei Sun, Manqiu Sui, Yanping Bao, Lin Lu, Jiahui Deng, Xinyu Sun
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2022 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.841461 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 60 |
| Population | Participants with late-life depression |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy treatment as usual |
| Duration | 8-week intervention, 3-month follow-up |
| Measures | Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Amygdala Functional connection Late-life depression Magnetic resonance imaging Middle frontal gyrus Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy plus treatment as usual reduced depression and anxiety symptoms in late-life depression compared with treatment as usual alone, with lower Hamilton Depression Scale scores at 8 weeks and 3 months. The authors report that increased functional and structural connectivity between the amygdala and middle frontal gyrus correlated with symptom improvement. |
Abstract
Late-life depression (LLD) is an important public health problem among the aging population. Recent studies found that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) can effectively alleviate depressive symptoms in major depressive disorder. The present study explored the clinical effect and potential neuroimaging mechanism of MBCT in the treatment of LLD. We enrolled 60 participants with LLD in an 8-week, randomized, controlled trial (ChiCTR1800017725). Patients were randomized to the treatment-as-usual (TAU) group or a MBCT+TAU group. The Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) were used to evaluate symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to measure changes in resting-state functional connectivity and structural connectivity. We also measured the relationship between changes in brain connectivity and improvements in clinical symptoms. HAMD total scores in the MBCT+TAU group were significantly lower than in the TAU group after 8 weeks of treatment (p < 0.001) and at the end of the 3-month follow-up (p < 0.001). The increase in functional connections between the amygdala and middle frontal gyrus (MFG) correlated with decreases in HAMA and HAMD scores in the MBCT+TAU group. Diffusion tensor imaging analyses showed that fractional anisotropy of the MFG-amygdala significantly increased in the MBCT+TAU group after 8-week treatment compared with the TAU group. Our study suggested that MBCT improves depression and anxiety symptoms that are associated with LLD. MBCT strengthened functional and structural connections between the amygdala and MFG, and this increase in communication correlated with improvements in clinical symptoms. Randomized Controlled Trial; Follow-Up Study; fMRI; Brain Connectivity.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on depression, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 15
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Clinical Practice: A Systematic Review of Neurocognitive Outcomes and Applications for Mental Health and Well-Being. Journal of Clinical Medicine March 3, 2025
- EEG-based investigation of effects of mindfulness meditation training on state and trait by deep learning and traditional machine learning Frontiers in Human Neuroscience August 31, 2023
- Neural correlates of mindfulness meditation and hypnosis on magnetic resonance imaging: similarities and differences. A scoping review. Journal of neuroradiology = Journal de neuroradiologie March 1, 2024
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Depression and Anxiety in Late Life: A Meta-Analysis. Alpha psychiatry 2024
- Cognitive, psychological, and physiological effects of a web-based mindfulness intervention in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: an open study. BMC Geriatrics February 14, 2024
and 10 more in the library
Cites 20
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and 15 more in the library