Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy combined with repetitive transracial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on information processing and working memory of patients with multiple sclerosis.
Majid Eydi-Baygi, Abdolaziz Aflakseir, Mehdi Imani, Mohammad Ali Goodarzi, Mohammad Hossein Harirchian
Caspian journal of internal medicine 2022 DOI: 10.22088/cjim.13.3.607 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Single-case experimental design (A-B-A with follow-up) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 5 |
| Population | MS patients in Tehran who referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital in 2020 |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy |
| Dose | 10 Hz |
| Measures | Zahlen-Verbindongs test, n-back test (two-back position) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Information processing Ms patients Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy Working memory |
| Key findings | Combining mindfulness-based cognitive therapy with 10 Hz rTMS was associated with improvements in information processing and working memory in five MS patients. Recovery percentages were 67.24% after intervention and 53.64% at follow-up for information processing, and 104.04% after intervention and 76.98% at follow-up for working memory. The authors conclude the combination has a beneficial effect on cognitive problems in MS. |
Abstract
MS is a demyelinating disease that can result in significant disability. Along with physical complications, this disease is associated with significant psychological complications, including cognitive decline. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in combination with rTMS on information processing and working memory in patients with MS. The current study used a single-case experimental design and included a follow-up (A-B-A). The statistical population of the present study was all MS patients in Tehran who referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran in 2020. The present study sample consisted of 5 MS patients selected by the sampling methods available. Subjects were assessed three times before, during, and after the intervention using the Zahlen-Verbindongs and n-back tests in the two-back position. Subjects received cognitive therapy based on mindfulness and rTMS at a frequency of 10 Hz. Visual and graphical recovery percentage and effect size methods were used to analyze the data. The current study's findings indicate that combining mindfulness with rTMS has a beneficial effect on the information processing and working memory of MS patients. Overall, 67.24% recovered following the intervention stage, 53.64% recovered following the follow-up for information processing, 104.04% recovered following the intervention stage, and 76.98% recovered following the follow-up for working memory. The study shows the effect of mindfulness combined with rTMS on cognitive problems in MS patients. Significant improvements in MS patients' information processing, working memory, and therapeutic outcomes were observed throughout the follow-up period.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- Mindfulness Training Improves Working Memory Capacity and GRE Performance While Reducing Mind Wandering Psychological Science March 28, 2013
- Mindfulness Meditation Improves Visual Short-Term Memory Psychological Reports May 25, 2020
- Mindfulness and Emotion Regulation: Insights from Neurobiological, Psychological, and Clinical Studies Frontiers in Psychology March 6, 2017
- Mindfulness based intervention in Parkinson's disease leads to structural brain changes on MRI: a randomized controlled longitudinal trial. Clinical neurology and neurosurgery December 2013
- MS quality of life, depression, and fatigue improve after mindfulness training: a randomized trial. Neurology September 1, 2010
and 2 more in the library