Systematic Review of the Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Interventions as a Form of Neuropsychological Rehabilitation

Abstract

ObjectivesThe current study presents a systematic review of the evidence for mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) as a form of neuropsychological rehabilitation, a holistic approach to treatment that may be particularly well suited to persons with neurological illness and injury. Methods Following the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews, we included controlled trials of MBIs conducted in a neurological population, specifically employing the practice of mindfulness meditation. A search protocol for CINAHL Complete, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE with Full Text, PsycINFO, and PubMed was executed by three of the authors in September 2019 to promote reliability and obtain the initial list of abstracts (n = 32). Two authors independently reviewed and extracted data from each of the final 32 articles. ResultsThe most frequent diagnoses of interest were various forms of late-life cognitive decline and ADHD, followed by acquired brain injury, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy. Most trials assessing psychological variables found significant benefits of MBIs across various symptoms, including fatigue, self-reported cognitive function, and specific neurological symptoms. Most studies investigating cognitive and/or neural outcomes found significant benefits as well. Positive findings were evident across different patient populations. Conclusions There is promising evidence to support the application of MBIs for the amelioration of clinical-neuropsychological symptoms in the neurorehabilitation context, particularly for persons with ADHD and late-life cognitive decline. Further work is needed to clarify the importance of tailoring, as well as whether taking a transdiagnostic approach to symptoms would enhance the capacity to measure significant effects.

A Critical Review of Existing Evidence-Based Sport Psychological Interventions for College Athletes with Comorbid Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder and Sport-Related Concussions

“…Overview of key recent mindfulness studies for athletic mental health, prevention of injuries, rehabilitation from injuries, and performance enhancement (18,19,23,24,26–28). …”

“…Smart et al (28) found that mindfulness is a reliable tool for improving cognition in a variety of individuals who have comorbidities, including acquired mTBI and ADHD. In this systematic review, mindfulness is proven to help individuals for overall neuropsychological rehabilitation and can be tailored to fit individuals with specific comorbidities (28). Participants with ADHD were included based on specific ADHD symptoms and were not limited to hyperactivity, impulsivity, emotional regulation, state and trait anxiety, and mindfulness.…”

“…These symptoms included fatigue, cognitive functioning, and various neurological issues. Cognitive and brain functioning showed improvement by measuring attention capacity on a neural level via magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography (28). Emotional regulation showed improvements in state anxiety and affect (28).…”

“…Recent evidence suggests that various mental skills training could be advantageous to assisting student-athletes with ADHD with the prevention, rehabilitation, and performance enhancement of SRC (14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32). Mental skills are defined as the systematic development of cognitive and psychological abilities aimed at improving mental and sports performance (14)(15)(16).…”

“…The studies above demonstrate the positive impact of mindfulness on individuals within the comorbid ADHD and SRC student-athlete population. Smart et al (28) found that mindfulness is a reliable tool for improving cognition in a variety of individuals who have comorbidities, including acquired mTBI and ADHD. In this systematic review, mindfulness is proven to help individuals for overall neuropsychological rehabilitation and can be tailored to fit individuals with specific comorbidities (28).…”