Mindfulness therapy improved quality of life in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.
Psychotherapeutic interventions have been explored as treatments for psychiatric comorbidities of neurologic disorders (such as depression in Parkinson disease) or psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. Can they also improve “neurologic” symptoms of epilepsy? In a randomized trial, researchers in China compared the effects of mindfulness-based group therapy (MT) versus group social support in 60 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (mean age, 35; men, 47%).
Patients were first followed prospectively for 6 weeks to determine seizure frequency (mean, 9.4 seizures). Only about 38% were on monotherapy. Patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures were excluded, but those with primary mood disorders were not.
MT and social support each consisted o…
Reviewing Author
DisclosuresRoyaltiesTextbook of Traumatic Brain Injury, 2nd and 3rd editions
Editorial BoardsUpToDate; Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesNorth American Brain Injury Association (Board Member); National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (Chair of Data Monitoring Safety Board for study of donepezil on cognition after traumatic brain injury)
DisclosuresRoyaltiesTextbook of Traumatic Brain Injury, 2nd and 3rd editions
Editorial BoardsUpToDate; Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesNorth American Brain Injury Association (Board Member); National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (Chair of Data Monitoring Safety Board for study of donepezil on cognition after traumatic brain injury)