Objectives
This study investigated the effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) on cognitive impairment in post-stroke patients through a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) affects a significant proportion of stroke survivors, leading to long-term disability and reduced quality of life. However, current evidence on the efficacy of MBSR/MBCT for PSCI remains limited, warranting further investigation into their potential benefits.
Method
A literature search for peer-reviewed articles published up to September 25, 2024, was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, WOS (Web of Science), CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), and WanFang. A quality appraisal was performed for each included study. Only RCTs on MBSR and MBCT for post-stroke patients were included.
Results
This meta-analysis showed that MBCT/MBSR significantly improved cognitive function in post-stroke patients (SMD = 0.812, 95% CI: 0.110 to 1.515, p = 0.023), but no significant change in depression levels was observed (SMD = -0.430, 95% CI: -1.026 to 0.166, p = 0.158). Mindfulness levels significantly increased (SMD = 0.450, 95% CI: 0.055 to 0.845, p = 0.036), and NIHSS (National Institute of Health stroke scale) significantly decreased (WMD = -1.853, 95% CI: -3.146 to -0.561, p = 0.005). Subgroup analysis suggested that significant improvements in cognitive function and depression were observed after 12 weeks of MBSR/MBCT no significant changes were observed at 6 or 8 weeks.
Conclusions
The findings suggest that MBCT/MBSR interventions offer advantages in improving cognitive function, mindfulness levels, and NIHSS in post-stroke patients compared to the control group, while no significant effect was observed for depression. However, the quality of the evidence is low.
Preregistration
This review was preregistered on PROSPERO (Ref No: CRD42025637703).