Does mindfulness improve inhibitory control in psychotic disorders? A randomized controlled clinical trial

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Rehabilitation Psychology

Background:

• Impaired inhibitory control (IC) is a hallmark of psychotic disorders, significantly impacting social functioning.
• Mindfulness interventions have shown benefits for IC in the general population, but their efficacy in psychosis remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention combined with integrated rehabilitation treatment for improving IC in patients with psychotic disorders.

Main Methods:

• Fifty-six patients with psychotic disorders were randomized to either integrated rehabilitation treatment (IRT) or IRT plus 26 mindfulness group sessions.
• Assessments included the PANSS interview, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), and Stroop Color Word Test (SCWT).
• The primary outcome was performance on non-congruent trials of the SCWT, measuring inhibitory control.

Main Results:

• No significant baseline differences were observed between the groups.
• Patients receiving the mindfulness-enhanced treatment showed significant improvements in SCWT non-congruent trial performance and MAAS scores post-intervention.
• The mindfulness group also reported higher MAAS scores compared to the control group at post-treatment.

Conclusions:

• Integrating mindfulness into rehabilitation treatment may enhance inhibitory control in individuals with psychosis.
• Findings align with existing research on mindfulness improving cognitive functions in the general population.
• Mindfulness-based interventions show promise as an adjunct therapy for cognitive deficits in psychotic disorders.