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Narcolepsy

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Collecting Sleep, Circadian, Fatigue, and Performance Data in Complex Operational Environments

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Development of a mindfulness-based intervention for narcolepsy: a feasibility study.

Jennifer M Mundt^1,2, Phyllis C Zee^1,2, Matthew D Schuiling³

¹Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.

|June 19, 2024

Summary

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) adapted for narcolepsy are feasible and acceptable. The extended 12-week program showed the most significant improvements in psychosocial functioning and sleep symptoms for narcolepsy patients.

Keywords:

Narcolepsy anxiety depression mind-body therapies mindfulness psychosocial functioning

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Published on: July 1, 2015

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Psychiatry
Sleep Medicine

Background:

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) improve psychosocial functioning in medical conditions.
No studies have investigated MBIs for narcolepsy.
This study adapted and evaluated an MBI for adults with narcolepsy.

Purpose of the Study:

To examine the feasibility and acceptability of a narcolepsy-adapted MBI.
To compare three program lengths: brief (4 weeks), standard (8 weeks), and extended (12 weeks).
To assess the clinical impact of the MBI on various patient-reported outcomes.

Main Methods:

60 adults with narcolepsy were randomized into 4, 8, or 12-week MBI groups.
Feasibility assessed via attendance, meditation practice, and data completeness.
Clinical outcomes measured included mindfulness, self-compassion, mood, sleep, and psychosocial functioning.

Main Results:

Attendance and data completeness benchmarks were met by most participants.
All groups improved significantly in mindfulness, self-compassion, and fatigue.
The extended MBI group showed the greatest improvements across multiple domains, including sleepiness and psychosocial functioning.

Conclusions:

Remote delivery and data collection are feasible for narcolepsy clinical trials.
The extended 12-week MBI demonstrated the most favorable clinical impact.
MBIs show promise for improving the well-being of individuals with narcolepsy.