Meditation Training for People with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Randomised Clinical Trial

Background: There is a lack of studies about psychological interventions for the promotion of well-being in people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. We aimed to test the efficacy of an ALS-specific mindfulness-based intervention on the improvement of quality of life. Methods: We conducted a randomized, open-label and controlled clinical trial of the efficacy of an ALS-specific meditation program in promoting quality of life. Adults who received a diagnosis of ALS within 18 months were randomly assigned to an 8-week meditation training (based on the original mindfulness-based stress reduction program and tailored for people with ALS) or to the usual care. Quality of life, assessed with the ALS-Specific Quality of Life Revised (ALSSQOL-R), represented the primary outcome, while secondary outcomes included anxiety and depression, assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and specific quality of life domains (Negative Emotion, Interaction with People and the Environment, Intimacy, Religiosity, Physical Symptoms and Bulbar Symptoms, all factors of the ALSSQOL-R). Participants were assessed at recruitment and after 2, 6 and 12 months. The efficacy of the treatment was assessed on an intention-to-treat basis in a linear mixed model. Study protocol was registered in ISRCTN registry, with the ID no. 88066803. Results: One hundred participants were recruited between November 2012 and December 2014. Over time, there was a significant difference between the two groups in term of quality of life (=0.24, p=0.015, d=0.89). Significant differences between groups over time were also found for anxiety, depression, negative emotions, and interaction with people and environment. Conclusion: An ALS-specific meditation program is beneficial to quality of life and psychological well-being of people with ALS.