Combination of non-invasive brain stimulation with mindfulness-based interventions for anxiety and depression symptoms: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Anastasia Demina, Benjamin Petit, Vincent Meille, Anne Sauvaget, Florent Lebon, Benoit Trojak
European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience November 17, 2024 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-024-01928-3 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractCombining non-invasive brain stimulation with mindfulness-based interventions shows a large effect on anxiety symptoms compared to control interventions, based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of twelve randomized controlled trials. The effect on depression symptoms was small-to-medium and not statistically significant. The combined treatment was feasible and well tolerated. The evidence for anxiety is of moderate certainty, while for depression it is low. Future research should explore which combinations work best by examining neural correlates and should familiarize patients with mindfulness before starting the combined treatment.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 12 |
| Population | Clinical populations |
| Interventions | non-invasive brain stimulation mindfulness-based interventions |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Neuroplasticity |
| Keywords | Bimodal treatment Mindfulness-based interventions |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key finding | Combining non-invasive brain stimulation with mindfulness-based interventions produced a large effect on anxiety symptoms but a non-significant small-to-medium effect on depression symptoms. |
Abstract
In this article we aimed synthesize all available evidence regarding the effects of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques combined with mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) on mental health indicators. We performed a systematic review of randomized controlled trials evaluating NIBS/MBIs combinations in clinical populations and a random effects pairwise meta-analysis of studies evaluating anxiety and depression symptoms. After independent trial selection by two authors based on titles/abstracts, and then on full texts, twelve trials were retrieved. There was a large effect size favoring the NIBS/MBIs over the control intervention for anxiety symptoms (Cohen's d = - 0.82 (- 1.35, - 0.30), I2 = 55%, moderate certainty of evidence). As for depression symptoms, there was a small-to-medium effect size that did not reach statistical significance (Cohen's d = - 0.24 (- 0.61, 0.13), I2 = 30%, low certainty of evidence). MBIs/NIBS combination is feasible and well tolerated. There is preliminary evidence for its therapeutic promise. Future studies should inform combination choices by neural correlates of respective interventions and offer patients mindfulness familiarization before implementation of the NIBS/MBIs treatment.Trial registration CRD42022353971.