Meditation improves quality of life in drug-resistant epilepsy, reduces seizures

Epilepsy and migraines share many features and those with epilepsy have a higher risk of developing migraines, while those with migraines are more likely to develop epilepsy. Anti-epilepsy drugs are commonly used for the preventive treatment of migraines.

A study just published in Neurology by Hong Kong researchers investigated the effectiveness of mindfulness-based therapy and social support in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.

It was a blinded and randomized trial. Sixty patients with drug-resistant epilepsy were randomly allocated to mindfulness therapy or social support (30 per group). Each group received 4 biweekly intervention sessions. They measured quality of life, as well as seizure frequency, mood symptoms, and neurocognitive functions.

Following intervention, both the mindfulness and social support groups had an improved quality of life, but significantly more patients in the mindfulness group had a clinically important improvement. Significantly greater reduction in depressive and anxiety symptoms, seizure frequency, and improvement in delayed memory was observed in the mindfulness group compared with the social support group.

The authors concluded that even short-term mindfulness therapy in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy provides significant benefits.

It is surprising that even seizure frequency was reduced, although stress and lack of sleep can definitely increase seizure frequency. The study did not evaluate the quality or duration of sleep, but mindfulness meditation is know to improve sleep. It also improves migraine headaches (see my previous post).

To start meditating you can download a very popular app, Headspace or read a book by BH Gunaratana, Mindfulness in Plain English or download free podcasts at TaraBrach.com.