Objectives: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease that is clinically characterized by progressive weakness leading to death by respiratory insufficiency, usually within three years. Although the patient's intellect and personality usually remain unimpaired, as the disease progresses, the patient becomes immobile, develops wasting, and speech becomes impaired, often resulting in social isolation and a high degree of psychological suffering. Mindfulness meditation has proven to be effective technique for reducing distress in many chronic diseases. However, to date, no study has investigated the effect of mindfulness meditation on patients with ALS. Design: A mindfulness meditation training program for ALS patients needs to consider the particularities of ALS symptoms, including the loss of muscular functions and difficulties in respiration, together with the subsequent emotional impairments. With these caveats in mind, a modified protocol, based on original mindfulness meditation interventions, has been created specifically for the ALS population. This article describes the protocol and preliminary results.

Meditation training for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and their caregivers / F. Pagnini, C. Di Credico, R. Gatto, V. Fabiani, G. Rossi, C. Lunetta, A. Marconi, F. Fossati, G. Castelnuovo, A. Tagliaferri, P. Banfi, M. Corbo, V. Sansone, E. Molinari, G. Amadei. - In: JOURNAL OF ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE. - ISSN 1075-5535. - 20:4(2014 Apr), pp. 272-275. [10.1089/acm.2013.0268]

Meditation training for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and their caregivers

V. Sansone;
2014

Abstract

Objectives: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease that is clinically characterized by progressive weakness leading to death by respiratory insufficiency, usually within three years. Although the patient's intellect and personality usually remain unimpaired, as the disease progresses, the patient becomes immobile, develops wasting, and speech becomes impaired, often resulting in social isolation and a high degree of psychological suffering. Mindfulness meditation has proven to be effective technique for reducing distress in many chronic diseases. However, to date, no study has investigated the effect of mindfulness meditation on patients with ALS. Design: A mindfulness meditation training program for ALS patients needs to consider the particularities of ALS symptoms, including the loss of muscular functions and difficulties in respiration, together with the subsequent emotional impairments. With these caveats in mind, a modified protocol, based on original mindfulness meditation interventions, has been created specifically for the ALS population. This article describes the protocol and preliminary results.
Settore MED/26 - Neurologia
apr-2014
Article (author)
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.
Pubblicazioni consigliate

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/458823
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 3
  • Scopus 17
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 15
social impact