34 Studies of long-term meditators have found increased cortical thickness 35 and increased gray matter density in the brainstem (associated with cardiorespiratory control), 36 hippocampus, and frontal areas (associated with emotional regulation and response control). 4Īccording to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, “mind and body practices focus on the interactions between the mind and body, and how their relationship affects health and wellbeing.” 33(p 8) Recent neuroscientific research has shown an association between meditation and neuroplasticity of the brain. 4, 16, 17, 30–32 Indeed, in a recent survey of 1110 people with MS, 32% of those who had used mind-body therapies found them to be beneficial. 4, 5, 8, 18–29 In addition, because MS is thought to be exacerbated by stress, 1 interventions such as yoga and mindfulness-based interventions can help break patterns of excessive worry, rumination, and stress that are linked to depression and anxiety. 4, 17 Although a variety of studies have shown yoga to be safe and effective for improving physical function and mood states, only a handful of studies to date have been specific to MS and yoga, and only a few others to mindfulness meditation and MS. 4 Yoga techniques may be useful in decreasing the emotional distress of disease diagnosis and health-related changes. 4, 5, 8, 16 Mind-body modalities are not each distinctly separate categories, and many cross over, as is the case with yoga and meditation.
Lifestyle choices incorporating mind-body therapies such as yoga and meditation hold a promise of hope for ameliorating these symptoms. 15 Because of the toll on QOL, depression and fatigue are important areas of symptom management. 13 Fatigue is frequently a disabling symptom for people with MS and is often ranked highest as the most distressing and disruptive symptom. Fatigue can range from mild to severe and can have a drastic negative effect on ability to function in various roles at work and at home. 12 Fatigue related to MS is unique and prevalent, occurring in 80% of people with MS. 9, 12 The results of a recent study suggest that changes in mood due to treatment for depression are associated with reduced severity of fatigue symptoms based on self-report from people with MS. 9 Recent studies have found a complex relationship between depression and fatigue, another common symptom of MS. 5, 7, 11, 14, 15 This rate may be so high due to a combination of factors that may promote depressive symptoms, including the possible demyelination of nerves transmitting mood signals. 2, 7, 9, 10 The implication of this statistic is far-reaching because depression is often regarded by people with MS as a significant determinant of QOL. Coping with a diagnosis of any kind can be accompanied by depression however, with an MS diagnosis, depression rates are three times higher than in the general population, with a lifetime depression rate of just more than 50% in people with MS.
3, 4, 7–15Ī diagnosis of MS comes with a plethora of uncertainties relating to disease progression and spontaneous symptoms that can greatly decrease QOL. Along with the physical impairments that can arise for those afflicted by MS, emotional distress takes a huge toll. 6 There is no known cause or cure for this condition, and symptoms may include cognitive impairment compromised mobility chronic pain sensory disturbance bladder, bowel, and sexual dysfunction and many others. 1–5 This disorder affects 400,000 people in the United States and more than 2 million worldwide. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurologic disorder that can have a major effect on quality of life (QOL) because it can negatively affect physical function, cognitive ability, and emotional health.
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