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Abstract

Purpose: Impaired attention after stroke is a common problem for which rehabilitation would potentially be indicated. Systematic review evidence has revealed a lack of high-quality research that supports the effectiveness of standard-of-care cognitive rehabilitation for sustained attention, alertness, and functional impact on daily life after stroke. Standard-of-care cognitive rehabilitation does not include meditation. Meditation has been defined in contemporary scientific literature as a regime entailing voluntary self-regulation of attention. As such, meditation could potentially improve attention in keeping with tenets of neuroplasticity. The present study investigated whether mantra meditation would benefit attention for adults with chronically impaired attention after right-hemisphere stroke. The study purpose was to yield evidence on the likelihood of a therapeutic functional relationship between these variables for this specific population. Method: Mantra meditation was operationalized as repetitive, audible utterance of the syllable um for 30 consecutive minutes per intervention day. For each subject, the study comprised 11 sessions evenly spaced throughout four consecutive weeks. The primary outcome measure was the Sustained Attention to Response Test (SART). A non-concurrent, multiple-baseline, across-subjects, single-case experimental design (SCED) was used. RESULTS: In keeping with SCED guidelines, three subjects were enrolled. There was strong evidence in favor of a therapeutic effect for one subject. Conclusion: Further research is needed to substantiate the likelihood of a functional relationship between mantra meditation and attentional benefit for people with chronically impaired attention due to stroke. Such research should control for possible ceiling effects and/or subjective engagement with the meditation. Clinical application of the protocol should likewise entail monitoring of engagement and functional status.

Author Bio(s)

Cheryl L. Carrico, Ph.D., OT/L, is an Assistant Professor at Eastern Kentucky University's Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Her research interests include contemplative practice for use in clinical and educational settings.

Dana M. Howell, Ph.D., OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA, is Foundation Professor and Chair of Eastern Kentucky University's Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Scholarly interests include interprofessional practice and education; qualitative research; and rehabilitation.

John A. Patterson, MD, MSPH, is a family medicine specialist affiliated with the University of Kentucky's Department of Family and Community Medicine. He currently operates the Mind Body Studio in Lexington, KY.

Richard D. Andreatta, Ph.D., ASHA Fellow, is a Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders and in the Rehabilitation and Health Sciences Doctoral Program at the University of Kentucky. His areas of academic interest include activity-dependent neuroplasticity, dynamical systems theory, and cognitive neuroscience.

Camille Skubik-Peplaski, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, is a Professor at Eastern Kentucky University's Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. She has research interests in occupation-based practice, client-centered practice, and the therapy environment.

Acknowledgements

Sincere appreciation is extended to the participants in this study as well as support personnel Elizabeth Salmon-Powell.

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