Mindfulness May Sharpen Cognition in Neurological Disease, but Evidence

A systematic review in BMC Nursing examined whether structured mindfulness-based interventions can improve cognition in adults with neurological disorders. Researchers led by Hui Yan of Zigong First People’s Hospital in China searched six databases through April 25, 2025, using PRISMA to find randomized controlled trials comparing mindfulness programs with control conditions in adults diagnosed with conditions including stroke and mild cognitive impairment. Eight trials met criteria, contributing data from 479 participants. The analysis used conservative random-effects methods, the Hartung-Knapp adjustment for confidence intervals, Cochrane RoB 2 for bias assessment, and GRADE for evidence certainty. Overall, mindfulness interventions were associated with higher cognitive scores (Hedges g 0.82, 95% CI 0.12–1.52, p=0.027), but the authors emphasized statistical uncertainty. Programs included MBCT, MBSR, and other structured mindfulness approaches.