Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is feasible for people with acquired brain injury: A process evaluation of the BrainACT treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for people with acquired brain injury. DESIGN: A process evaluation of the BrainACT treatment was conducted alongside a randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Psychology departments of hospitals and rehabilitation centres. SUBJECTS: Tweny-seven participants with acquired brain injury and 11 therapists. INTERVENTION: BrainACT is an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy adapted for the needs and possible cognitive deficits of people with acquired brain injury, provided in eight one-hour face-to-face or video-conference sessions. MEASUREMENTS: The attendance and compliance rates, engagement, satisfaction, and perceived barriers and facilitators for delivery in clinical practice were investigated using semi-structured interviews with participants and therapists and therapy logs. RESULTS: 212 of the 216 sessions in total were attended and 534 of the 715 protocol elements across participants and sessions were delivered. Participants were motivated and engaged. Participants and therapists were satisfied with the intervention and participants reported to have implemented skills in their daily routines acquired during therapy. Key strengths are the structure provided with the bus of life metaphor, the experiential nature of the intervention, and the materials and homework. Participants and therapists often preferred face-to-face sessions, however, when needed video-conferencing is a good alternative. CONCLUSION: BrainACT is a feasible intervention for people with anxiety and depressive symptoms following acquired brain injury. However, when the content of the intervention is too extensive, we recommend adding two extra sessions.

Acceptance and commitment therapy for people with acquired brain injury: Rationale and description of the BrainACT treatment.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of anxiety and depressive symptoms following acquired brain injury is complex and more evidence-based treatment options are needed. We are currently evaluating the BrainACT intervention; acceptance and commitment therapy for people with acquired brain injury. RATIONALE: This paper describes the theoretical underpinning, the development and content of BrainACT. Acceptance and commitment therapy focuses on the acceptance of feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations and on living a valued life, without fighting against what is lost. Since the thoughts that people with acquired brain injury can experience are often realistic or appropriate given their situation, this may be a suitable approach. THEORY INTO PRACTICE: Existing evidence-based protocols were adapted for the needs and potential cognitive deficits after brain injury. General alterations are the use of visual materials, summaries and repetition. Acceptance and commitment therapy-specific adaptions include the Bus of Life metaphor as a recurrent exercise, shorter mindfulness exercises, simplified explanations, a focus on experiential exercises and the monitoring of committed actions. The intervention consists of eight one-hour sessions with a psychologist, experienced in acceptance and commitment therapy and in working with people with acquired brain injury. The order of the sessions, metaphors and exercises can be tailored to the needs of the patients. DISCUSSION: Currently, the effectiveness and feasibility of the intervention is evaluated in a randomised controlled trial. The BrainACT intervention is expected to be a feasible and effective intervention for people with anxiety or depressive symptoms following acquired brain injury.

Acceptance and commitment therapy for individuals with depressive and anxiety symptoms following acquired brain injury: A non-concurrent multiple baseline design across four cases.

Patients with acquired brain injury (ABI) often experience symptoms of anxiety and depression. Until now, evidence-based treatment is scarce. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for patients with ABI. To evaluate the effect of ACT for people with ABI, a non-concurrent multiple baseline design across four cases was used. Participants were randomly assigned to a baseline period, followed by treatment and then follow-up phases. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were repeatedly measured. During six measurement moments over a year, participants filled in questionnaires measuring anxiety, depression, stress, participation, quality of life, and ACT-related processes. Randomization tests and NAP scores were used to calculate the level of change across phases. Clinically significant change was defined with the Reliable Change Index. Three out of four participants showed medium to large decreases in anxiety and depressive symptoms (NAP = 0.85 till 0.99). Furthermore, participants showed improvements regarding stress, cognitive fusion, and quality of life. There were no improvements regarding psychological flexibility, value-driven behaviour, or social participation. This study shows that ACT is possibly an effective treatment option for people experiencing ABI-related anxiety and depression symptoms. Replication with single case or large scale group studies is needed to confirm these findings.

Measuring psychological flexibility and cognitive defusion in individuals with acquired brain injury.

PURPOSE: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is used increasingly for individuals with psychological distress following acquired brain injury (ABI) in different countries. However, questionnaires measuring ACT-processes are often not validated for this patient group and need cross-cultural validation. This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire for Acquired Brain Injury (AAQ-ABI; measuring psychological flexibility related to thoughts and feelings about ABI) and the Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (CFQ-7; measuring cognitive defusion). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Score distribution, reliability, and convergent validity of the AAQ-ABI and the CFQ-7 were examined in Dutch individuals with ABI. RESULTS: Seventy-three patients with ABI were included. The AAQ-ABI showed good reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.87) and the CFQ-7 excellent reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.97). Both did not show a floor or ceiling effect, nor a skewed distribution. There were strong to moderate correlations between the questionnaires and measures of psychological flexibility, mood, quality of life, and value-driven behavior (AAQ-ABI: r = -0.70-0.81; CFQ-7 = -0.67-0.84). Inter-item total correlations indicate that the questions within each questionnaire measured the same construct (AAQ-ABI: r = 0.40-0.78; CFQ-7: r = 0.84-0.93). CONCLUSIONS: The current study shows that the Dutch AAQ-ABI and CFQ-7 have acceptable to good psychometric properties when measuring psychological flexibility and cognitive defusion in patients with ABI.

Anxiety in multiple sclerosis is related to depressive symptoms and cognitive complaints.

OBJECTIVES: Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients suffer from high levels of anxiety. However, it is unclear which factors are related to anxiety, since study results are inconsistent, and the associated factors have not been examined comprehensively. In this study, we investigated the demographic, disease-related and psychological factors associated with anxiety in MS patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional data of 119 MS patients were used. Anxiety and depressive symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale), cognitive complaints (Cognitive Failures Questionnaire) and cognitive functioning (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, Letter Digit Substitution Test, Concept Shifting Test, Wechsler Memory Test Faces and the Dutch version of the California Verbal Learning Test) were measured. Bivariate and multivariable regression analyses were conducted to test the associations between anxiety and potential contributing factors. RESULTS: In this sample, 42% of the MS patients had clinically significant levels of anxiety, defined by a score ≥8 on the anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). A significant correlation was found between anxiety and depressive symptoms, fatigue, cognitive complaints and psychiatric history. In the multivariable analysis, only depressive symptoms and cognitive complaints remained significantly related to anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: Anxiety is common in MS patients and most strongly related to psychological factors. This knowledge can be taken into account when treating patients with MS. Further research is needed using longitudinal designs and incorporating other factors known to influence anxiety, such as coping, negative affectivity and social support.

Is the effect of coping styles disease specific? Relationships with emotional distress and quality of life in acquired brain injury and multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the use of coping styles and the relationships linking coping to emotional distress and quality of life in patients with acquired brain injury and multiple sclerosis. METHOD: Cross-sectional cohort study of 143 patients with acquired brain injury and 310 patients with multiple sclerosis in the chronic stage. Quality of life was measured with the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (LiSat-9), coping styles with the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS-T, task-oriented; CISS-E, emotion-oriented; CISS-A, avoidance), emotional distress with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). RESULTS: Coping styles did not differ between types of multiple sclerosis and varied only little with regard to severity of disease. In both patient groups, task-oriented coping was most used followed by avoidance and emotion-oriented coping. Patients with multiple sclerosis used all styles to a greater extent. In acquired brain injury, lower CISS-E and lower HADS scores were associated with higher LiSat-9 scores. CISS-E had a direct effect on LiSat-9 and an indirect effect via HADS. In multiple sclerosis, next to lower CISS-E and lower HADS scores, higher CISS-A scores were also associated with higher LiSat-9 scores. CISS-E had an indirect effect and CISS-A had a direct and indirect effect on LiSat-9. CONCLUSION: In both patient groups, coping patterns are similar, and emotion-oriented coping negatively influences quality of life. Additionally, in multiple sclerosis, seeking emotional support and distraction (CISS-A) was positively associated with quality of life. Interventions to improve adaptive coping could be organized within a neurorehabilitation setting for both patient groups together.

Explaining fatigue in multiple sclerosis: cross-validation of a biopsychosocial model.

Fatigue is a common and disabling symptom in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), but its pathogenesis is still poorly understood and consequently evidence-based treatment options are limited. Bol et al. (J Behav Med 33(5):355-363, 2010) suggested a new model, which explains fatigue in MS from a biopsychosocial perspective, including cognitive-behavioral factors. For purposes of generalization to clinical practice, cross-validation of this model in another sample of 218 patients with MS was performed using structural equation modeling. Path analysis indicated a close and adequate global fit (RMSEA = 0.053 and CFI = 0.992). The cross-validated model indicates a significant role for disease severity, depression and a fear-avoidance cycle in explaining MS-related fatigue. Modifiable factors, such as depression and catastrophizing thoughts, propose targets for treatment options. Our findings are in line with recent evidence for the effectiveness of a new generation of cognitive behavioral therapy, including acceptance and mindfulness-based interventions, and provide a theoretical framework for treating fatigue in MS.

The impact of fatigue on cognitive functioning in patients with multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: To study the impact of physical and mental fatigue on cognitive complaints and cognitive performance in patients with multiple sclerosis. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: An outpatient neurology clinic. SUBJECTS: Eighty patients diagnosed with clinically definite multiple sclerosis. MEASURES: The subscales physical and mental fatigue of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory; the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Cognitive Failure Questionnaire. Cognitive performance was assessed by an extensive neuropsychological test battery, including several tasks requiring effortful information processing. RESULTS: Both anxiety and depression and mental fatigue significantly contributed to cognitive complaints, explaining respectively about 9% and 39% of the total variance. The contribution of physical fatigue to cognitive complaints was not significant. Both physical and mental fatigue did not significantly contribute to cognitive performance in terms of mental speed, attention, memory and executive functioning. CONCLUSIONS: To refine interventions for those patients with cognitive complaints, we advise adding measurements of anxiety, depression and fatigue to their neuropsychological assessment. Fatigue permits extensive neuropsychological assessment, which is needed to detect cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis.

Fatigue and physical disability in patients with multiple sclerosis: a structural equation modeling approach.

Although fatigue is one of the most common and disabling symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), its pathogenesis is still poorly understood and it is difficult to treat. The aim of the current study was to test the assumptions of a cognitive-behavioral model that explains fatigue and physical disability in MS patients, by comparing this approach with a more traditional biomedical approach. Structural equation modeling was applied to a sample of 262 MS patients. Neither the cognitive-behavioral, nor the biomedical model showed an adequate fit of our data. The modification indices supported an integration of both models, which showed a better fit than those of the separate models. This final model, is notable for at least three features: (1) fatigue is associated with depression and physical disability, (2) physical disability is associated with disease severity and fatigue-related fear and avoidance behavior, and (3) catastrophic interpretations about fatigue, fueled by depression, mediated the relationship between fatigue and fatigue-related fear and avoidance behavior. Our results suggest that an integrated approach, including the modification of catastrophic thoughts about fatigue, would be beneficial in the treatment of fatigue in MS patients.

Personalized predictions of treatment outcome in patients with post-stroke depressive symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: Post-stroke depressive symptoms have a vast individual and societal impact. However, research into interventions for such symptoms show contradictory results; it is unclear what works for which patients. In addition, clinical prediction tools are lacking. This study aimed to develop a prognostic index model for treatment outcome in patients with post-stroke depressive symptoms. METHODS: Data from a randomized controlled trial (n = 61) evaluating 2 interventions for post-stroke depressive symptoms were used to predict post-treatment post-stroke depressive symptoms and participation. From 18 pre-treatment variables of patients and caregivers, predictors were selected using elastic net regression. Based on this selection, prognostic index scores (i.e. predictions) for both out-comes were computed for each individual patient. RESULTS: The depression model included all pre-treatment variables, explaining 44% of the variance. The strongest predictors were: lesion location, employment, participation, comorbidities, mobility, sex, and pre-treatment depression. Six predictors of post-treatment participation were identified, explaining 51% of the variance: mobility, pre-treatment participation, age, satisfaction with participation, caregiver strain, and psychological distress of the spouse. The cross-validated prognostic index scores correlated highly with the actual outcome scores (depression: correlation = 0.672; participation: correlation = 0.718). CONCLUSION: Post-stroke depressive symptoms form a complex and multifactorial problem. Treatment outcome is influenced by the characteristics of the stroke, the patients, and their spouses. The results show that psychological distress is probably no obstacle to attempting to improve participation. The personalized predictions (prognostic index scores) of treatment outcome show promising results, which, after further replication and validation, could aid clinicians with treatment selection.

The psychology of fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis: a review.

Fatigue is a frequent and disabling symptom in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), but it is difficult to define and measure. Today, MS-related fatigue is not fully understood, and evidence related to explanatory pathophysiological factors are conflicting. Here, we evaluate the contribution of psychological factors to MS-related fatigue. Insight into the possible underlying psychological mechanisms might help us to develop adequate psychological interventions and to improve the overall management of fatigue. Conceptual issues and the relationships between MS-related fatigue and mood, anxiety, cognition, personality, and cognitive-behavioral factors are discussed, and the implications for clinical practice and research are presented.

The BrainACT study: acceptance and commitment therapy for depressive and anxiety symptoms following acquired brain injury: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Following an acquired brain injury, individuals frequently experience anxiety and/or depressive symptoms. However, current treatments for these symptoms are not very effective. A promising treatment is acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which is a third-wave behavioural therapy. The primary goal of this therapy is not to reduce symptoms, but to improve psychological flexibility and general well-being, which may be accompanied by a reduction in symptom severity. The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of an adapted ACT intervention (BrainACT) in people with acquired brain injury who experience anxiety and/or depressive symptoms. METHODS: The study is a multicenter, randomized, controlled, two-arm parallel trial. In total, 94 patients who survive a stroke or traumatic brain injury will be randomized into an ACT or control (i.e. psycho-education and relaxation) intervention. The primary outcome measures are the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. Outcomes will be assessed by trained assessors, blinded to treatment condition, pre-treatment, during treatment, post-treatment, and at 7 and 12 months. DISCUSSION: This study will contribute to the existing knowledge on how to treat psychological distress following acquired brain injury. If effective, BrainACT could be implemented in clinical practice and potentially help a large number of patients with acquired brain injury. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Dutch Trial Register, NL691, NTR 7111. Registered on 26 March 2018. https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/6916.

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for severely fatigued multiple sclerosis patients: A waiting list controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Fatigue is the most common symptom in multiple sclerosis. Evidence-based treatment options are scarce. OBJECTIVE: To study the feasibility and potential effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in severely fatigued multiple sclerosis patients. METHODS: Non-randomized pilot study with a wai-ting list control period including 59 multiple sclerosis patients with severe fatigue. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: fatigue severity subscale of the Checklist Individual Strength-20. Secondary measures: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Life Satisfaction Questionnaire, subscale sleep of the Symptom Checklist-90, Cognitive Failure Questionnaire, Fatigue Catastrophizing Scale, Coping Inventory of Stressful Situations, and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-Short Form. Measurements were taken before treatment (double baseline), after treatment, and at follow-up (3 months). RESULTS: Adherence rate was 71%. Eight out of 10 participants who completed the intervention were satisfied with the intervention. Significant time effects were found for 7 out of 11 outcome measures (p = 0.006 to < 0.001). The effect size was moderate for all outcome measures that were significant post-treatment and/or at follow-up (È ² = 0.10-0.17). Improvements were maintained at follow-up. Of the completers, 46% showed a clinically relevant change regarding fatigue. CONCLUSION: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is feasible in severely fatigued multiple sclerosis patients and has positive results in the reduction of severe fatigue and several psychological factors.

Vitamin D3 supplementation in multiple sclerosis: Symptoms and biomarkers of depression.

Depressive symptoms are common in multiple sclerosis (MS), and both depression and MS have been associated with a poor vitamin D status. As cytokine-mediated inflammatory processes play a role in the pathogenesis of both disorders, we hypothesized that vitamin D3 supplementation reduces depressive symptoms in MS via its immunomodulatory properties. In this randomized pilot study relapsing remitting (RR) MS patients received either vitamin D3 supplementation (n=20; 14.000IU/day) or placebo (n=20) during 48weeks. Pre- and post-supplementation depression scores, measured using the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) depression subscale (HADS-D), showed a significant decrease within the vitamin D3 group (median HADS-D 4.0 to 3.0, p=0.02), a trend towards a decrease within the placebo group (median HADS-D 3.0 to 2.0, p=0.06), but no significantly different reductions between groups (p=0.78). Furthermore, no reductions in pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine balances, secreted by stimulated leukocytes and CD8+ T cells, were found in the vitamin D3 compared to the placebo arm. Therefore, we found no evidence for a reduction of depressive symptoms or related biomarkers upon vitamin D3 supplementation in RRMS patients in this exploratory study. Whether vitamin D3 supplementation is of benefit in manifest depression in MS needs to be assessed by additional studies.

The contribution of disease severity, depression and negative affectivity to fatigue in multiple sclerosis: a comparison with ulcerative colitis.

BACKGROUND: Fatigue is one of the most common and troubling symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and more severe and disabling than fatigue in other somatic populations. Although fatigue seems MS specific, its pathogenesis is still poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To study the disease specificity of fatigue in MS by comparing its level, its physical and psychological correlates to those of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), a peripheral chronic auto-immune disease. We focused on the relative contribution of disease severity, depression and negative affectivity to fatigue in both patient samples. METHODS: A total of 88 MS and 76 UC patients were included in this cross-sectional study. Fatigue, depression and negative affectivity were assessed respectively with the physical and mental fatigue subscales of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, the depression subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the neuroticism subscale of the Dutch NEO Five-Factor Inventory. The Expanded Disability Status Scale and the Colitis Activity Index were used to measure disease severity in MS and UC patients respectively. RESULTS: While levels of both physical and mental fatigue were significantly higher in MS patients than in UC patients, there were no group differences in the contribution of disease severity, depression and negative affectivity to both physical and mental fatigue. CONCLUSION: Although levels of fatigue are higher for MS patients when compared with UC patients, the correlates of fatigue do not indicate MS specificity. As such our results support a transdiagnostic approach to fatigue in MS.