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Adjunctive mindfulness-based cognitive therapy improves short-term sleep quality in late-life depression

In a randomized controlled trial of 60 older adults with late-life depression, adding MBCT to treatment as usual improved subjective sleep quality (PSQI) at 8 weeks (between-group difference in change: -3.80, 95% CI -6.50 to -1.10) and increased stable sleep duration by 0.94 hours (95% CI 0.17 to 1.71) compared to TAU alone. Reduced functional connectivity between the right nucleus accumbens and left amygdala during meditation relative to rest was associated with greater increases in stable sleep duration (r=0.45, p=0.013).

Last updated: Aug 28, 2026•1 RCTs•📖 Read as article →

Evidence Score

Evidence Score44/100
Human RCT★★☆☆☆
Meta-analysis☆☆☆☆☆
Mechanism★★★★★
Safety★★★★☆
Confidencelow

Study Evidence

Study 1. Decreased accumbens-amygdala connectivity is associated with sleep improvement in late-life depression following mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.

rct

Wang Q, Li H, Wang S, Lin X, Zhu X, Su S, Sun W, Sui M, Lu L, Deng J, Sun X · Journal of affective disorders (2026)

Participants: 60
Duration: 8 weeks
Intervention: 8-week mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) adjunctive to treatment as usual (TAU)
Outcome: Subjective sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI) and objective stable sleep duration (cardiopulmonary coupling, CPC)
Effect Size: Between-group difference in PSQI change: -3.80; difference in stable sleep change: 0.94 h; correlation r=0.45
Population: Older adults with late-life depression (LLD)

Result: In a randomized controlled trial of 60 older adults with late-life depression, adding MBCT to treatment as usual improved subjective sleep quality (PSQI) at 8 weeks (between-group difference in change: -3.80, 95% CI -6.50 to -1.10) and increased stable sleep duration by 0.94 hours (95% CI 0.17 to 1.71) compared to TAU alone. Reduced functional connectivity between the right nucleus accumbens and left amygdala during meditation relative to rest was associated with greater increases in stable sleep duration (r=0.45, p=0.013).

PubMed: 42648548DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2026.122433

Mechanism Graph

MBCT training induces changes in brain functional connectivity, specifically reducing right nucleus accumbens-left amygdala connectivity during meditation relative to rest.
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This reduced connectivity may reflect decreased emotional reactivity and improved regulation of stress-related neural circuits.
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Such neural changes may facilitate better sleep regulation and increase stable sleep duration.
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Result: Greater reduction in accumbens-amygdala connectivity is associated with greater increases in stable sleep duration.

Limitations

  • ⚠Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial, not a primary outcome.
  • ⚠Sleep improvement was short-term; no significant difference at 3-month follow-up.
  • ⚠Neural correlates were only examined in the MBCT+TAU group, not in the TAU group, limiting causal inference.
  • ⚠Sample size was relatively small (n=60).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does MBCT improve sleep in late-life depression?▼

Yes, the study found that adding MBCT to treatment as usual led to greater short-term improvement in subjective sleep quality (PSQI) and increased stable sleep duration compared to treatment as usual alone.

How long does the sleep improvement last?▼

The improvement was significant at 8 weeks (end of treatment), but the between-group difference in PSQI was not significant at 3-month follow-up, suggesting the effect may be short-term.

What brain changes are associated with sleep improvement from MBCT?▼

Reduced functional connectivity between the right nucleus accumbens and left amygdala during meditation relative to rest was associated with greater increases in stable sleep duration.

What was the sample size and design of the study?▼

The study was a randomized controlled trial with 60 participants with late-life depression, randomized to MBCT+TAU or TAU alone for 8 weeks.

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References

  1. 1.Wang Q, Li H, Wang S, Lin X, Zhu X, Su S, Sun W, Sui M, Lu L, Deng J, Sun X. "Decreased accumbens-amygdala connectivity is associated with sleep improvement in late-life depression following mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.." Journal of affective disorders, 2026. PMID: 42648548 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2026.122433
Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Evidence scores reflect the quality and quantity of available research, not clinical recommendations. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any supplement or intervention.