Effectiveness of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy in adults with high-functioning autism

Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience often and much
psychological problems in social life. This frequently leads to depressive
symptoms. Moreover, adult ASD patients often suffer from sensory overload. To
date, no scientific studies have been published on how to adequately treat
these serious problems in ASD patients. However, there is literature that
indicates that Mindfulness treatment can achieve positive results in other
patient groups suffering from depression. The current project aims at
evaluating the effect of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) in adult
ASD patients. For this purpose, neuropsychological tests and questionaires will
be used as well as measurement of neurometric variables such as quantitative
EEG (qEEG) measures, Event Related Potentials, heart rate variability and
electrodermal activity. As reference, the same measurements will be done in a
control group of neurotypical volunteers.

Answering four research questions:
• Do adults with ASD report less complaints of depression after the mindfulness
training when compared to prior the training?
• Do adults with ASD have significant deviant patterns in neurometric data
including EEG during rest and during task performance and ERPs when compared to
an age-matched neurotypical control group
• Are adults with ASD less oversensitive to sensory stimuli after MBCT training
when compared to prior the training
• Do adults with ASD show less deviant neurometic characteristics after the
mindfulness training when compared to prior the training.

This is a cross-over study where three patient groups, each comprising of 15
participants undergo the same protocol:
1) a baseline measurement/recording (M0)
2) a second measurement/recording (M1)
3) start of the MBCT directly after M1
4) MBCT during 9 weeks
5) third measurement/recording after end of the training (M2)
Start of the protocol for each of the patient groups is 9 weeks apart from each
other.
In addition, the measurement/recording protocol is applied in a healthy
controls group of 15 age and gender matched volunteers at the beginning of the
project.

individual weekly MBCT sessions (2 hrs). Client has to excercise at least 6
days/wk

Risks: not applicable

All treatment groups:
* questionaires: reference (null) recording: 1 hour; pre-recording: 1 hour;
final recording: 1 hour
* training MBCT: 9 weekly sessions; each 2.5 hours
* home exercises MBCT: 9 weeks, 6 days/week, 1 hour /day

Additional burden for participants in the extended protocol (incl neurometry):
* initial recording: 1 hour neurometric recordings
* effect recording: 1 hour neurometric recordings