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Meditation/Relaxation — Clinical Studies</p>
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<p><b>Cardiac Events after Myocardial Infaction</b><br />
Van Dixhoorn JJ, Duivenvoorden JH. “Effect of relaxation therapy on cardiac events after myocardial infarction: a 5-year follow-up study.” <i>Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation</i>. 19(3):178-85, May-June 1999.<br />
The occurrence of major cardiac events and cardiac rehospitalization were compared for two treatment groups. Patients with previous myocardial infarction were randomized to receive either exercise training and relaxation therapy or exercise training only (control group). At five-year follow-up the total number of rehospitalizations was reduced by 31% in the group receiving relaxation training. </p>
<p><b>Cancer patients: mood and stress</b><br />
Specca M, Carlson LE, Goodey E, et al. “A randomized, wait-list controlled clinical trial: the effect of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction program on mood and symptoms of stress in cancer outpatients.” <i>Psychosomatic Medicine</i>. 62(5):613-622, 2000.<br />
Ninety patients were randomly assigned to either an immediate meditation treatment group or a wait-list control group. Patients in the mindfulness meditation treatment group had significantly lower scores on Total Mood Disturbance and subscales of Depression, Anxiety, Anger and Confusion. This group also had fewer overall symptoms of stress. Overall the reduction in Total Mood Disturbance was 65%, with a 31% reduction in Symptoms of Stress. The meditation program was effective in decreasing mood disturbance and stress symptoms in both male and female patients with a wide variety of cancer diagnosis, stages of illness and ages.</p>
<p><b>Hypertension</b><br />
Barnes VA, Treiber FA, Turner JR, et al. “Acute effects of Transcendental Meditation on hemodynamic functioning in middle-aged adults.” <i>Psychosomatic Medicine</i>. 61(4): 525-531, 1999.<br />
Increased peripheral vascular constriction has been implicated as playing an important role in the early development of essential hypertension. Thirty two healthy adults were divided into 3 groups: a TM group of long-term TM practitioners, a control group who did eyes closed relaxation, and all subjects who used eyes open rest for 20 minutes. During eyes open rest the TM group had decreases in systolic blood pressure and total peripheral resistance (TPR), compared with increases in the control group. During TM there was a greater decrease in systolic blood pressure and TPR compared with the control group during eyes-closed relaxation. TPR decreased significantly during TM and this decrease in vasoconstrictive tone may be the mechanism responsible for reduction of high blood pressure over time. <br />
<a name="immunefunction"></a><br />
<b>Immune and Brain Function</b><br />
Davidson RJ, Kabat-Zinn J, Schumacher J, et al. “Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation.” <i>Psychosomatic Medicine</i>. 65:564-570, 2003.<br />
This randomized controlled trial looked at the effects on the brain and immune function of an 8-week clinical training program in mindfulness meditation applied in a work environment with healthy employees. At the end of the 8-week period subjects in the meditation group (25) and in the wait-list control group (16) were vaccinated with influenza vaccine. Findings included significant increases in left-sided anterior brain wave activation (a finding closely associated with positive affect) and significant increases in antibody titers to the influenza vaccine in the meditation group as compared to the control group. The increase in left-sided activation predicted the magnitude of antibody titer rise to the vaccine. These findings show that a short program in mindfulness meditation produces demonstrable effects on brain and immune function.</p>
<p><b>Insomnia</b><br />
Lichstein KL, et al. “Relaxation to assist sleep medication withdrawal.” <i>Behavior Modification</i>. 23(3):379-402, Jul. 1999.<br />
Of forty study participants, half used sleep medication regularly and half were nonmedicated. Half of each group received progressive relaxation. All medicated participants went through a standard gradual withdrawal program and reduced sleep medication by nearly 80%. Participants who received progressive relaxation had increased sleep efficiency and quality of sleep and reduced withdrawal symptoms.</p>
<p><b>Phobias</b><br />
McGlynn FD, Moore PM, Lawyer S, Karg R. “Relaxation training inhibits fear and arousal during in vivo exposure to phobia-cue stimuli.” <i>Journal of Behavior Therapy & Experimental Psychiatry</i>. 30(3):155-68, Sep. 1999.<br />
Two groups of subjects with a phobia to snakes were exposed to a caged snake in eight separate sessions. Measurements of various parameters were made including heart rate, skin conductance levels, distance between subject and snake, and self-reported fear intensities. Only one group received six sessions of progressive relaxation training prior to the trials. This group showed clear lessening of arousal and fear throughout the course of exposure.</p>
<p><b>Post-operative Pain</b><br />
Good M, et al. “Relief of postoperative pain with jaw relaxation, music and their combination.” <i>Pain</i>. 81(1-2):163-72, May 1999.<br />
In this randomized, controlled trial at five Midwestern hospitals 500 subjects were assigned to a relaxation, music, relaxation and music, or control group. Results indicated that the three treatment groups had significantly less pain than the controls; the combination group had significantly less sensation and distress of pain than the control group on all post-tests; and the relaxation group and music group had signficantly less on all tests, except after ambulation. </p>
<p><b>Psoriasis</b><br />
Kabat-Zinn J, et al. “Influence of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction intervention on rates of skin clearing in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis undergoing phototherapy (UCB) and photochemotherapy (PUVA)“. <i>Psychosomatic Medicine</i>. 60(5):625-32, Sept-Oct, 1998.<br />
Conducted at the Stress Reduction Clinic, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, this randomized clinical trial studied 37 patients with psoriasis who were assigned to receive either instruction by audiotape in mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction during light treatments or light treatments alone with no taped instruction. Subjects in the tape group reached the Halfway Point and Clearing Point significantly more rapidly than those in the control condition for both types of light treatments. </p>
<p><b>Psychological Symptoms</b><br />
Astin JA. “Stress reduction through mindfulness meditation. Effects on psychological symptomatology, sense of control, and spiritual experiences.” <i>Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics</i>. 66(2):97-106, 1997.<br />
Twenty eight patients were randomized into an experimental group who received an 8-week stress reduction program based on mindfulness meditation training and a group receiving no intervention. The meditation group showed significantly greater changes in reduction in overall psychological symptomatology, increase in overall domain-specific sense of control as well as an accepting mode of control, and higher scores on a measure of spiritual experiences. The authors conclude that mindfulness meditation may offer a powerful cognitive behavioral life coping strategy and contribute to relapse prevention in affective disorders. </p>
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<p class="timestamp">Content last modified on Feb 9, 2004</p>
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