Does the Relaxation Response Inhibit Acute Stress?

Beth Israel Lahey Health

Status and phase

Completed

Phase 2

Conditions

Healthy

Treatments

Behavioral: relaxation response- meditation

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT00179595

H75-CCH-119124

2001P001747

H75-CCH-123424

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purposes of this study are:

To examine molecular and biochemical changes, associated with the relaxation response (RR) that can counteract the effects of stress in healthy adults.
To compare genomic, molecular and biochemical parameters between healthy adults with a long term meditative practice and those with no experience in meditation.

Since stress is a factor in the development of many health conditions, a further understanding of the mechanisms of the RR should be developed. The project is designed to determine how the RR can improve the quality of life that has been adversely affected by stress.

Full description

The purposes of this study are:

To examine molecular and biochemical changes, associated with the relaxation response (RR) that can counteract the effects of stress in healthy adults.
To compare genomic, molecular and biochemical parameters between healthy adults with a long term meditative practice and those with no experience in meditation.

Enrollment

140 estimated patients

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 49 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

healthy individual
age:18-49 years
able to read and understand English
able to attend al study visits
access to a telephone (to schedule visits)

Exclusion criteria

current smoking
asthma
current use of any prescription or psychoactive medications or supplements
either:
1. no prior experience with RR eliciting techniques
2. at least 3 years of regular RR elicitation (at least 20 min/day)
BMI >30
exhaled nitric oxide levels >60 ppb
abnormal lab values (Hct <32,creatinine >1.3, glucose >200
pregnancy