The Effects of a Brief Mindfulness Intervention on Emotional Responses and the Moderating Role of Interoception

Philipps University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Healthy Participants

Treatments: Behavioral: Body Scan; Other: Audio-book

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05115240

Mindfulness and interoception

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study examines the effects of a brief mindfulness intervention (body scan) on emotional responses (e.g., affect, heart rate variability (HRV)) compared to an active control group. Another aim is to assess whether the effects of the mindfulness intervention can be augmented by optimizing positive expectations. The moderating role of interception on the mindfulness intervention's effects will also be examined.

Full description

This 3-armed study examines the effects of a brief mindfulness intervention (audio-guided body scan) on emotional responses (e.g., affect, and heart rate variability (HRV)) compared to an active control group (listening to an audio-book). Another aim is to assess whether the effects of the mindfulness intervention can be augmented by optimizing positive expectations. The moderating role of interception (i.e., interoceptive accuracy as assessed by the Schandry task) on the mindfulness intervention's effects will also be examined.

Enrollment: 66 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• fluent in the German language
• ability to give informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• cardiovascular disease (previous myocardial infarction, hypertension)
• neurological disorders (epilepsy, stroke, multiple sclerosis)
• continuous medication intake (exceptions: contraceptives, nutritional supplements, L-thyroxine for hypothyroidism are allowed)
• pregnancy

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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66 participants in 3 patient groups

Audio-guided mindfulness-based intervention (body scan)

Experimental group

Treatment:

Behavioral: Body Scan

Enhanced Audio-guided mindfulness-based intervention (body scan)

Experimental group

Description:

Participants undergo the same audio-guided body scan intervention. However, in this arm the instruction focuses on the positive effects of mindfulness-based interventions and body scan aiming to optimize participants' interventions outcome expectations of the intervention. The idea of this arm is to assess whether the effects of the mindfulness-based intervention can be augmented by boosting participants positive expectations prior to the intervention.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Body Scan

Audio-Book

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants in this group listen to an audio-book for the same duration as the participants in the two experimental groups.

Treatment:

Other: Audio-book