The impact of a meditation-based stress reduction program on fibromyalgia. Meditation awareness training for the treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome: A randomized controlled trial Commentary on the AHRQ report on research on meditation practices in health. Mindfulness meditation alleviates depressive symptoms in women with fibromyalgia: results of a randomized clinical trial. The efficacy of mindfulness meditation plus Qigong movement therapy in the treatment of fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial. Randomized Controlled Trial of Inner Resources Meditation for Family Dementia Caregivers. A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study of the Acceptability and Effectiveness of a Brief Meditation and Mindfulness Intervention for People with Diabetes and Coronary Heart Disease Mindfulness in Motion (MIM): An Onsite Mindfulness Based Intervention (MBI) for Chronically High Stress Work Environments to Increase Resiliency and Work Engagement The nondiscriminating heart: lovingkindness meditation training decreases implicit intergroup bias. Evaluating a Yogic Breathing and Meditation Intervention for Individuals Living with HIV/AIDS The influence of focused-attention meditation states on the cognitive control of sequence learning Increased theta and alpha EEG activity during nondirective meditation. Meditation or Exercise for Preventing Acute Respiratory Infection: A Randomized Controlled Trial Effectiveness of transcendental meditation on functional capacity and quality of life of African Americans with congestive heart failure: a randomized control study. Advantage of meditation over exercise in reducing cold and flu illness is related to improved function and quality of life Autonomic and EEG patterns distinguish transcending from other experiences during Transcendental Meditation practice. Effects of yoga and the addition of Tui Na in patients with fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic illness characterized by widespread pain , fatigue , sleep disturbance , and resistance to treatment . The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program on fibromyalgia . Seventy-seven patients meeting the 1990 criteria of the American College of Rheumatology for fibromyalgia took part in a 10-week group outpatient program . Therapists followed a carefully defined treatment approach and met weekly to further promote uniformity . Patients were evaluated before and after the program . Initial evaluation included a psychiatric structured clinical interview ( SCID ) . Outcome measures included visual analog scales to measure global well-being , pain , sleep , fatigue , and feeling refreshed in the morning . Patients also completed a medical symptom checklist , SCL-90-R , Coping Strategies Question naire , Fibromyalgia Impact Question naire , and the Fibromyalgia Attitude Index . Although the mean scores of all the patients completing the program showed improvement , 51 % showed moderate to marked improvement and only they were counted as " responders . " These preliminary findings suggest that a meditation-based stress reduction program  is effective for patients with fibromyalgia OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to conduct the first r and omized controlled trial ( RCT ) to evaluate the effectiveness of a second-generation mindfulness-based intervention ( SG-MBI ) for treating fibromyalgia syndrome ( FMS ) . Compared to first-generation mindfulness-based interventions , SG-MBIs are more acknowledging of the spiritual aspect of mindfulness . DESIGN A RCT employing intent-to-treat analysis . METHODS Adults with FMS received an 8-week SG-MBI known as meditation awareness training ( MAT ; n = 74 ) or an  active control intervention known as cognitive behaviour theory for groups ( n = 74 ) . Assessment s were performed at pre- , post- , and 6-month follow-up phases . RESULTS Meditation awareness training participants demonstrated significant and sustained improvements over control group participants in FMS symptomatology , pain perception , sleep quality , psychological distress , non-attachment ( to self , symptoms , and environment ) , and civic engagement . A mediation analysis found that ( 1 ) civic engagement partially mediated treatment effects for all outcome variables , ( 2 ) non-attachment partially mediated treatment effects for psychological distress and sleep quality , and ( 3 ) non-attachment almost fully mediated treatment effects for FMS symptomatology and pain perception . Average daily time spent in meditation was found to be a significant predictor of changes in all outcome variables . CONCLUSIONS Meditation awareness training may be a suitable treatment for adults with FMS and appears to ameliorate FMS symptomatology and pain perception by reducing attachment to self . Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject ? Design ing interventions to treat fibromyalgia syndrome ( FMS ) continues to be a challenge . There is growing interest into the applications of mindfulness-based interventions for treating FMS . Second-generation mindfulness-based interventions ( SG-MBIs ) are a key new direction in mindfulness research . What does this study add ? Meditation awareness training - an SG-MBI - result ed in significant reductions in FMS symptomatology . SG-MBIs recognize the spiritual aspect of mindfulness and may have a role in the treatment of FMS The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality ( AHRQ ) report is a major reference point for establishing where the research on meditation st and s and where it should go from here . This commentary argues that double blinding , a major component of the report 's evaluation criteria , is not an appropriate control for placebo in meditation research . A viable alternative is to make the treatment and control groups equivalent on nonspecific therapeutic attention factors and expectation . High quality meditation research must also use qualified instructors , have high compliance levels , insure proficient practice , use state-of-the-art measurement methodology , and make sure control subjects are not inadvertently practicing the same or another form of meditation . None of these determinants of research quality was assessed by the AHRQ report . It is noteworthy that whereas r and omized controlled trials have their place in demonstrating clinical efficacy , few if any of the major ideas in the basic or behavioral sciences have come from r and omized trails . A wide range of study design s have demonstrated that the traditional goal of meditation , a state of inner silence called " transcendental consciousness , " has unique physiological characteristics with far ranging implication s for health , cognition , and behavior . Such studies need to be included in future review s of meditation techniques OBJECTIVE Depressive symptoms are common among patients with fibromyalgia , and behavioral intervention has been recommended as a major treatment component for this illness . The objective of this study was to test the effects of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction ( MBSR ) intervention on depressive symptoms in patients with fibromyalgia . METHODS This r and omized controlled trial examined effects of the 8-week MBSR intervention on depressive symptoms in 91 women with fibromyalgia who were r and omly assigned to treatment ( n = 51 ) or a waiting-list control group ( n = 40 ) . Eligible patients were at least 18 years old , willing to participate in a weekly group , and able to provide physician verification of a fibromyalgia diagnosis . Of 166 eligible participants who responded to local television news publicizing , 49 did not appear for a scheduled intake , 24 enrolled but did not provide baseline data , and 2 were excluded due to severe mental illness , leaving 91 participants . The sample averaged 48 years of age and had 14.7 years of education . The typical participant was white , married , and employed . Patients r and omly assigned to treatment received MBSR . Eight weekly 2.5-hour sessions were led by a licensed clinical psychologist with mindfulness training .  Somatic and cognitive symptoms of depression were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory administered at baseline , immediately postprogram , and at followup 2 months after the conclusion of the intervention . RESULTS Change in depressive symptoms was assessed using slopes analyses of intervention effects over time . Depressive symptoms improved significantly in treatment versus control participants over the 3 assessment s. CONCLUSION This meditation-based intervention alleviated depressive symptoms among patients with fibromyalgia OBJECTIVE To test the short and longterm benefits of an 8 week mind-body intervention that combined training in mindfulness meditation with Qigong movement therapy for individuals with fibromyalgia syndrome ( FM ) . METHODS A total of 128 individuals with FM were r and omly assigned to the mind-body training program or an education support group that served as the control . Outcome measures were pain , disability ( Fibromyalgia Impact Question naire ) , depression , myalgic score ( number and severity of tender points ) , 6 minute walk time , and coping strategies , which were assessed at baseline and at 8 , 16 , and 24 weeks . RESULTS Both groups registered statistically significant improvements across time for the Fibromyalgia Impact Question naire , Total Myalgic Score , Pain , and Depression , and no improvement in the number of feet traversed in the 6 minute walk . However , there was no difference in either the rate or magnitude of these changes between the mind-body training group and the education control group . Salutary changes occurring by the eighth week ( which corresponded to the end of the mind-body and education control group sessions ) were largely maintained by both groups throughout the 6 month followup period . CONCLUSION While both groups showed improvement on a number of outcome variables , there was no evidence that the multimodal mind-body intervention for FM was superior to education and support as a treatment option . Additional r and omized controlled trials are needed before interventions of this kind can be recommended for treatment of FM OBJECTIVE This r and omized controlled trial examined the comparative effectiveness of 2 interventions for improving diurnal cortisol slope and life satisfaction and reducing stress symptoms among older female dementia family caregivers . METHOD Thirty-one family dementia caregivers were r and omized to 8 weeks of Inner Re sources for Stress  mindfulness meditation and mantra training ( IR ) or psychoeducation and telephone support ( PTS ) . RESULTS Intention-to-treat analyses revealed statistically significant pre-post improvements in diurnal cortisol slope and overall life satisfaction , but not depression or self-efficacy , in the IR relative to the PTS group . Adherence to between-session meditation practice was significantly associated with decreases in depression and self-reported improvements in ability to cope with stress . In addition , IR participants rated the overall benefits of the program more highly than the PTS group . CONCLUSION These results indicate that mindfulness meditation and mantra has promise as a feasible and effective caregiver intervention for quality of life and physiological responding to stress Mindfulness-based interventions can successfully target negative perseverative cognitions such as worry and thought suppression , but their acceptability and effectiveness in people with long-term conditions is uncertain . We therefore pilot tested a six-week meditation and mindfulness intervention in people ( n = 40 ) with diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease . We used a sequential mixed- methods approach that measured change in worry and thought suppression and qualitatively explored acceptability , feasibility , and user experience with a focus group ( n = 11 ) and in-depth interviews ( n = 16 ) . The intervention was highly acceptable , with 90 % completing ≥5 sessions  . Meditation and mindfulness skills led to improved sleep , greater relaxation , and more-accepting approaches to illness and illness experience . At the end of the six-week meditation course , worry , and thought suppression were significantly reduced . Positive impacts of mindfulness-based interventions on psychological health may relate to acquisition and development of meta-cognitive skills but this needs experimental confirmation A pragmatic mindfulness intervention to benefit personnel working in chronically high-stress environments , delivered onsite during the workday , is timely and valuable to employee and employer alike . Mindfulness in Motion ( MIM ) is a Mindfulness Based Intervention ( MBI ) offered as a modified , less time intensive method ( compared to Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction ) , delivered onsite , during work , and intends to enable busy working adults to experience the benefits of mindfulness . It teaches mindful awareness principles , rehearses mindfulness as a group , emphasizes the use of gentle yoga stretches , and utilizes relaxing music in the background of both the group sessions and individual mindfulness practice . MIM is delivered in a group format , for 1 hr/week/8 weeks . CDs and a DVD are provided to facilitate individual practice . The yoga movement is emphasized in the protocol to facilitate a quieting of the mind . The music is included for participants to associate the relaxed state experienced in the group session with their individual practice . To determine the intervention feasibility/efficacy we conducted a r and omized wait-list control group in Intensive Care Units ( ICUs ) . ICUs represent a high-stress work environment where personnel experience chronic exposure to catastrophic situations as they care for seriously injured/ill patients . Despite high levels of work-related stress , few interventions have been developed and delivered onsite for such environments . The intervention is delivered on site in the ICU , during work hours , with participants receiving time release to attend sessions . The intervention is well received with 97 % retention rate . Work engagement and resiliency increase significantly in the intervention group , compared to the wait-list control group , while participant respiration rates decrease significantly pre-post in 6/8 of the weekly sessions . Participants value institutional support , relaxing music , and the instructor as pivotal to program success . This provides evidence that MIM is feasible , well accepted , and can be effectively implemented in a chronically high-stress work environment Although meditation is increasingly accepted as having personal benefits , less is known about the broader impact of meditation on social and intergroup relations . We tested the effect of lovingkindness meditation training on improving implicit attitudes toward members of 2 stigmatized social outgroups : Blacks and homeless people . Healthy non-Black , nonhomeless adults ( N = 101 ) were r and omly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions : 6-week lovingkindness practice , 6-week lovingkindness discussion ( a closely matched active control ) , or waitlist control . Decreases in implicit bias against stigmatized outgroups ( as measured by Implicit Association Test ) were observed only in the lovingkindness practice condition . Reduced psychological stress mediated the effect of lovingkindness practice on implicit bias against homeless people , but it did not mediate the reduced bias against Black people . These results suggest that lovingkindness meditation can improve automatically activated , implicit attitudes toward stigmatized social groups and that this effect occurs through distinctive mechanisms for different stigmatized social groups Purpose . To assess the effectiveness of a group program aim ed at improving well-being among individuals living with HIV/AIDS . Methods . A r and omized controlled trial was used to evaluate a residential program design ed to teach breathing , movement , and meditation techniques .  Sixty-two participants were recruited from community HIV/AIDS organizations . Fifteen withdrawals from the study left 47 study participants . St and ardized measures used were the Mental Health Index ( MHI ) , the MOS-HIV Health Survey ( MOS ) , and the Daily Stress Inventory ( DSI ) , along with qualitative interviews . Results . A repeated- measures analysis of variance indicated positive changes in well-being on the MHI and the MOS , where the effect was primarily seen immediately following the program and disappeared at later data points . The DSI indicated an increase in experience and impact of stress over time for the intervention group postprogram . Alternatively , the qualitative interviews described positive changes in how participants were living their day-to-day lives . Conclusion . In order to capture the outcomes of this program properly , both qualitative and quantitative measures are needed Cognitive control processes influence how motor sequence information is utilised and represented . Since cognitive control processes are shared amongst goal -oriented tasks , motor sequence learning and performance might be influenced by preceding cognitive tasks such as focused-attention meditation ( FAM ) . Prior to a serial reaction time task ( SRTT ) , participants completed either a single-session of FAM , a single-session of FAM followed by delay ( FAM+ ) or no meditation ( CONTROL ) . Relative to CONTROL , FAM benefitted performance in early , r and om-ordered blocks . However , across subsequent sequence learning blocks , FAM+ supported the highest levels of performance improvement result ing in superior performance at the end of the SRTT . Performance following FAM+ demonstrated greater reliance on embedded sequence structures than FAM . These findings illustrate that increased top-down control immediately after FAM biases the implementation of stimulus-based planning . Introduction of a delay following FAM relaxes top-down control allowing for implementation of response-based planning result ing in sequence learning benefits OBJECTIVES In recent years , there has been significant uptake of meditation and related relaxation techniques , as a means of alleviating stress and maintaining good health . Despite its popularity , little is known about the neural mechanisms by which meditation works , and there is a need for more rigorous investigations of the underlying neurobiology . Several electroencephalogram ( EEG ) studies have reported changes in spectral b and frequencies during meditation inspired by techniques that focus on concentration , and in comparison much less has been reported on mindfulness and nondirective techniques that are proving to be just as popular . DESIGN The present study examined EEG changes during  nondirective meditation .  The investigational paradigm involved 20 minutes of  acem meditation  , where the subjects were asked to close their eyes and adopt their normal meditation technique , as well as a separate 20-minute quiet rest condition where the subjects were asked to close their eyes and sit quietly in a state of rest . Both conditions were completed in the same experimental session with a 15-minute break in between . RESULTS Significantly increased theta power was found for the meditation condition when averaged across all brain regions . On closer examination , it was found that theta was significantly greater in the frontal and temporal- central regions as compared to the posterior region . There was also a significant increase in alpha power in the meditation condition compared to the rest condition , when averaged across all brain regions , and it was found that alpha was significantly greater in the posterior region as compared to the frontal region . CONCLUSIONS These findings from this study suggest that nondirective meditation techniques alter theta and alpha EEG patterns significantly more than regular relaxation , in a manner that is perhaps similar to methods based on mindfulness or concentration PURPOSE This study was design ed to evaluate potential preventive effects of meditation or exercise on incidence , duration , and severity of acute respiratory infection ( ARI ) illness . METHODS Community-recruited adults aged 50 years and older were r and omized to 1 of 3 study groups : 8-week training in mindfulness meditation , matched 8-week training in moderate-intensity sustained exercise , or observational control . The primary outcome was area-under-the-curve global illness severity during a single cold and influenza season , using the Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey ( WURSS-24 ) to assess severity . Health care visits and days of missed work were counted . Nasal wash collected during ARI illness was assayed for neutrophils , interleukin-8 , and viral nucleic acid . RESULTS Of 154 adults r and omized into the study , 149 completed the trial ( 82 % female , 94 % white , mean age 59.3 ± 6.6 years ) . There were 27 ARI episodes and 257 days of ARI illness in the meditation group ( n = 51 ) , 26 episodes and 241 illness days in the exercise group ( n = 47 ) , and 40 episodes and 453 days in the control group ( n = 51 ) . Mean global severity was 144 for meditation , 248 for exercise , and 358 for control . Compared with control , global severity was significantly lower for meditation ( P = .004 ) . Both global severity and total days of illness ( duration ) trended toward being lower for the exercise group ( P=.16 and P=.032 , respectively ) , as did illness duration for the meditation group ( P=.034 ) . Adjusting for covariates using zero-inflated multivariate regression models gave similar results . There were 67 ARI-related days of-work missed in the control group , 32 in the exercise group ( P = .041 ) , and 16 in the meditation group ( P < .001 ) . Health care visits did not differ significantly . Viruses were identified in 54 % of sample s from meditation , 42 % from exercise , and 54 % from control groups . Neutrophil count and interleukin-8 levels were similar among intervention groups . CONCLUSIONS Training in meditation or exercise may be effective in reducing ARI illness burden OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of a Transcendental Meditation ( TM ) stress reduction program for African Americans with congestive heart failure ( CHF ) . DESIGN R and omized , controlled study PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTION We recruited 23 African American patients > or = 55 years of age who were recently hospitalized with New York Heart Association class II or III CHF and with an ejection fraction of < .40 . Participants were r and omized to either TM or health education ( HE ) group . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcome measure was six-minute walk test ; secondary outcomes were generic and disease-specific health-related quality of life , quality of well being , perceived stress , Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale ( CES-D ) , rehospitalizations , brain natriuretic peptide , and cortisol . Changes in outcomes from baseline to three and six months after treatment were analyzed by using repeated measures analysis of variance , covarying for baseline score . RESULTS For the primary outcome of functional capacity , the TM group significantly improved on the six-minute walk test from baseline to six months after treatment compared to the HE group ( P = .034 ) . On the secondary outcome measures , the TM group showed improvements in SF-36 subscales and total score on the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure scale . On the CES-D , the TM group showed significant decrease from baseline to six months compared to the HE group ( P = .03 ) . Also , the TM group had fewer rehospitalizations during the six months of followup . CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that TM can be effective in improving the quality of life and functional capacity of African American CHF patients . Further validation of outcomes is planned via a large , multicenter trial with long-term follow-up Please cite this paper as : Obasi et al. ( 2012 ) Advantage of meditation over exercise in reducing  cold and flu illness  is related to improved function and quality of life . Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 00(0 ) , 00–00 . Purpose To examine whether apparent advantages following training in meditation over exercise can be attributed to specific symptoms , functional impairments , or quality ‐of‐life indicators assessed by the Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey ( WURSS‐24 ) . Methods Results from the r and omized controlled trial “ Meditation or Exercise for Preventing Acute Respiratory Illness ”  showed mean global severity and total days of illness were worse in control ( 358 , 8·9 ) compared with exercise ( 248 , 5·1 ) or meditation ( 144 , 5·0 ) . Global severity of illness was estimated using area under the curve from daily self‐reported severity scores on the WURSS‐24 . For this project , we estimated within‐group WURSS item‐level severity and between‐group effect sizes ( Cohen ’s “ d ” statistic ) relative to control . The item‐level effect sizes were grouped into ( i ) symptom and ( ii ) function and quality of life domains . Results Among the three groups , mediators showed the lowest severity estimates for 21 of 22 WURSS items . Item‐level Cohen ’s “ d ” indicated most benefit was evident in WURSS items representing function and quality of life . Compared with exercise , meditation fostered larger reductions in illness severity , although due mostly to improved function and the quality of life domain ( d = −0·33 , P < 0·001 ) compared with symptom domain ( d = −0·22 , P < 0·001 ) . Conclusions The apparent advantage of training in meditation over exercise for reducing cold and flu illness is explained more by improved function and quality of life than by a reduction in symptom severity This study compared EEG and autonomic patterns during  transcending to " other " experiences during Transcendental Meditation ( TM ) practice .  To correlate specific meditation experiences with physiological measures , the experimenter rang a bell three times during the TM session . Subjects categorized their experiences around each bell ring . Transcending , in comparison to " other " experiences during TM practice , was marked by : ( 1 ) significantly lower breath rates ; ( 2 ) higher respiratory sinus arrhythmia amplitudes ; ( 3 ) higher EEG alpha amplitude ; and ( 4 ) higher alpha coherence . In addition , skin conductance responses to the experimenter-initiated bell rings were larger during transcending . These findings suggest that monitoring patterns of physiological variables may index dynamically changing inner experiences during meditation practice . This could allow a more precise investigation into the nature of meditation experiences and a more accurate comparison of meditation states with other eyes-closed conditions OBJECTIVES This study aim ed to verify whether techniques of yoga with and without the addition of Tui Na might improve pain and the negative impact of fibromyalgia ( FMS ) on patients ' daily life . DESIGN Forty ( 40 ) FMS women were r and omized into two groups , Relaxing Yoga ( RY ) and Relaxing Yoga plus Touch ( RYT ) , for eight weekly sessions of stretching , breathing , and relaxing yogic techniques . RYT patients were further su bmi tted to manipulative techniques of Tui Na . OUTCOME MEASURE Outcome measures comprised the Fibromyalgia Impact Question naire ( FIQ ) , pain threshold at the 18 FMS tender points , and a verbal graduation of pain assessed before treatment and on the followup . The visual analog scale ( VAS ) for pain was assessed before and after each session and on the follow-up . RESULTS Seventeen ( 17 ) RYT and 16 RY patients completed the study . Both RY and RYT groups showed improvement in the FIQ and VAS scores , which decreased on all sessions . The RYT group showed lower VAS and verbal scores for pain on the eighth session , but this difference was not maintained on the follow-up . Conversely , RY VAS and verbal scores were significantly lower just on the follow-up . CONCLUSIONS These study results showed that yogic techniques are valid therapeutic methods for FMS . Touch addition yielded greater improvement during the treatment . Over time , however , RY patients reported less pain than RYT . These results suggest that a passive therapy may possibly decrease control over FMS symptoms
Despite the heterogeneity in intervention components and outcome variables , there were generally few significant associations between amount of meditation practice and its outcomes .
Interventions using the " Four  Immeasurables Meditations " ( FIM ) are effective for various outcomes ; however , whether increased meditation practice in these interventions leads to better results has not been well investigated .