Mantra Meditation Research Articles

Elevated correlations in cardiac–neural dynamics: An impact of mantra meditation on stress alleviation

Mantra meditation is a widely practiced technique with a demonstrated ability to promote relaxation and alleviate stress. This study aims to evaluate the impact of regular mantra meditation practice on electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns and heart rate variability (HRV) in young adults grappling with increased stress levels. Furthermore, the study explored possible correlations between these two physiological markers. Thirty-eight participants practiced mantra meditation for eight weeks, and their EEG and HRV were recorded before and after. The pre-post analysis evaluated brain activity and autonomic nervous system regulation alterations by examining EEG and HRV in the time, frequency, and nonlinear domains. Data analysis revealed significant correlations between EEG patterns and HRV indices following mantra meditation, suggesting a potential interconnection between neural and cardiovascular regulation. A notable increase in Root Mean Square of Successive Differences (RMSSD) and Standard Deviation of NN intervals (SDNN) within HRV, along with a decrease in Heart Rate (HR) and Stress Index (SI) and an increase in EEG alpha and theta power, accompanied by a reduction in their ratio, was observed. Three pivotal correlations consistently increased during eight weeks: Alpha/Theta Ratio (ATR) with Low-Frequency/High-Frequency Ratio (LHR), ATR with SD2/SD1 Ratio (SDR), and Relaxation Index (RI) with Stress Index (SI). After eight weeks, these correlations attained statistical significance, optimizing the balance between calmness and vigilance, boosting parasympathetic activity, and reducing chaos between the parasympathetic and sympathetic systems. The study elucidates the scientific mechanisms of mantra meditation, enriching research on its stress-reducing effects and emphasizing mental and physical well-being.

Effects of Gayatri Mantra Meditation on Psychological Capital and Well-Being of Young Adults

Effects of Gayatri Mantra Meditation on Psychological Capital and Well-Being of Young Adults

Intrinsic neural timescales exhibit different lengths in distinct meditation techniques

Meditation encompasses a range of practices employing diverse induction techniques, each characterized by a distinct attentional focus. In Mantra meditation, for instance, practitioners direct their attention narrowly to a given sentence that is recursively repeated, while other forms of meditation such as Shoonya meditation are induced by a wider attentional focus. Here we aimed to identify the neural underpinnings and correlates associated with this spectrum of distinct attentional foci. To accomplish this, we used EEG data to estimate the brain's intrinsic neural timescales (INTs), that is, its temporal windows of activity, by calculating the Autocorrelation Window (ACW) of the EEG signal. The autocorrelation function measures the similarity of a timeseries with a time-lagged version of itself by correlating the signal with itself on different time lags, consequently providing an estimation of INTs length. Therefore, through using the ACW metric, our objective was to explore whether there is a correspondence between the length of the brain's temporal windows of activity and the width of the attentional scope during various meditation techniques. This was performed on three groups of highly proficient practitioners belonging to different meditation traditions, as well as a meditation-naïve control group. Our results indicated that practices with a wider attentional focus, like Shoonya meditation, exhibit longer ACW durations compared to practices requiring a narrower attentional focus, such as Mantra meditation or body-scanning Vipassana meditation. Together, we demonstrated that distinct meditation techniques with varying widths of attentional foci exhibit unique durations in their brain's INTs. This may suggest that the width of the attentional scope during meditation relates and corresponds to the width of the brain's temporal windows in its neural activity. Significance StatementOur research uncovered the neural mechanisms that underpin the attentional foci in various meditation techniques. We revealed that distinct meditation induction techniques, featured by their range of attentional widths, are characterized by varying lengths of intrinsic neural timescales (INTs) within the brain, as measured by the Autocorrelation Window function. This finding may bridge the gap between the width of attentional windows (subjective) and the width of the temporal windows in the brain's neural activity (objective) during different meditation techniques, offering a new understanding of how cognitive and neural processes are related to each other. This work holds significant implications, especially in the context of the increasing use of meditation in mental health and well-being interventions. By elucidating the distinct neural foundations of different meditation techniques, our research aims to pave the way for developing more tailored and effective meditation-based treatments.

Predicting meditation practices among individuals with cardiovascular diseases: A logistic regression analysis.

Since the prevalence and cost of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are high in the United States, research on affordable preventative and treatment approaches is needed. While meditation shows promise for heart-health promotion, there is little knowledge about its use among people with CVD and factors that may influence its usage. In response, the purposes of the current research are to (a) shed light on the proportion of people with CVD who practice meditation; and (b) reveal variables that predict the use of meditation among them. A secondary data analysis was conducted using data from the 2017 National Health Interview Survey. A total of 4,197 data entries (respondents with CVD) were included for analysis, and both descriptive and logistic regression analysis results were reported. Approximately 16% of respondents with CVD practiced meditation. Among them, many used spiritual (82.5%) meditation, followed by mindfulness (29.9%), and mantra (24.9%) meditation. Females (odds ratio [OR] = 1.69), those advised to increase physical activity (OR = 1.34), and email users (OR = 1.63) had higher odds; and those able to afford medication (OR = 0.70) or mental health care/counseling (OR = 0.46) had lower odds to use meditation compared to respective counterparts. There is a significant proportion of people with CVD who used meditation practices, especially spiritual meditations. However, more research is needed to reveal the determinants of meditation use among people with CVD to facilitate their heart-health-self-care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

EFFECTIVENESS OF SO HUM MEDITATION IN REDUCING THE LEVEL OF ACADEMIC STRESS AMONG FIRST SEMESTER B.SC. NURSING STUDENTS

Background:. Human beings have a natural power to cope with and manage with the stressful situations.Among all professions, nursing profession is considered as highly stressful for students. Nursing students face various stressful situations in their college life, like time pressure, excessive workload, clinical duties, long college hours, examinations and results. Some of the relaxation techniques that can help to reduce stress are guided imagery, mantra meditation, yoga and breathing exercises. Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of So hum meditation among the first semester B.Sc. Nursing students at Government College of Nursing, Pauri, and Uttarakhand. Materials and Methods:Quasi-experimental approach with time series design was used in the study. Purposive sampling technique was used to collect data from 65 first semester B.Sc. Nursing students. The subjects were given So hum meditation for approximately 15-20 minutes, once a day for four weeks. Pre-test, Post- test I and post-test II were conducted by using Academic Stress Rating Scale. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to assess the data. Result: Mean age of study participants was 31.9±7.77. Results revealed that a reduction in Academic stress with a mean difference (MD) of22.89, f value 47.56 following four weeks of So hum meditation was found significant at p = 0.001. Conclusion: This study concluded that So hum meditation is effective in reducing Academic stress among first semester B.Sc. nursing students.

Literature Review on Mantra Meditation

Objective: Meditation has gained popularity in modern times as an adjunctive of therapeutic treatment. This study aimed to study meditation and use of mantra meditation in application of health problems. Materials and methods After searching literature through electronic databases, with regards to meditation and mantra meditation in accordance with PRISMA method was done. Conclusion: Meditation does not deal only spiritual aspect but it has various application as complimentary in various health related problems.

Vibrational Technologies Could Boost Cancer Moonshot Prospects

The recent White House communication vowed to end cancer as we know it. The actualization of this desire will require many unspecified discoveries yet to be made. On the strength of examples, this article explains how discoveries can occur when the focus of attention is enhanced, and that mantra meditation is a tool with which to enhance the focus of attention. Mantras from the ancient Rig Veda and Yajurveda have been shown to have a positive influence on the brain, while another mantra, Aum Namo Bhagvate Vasudeva, is shown to have a positive influence on stress, energy and chakra alignment. Mantras produce sound and sound is vibrations, and therefore, vibrational technologies may play an important role in cancer cure. Mantra meditation in the hands of cancer researchers could lead to breakthrough discoveries that may led to the cure for many different types of cancer

Patient Perceptions of Integrating Meditation-based Interventions in Office-based Opioid Treatment with Buprenorphine: A Mixed-methods Survey.

Recent findings support the provision of meditation-based interventions (MBIs) in primary care. However, the acceptability of MBI among patients prescribed medications for opioid use disorder (eg, buprenorphine) in primary care remains unclear. This study assessed experiences and preferences for adopting MBI among patients prescribed buprenorphine in office-based opioid treatment (OBOT). This 23-item, semistructured cross-sectional survey was administered by study staff to patients enrolled in OBOT (N = 72) and consisted of demographic and clinical characteristics, perceptions, experiences with MBI, and preferred strategies to access MBI to support their treatment on buprenorphine. Most participants reported practicing at least 1 category of MBI (90.3%) on at least a daily (39.6%) or weekly (41.7%) basis including (1) spiritual meditation (eg, centering prayer; 67.7%); (2) nonmantra meditation (eg, comfortable posture; 61.3%); (3) mindfulness meditation (eg, mindfulness-based stress reduction; 54.8%); and (4) mantra meditation (eg, transcendental meditation; 29.0%). Interest in MBI was motivated by improving one's general health and well-being (73.4%), treatment outcomes with medications for OUD (eg, buprenorphine; 60.9%), and relationships with others (60.9%). Perceived clinical benefits of MBI included reduced anxiety or depression symptoms (70.3%), pain (62.5%), illicit substance or alcohol use (60.9%), cravings for illicit substances (57.8%), and opioid-related withdrawal symptoms (51.6%). Findings from this study indicate high acceptability for adopting MBI among patients prescribed buprenorphine in OBOT. Further research is needed to assess the efficacy of MBI to improve clinical outcomes among patients initiating buprenorphine in OBOT.

Who Sticks with Meditation? Rates and Predictors of Persistence in a Population-based Sample in the USA.

Despite the well-documented psychological benefits of meditation practice, limited research has examined factors associated with meditation practice persistence. Like other health behaviors (e.g., exercise), non-persistence may undermine the effectiveness of meditation. We examined rates and correlates of meditation persistence using a population-based sample (n = 953) in the United States. Persistence was operationalized in two ways: number of lifetime practice sessions (i.e., lifetime persistence) and current practice frequency (i.e., current persistence). Consistent with the National Health Interview Survey, we defined meditation as mindfulness meditation, mantra meditation, and spiritual meditation. We examined factors related to the Reasoned Action Approach (RAA), a theory that has been used to explain adherence to health behaviors. Almost half of the sample (49.3%) indicated lifetime exposure to meditation and a third (35.0%) indicated practice in the past year. Factors positively associated with persistence (lifetime and/or current) included having spoken with a meditation teacher, higher perceived effectiveness of meditation, higher meditation-positive subjective norms, lower perceived barriers, higher conscientiousness, higher wellbeing growth mindset, and retreat experience. Factors negatively associated with persistence included first exposure through various forms of technology and having a mental health motivation for practice. First exposure through a smartphone app and first exposure through friends and family were not associated with lifetime or current persistence. Findings were unchanged after controlling for demographics and applying a false discovery rate p-value adjustment. These findings provide insights into factors that may promote persistence with meditation which can guide the delivery of meditation training. This study was preregistered at the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/4h86s).

Efficacy of Transcendental Meditation to Reduce Stress Among Health Care Workers

Health care workers (HCWs) have been experiencing substantial stress and burnout, and evidence-based mitigation strategies are needed. Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a mantra meditation practice with potential efficacy in reducing stress. To assess the efficacy of TM practice in reducing stress among HCWs over a 3-month period. This single-center open-label randomized clinical trial was conducted among HCWs at an academic medical center from November 19, 2020, to August 31, 2021. Inclusion criteria comprised a score of 6 points or greater on the Subjective Units of Distress Scale and an increase of 5% or greater in baseline heart rate or an increase of 33% or greater in galvanic skin response after exposure to a stressful script. Exclusion criteria included the use of antipsychotic or β blocker medications, current suicidal ideation, or previous TM training. Of 213 HCWs who participated in prescreening, 95 attended in-person visits, resulting in 80 eligible participants who were randomized to receive a TM intervention (TM group) or usual treatment (control group). The TM group practiced TM for 20 minutes twice daily over a 3-month period. The control group received usual treatment, which consisted of access to wellness resources. The primary outcome was change in acute psychological distress measured by the Global Severity Index. Secondary outcomes included changes in burnout (measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory), insomnia (measured by the Insomnia Severity Index), and anxiety (measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale). Among 80 participants, 66 (82.5%) were women, with a mean (SD) age of 40 (11) years. One participant (1.3%) was American Indian or Alaska Native, 5 (6.3%) were Asian, 12 (15.0%) were Black, 59 (73.8%) were White, and 3 (3.8%) were of unknown or unreported race; 4 participants (5.0%) were Hispanic, and 76 (95.0%) were non-Hispanic. A total of 41 participants were randomized to the TM group, and 39 were randomized to the control group. Participants in the TM group did not show a statistically significant decrease in psychological distress on the Global Severity Index compared with those in the control group (-5.6 points vs -3.8 points; between-group difference, -1.8 points; 95% CI, -4.2 to 0.6 points; P = .13). Compared with the control group, the TM group had significantly greater reductions in the secondary end points of emotional exhaustion (Maslach Burnout Inventory subscore: -8.0 points vs -2.6 points; between-group difference, -5.4 points; 95% CI, -9.2 to -1.6 points; P = .006), insomnia (Insomnia Severity Scale score: -4.1 points vs -1.9 points; between-group difference, -2.2 points; 95% CI, -4.4 to 0 points; P = .05), and anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 score: -3.1 points vs -0.9 points; between-group difference, -2.2 points; 95% CI, -3.8 to -0.5; P = .01) at 3 months. A total of 38 participants (92.7%) in the TM group adhered to home practice. In this randomized clinical trial, TM practice among HCWs over a 3-month period did not result in a statistically significant reduction in the primary outcome of acute psychological distress compared with usual treatment but significantly improved the secondary outcomes of burnout, anxiety, and insomnia. These findings suggest that TM may be a safe and effective strategy to alleviate chronic stress among HCWs. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04632368.

Embodied Cognition in Meditation, Yoga, and Ethics-An Experimental Single-Case Study on the Differential Effects of Four Mind-Body Treatments.

Yoga is an embodied contemplative practice considered as a path toward long-term well-being, which fosters an integrated processing of bodily and emotional stimuli. However, little is known about how the different components of yoga contribute to these processes. This was the aim of this single-case multiple-baseline study. Herein, we explored how different yoga components affect body awareness, emotion regulation, affectivity, self-compassion, and distress tolerance. Forty-two randomly assigned participants (from initially fifty-seven) completed one of four 8-week treatments: Mantra meditation alone (MA), meditation plus physical yoga (MY), meditation plus ethical education (ME), and meditation plus yoga and ethical education (MYE). Participants had no prior regular yoga or meditation practice. Data were analyzed using visual inspection, effect size estimation, and multilevel modeling. Surprisingly, all four treatments similarly improved body awareness (Tau-UMA = 0.21 to Tau-UMY = 0.49), emotion regulation (Tau-UMYE = −0.43 to Tau-UME = −0.52), self-compassion (η2 = 0.08), and distress tolerance (η2 = 0.13). These effects were maintained until follow-up at 2 and 12 months after the study, even though home practice declined. The MA condition had the least favorable effect on affective experience (Tau-UMA = −0.14 and 0.07), while the ME condition enhanced valence the most (Tau-UME = 0.10) and the MY condition was the most effective in preventing negative affective responses. Although mantra meditation on its own negatively influenced daily affect, it can be assumed as the driving force behind the improvement in the other variables. This points to the central role of meditation in increasing interoception, self-awareness, and embodied processing.

Who Benefits Most? Interactions between Personality Traits and Outcomes of Four Incremental Meditation and Yoga Treatments.

Mind–Body Medicine (MBM) includes a broad range of interventions with proven preventive and clinical value, such as yoga and meditation. However, people differ in their preferences and response to different MBM treatments and it remains unclear who benefits most from what type of practice. Thus, finding moderators of treatment outcome seems to be a promising approach. This was the aim of the present study. We conducted a single-case multiple-baseline study investigating the outcomes and moderators of four different MBM treatments. Fifty-seven healthy participants with no prior experience were randomly assigned to three baselines (7, 14, and 21 days) and four eight-week treatments: mantra meditation alone, meditation plus physical yoga, meditation plus ethical education and meditation plus yoga and ethical education. We analysed the data using effect size estimation, multiple regression and cluster analyses. High anxiety, high absorption, low spirituality, low openness and younger age were associated with a range of positive outcomes, such as increased wellbeing or decentering and decreased mind wandering. Receiving ethical education consistently improved wellbeing, while engaging in physical yoga reduced mind wandering. In the cluster analysis, we found that participants with a more maladaptive personality structure enhanced their emotion regulation skills more. Consequently, people do differ in their response to MBM interventions and more vulnerable people, or those high in absorption, seem to benefit more. These findings could support the development of custom-tailored MBM interventions and help clinicians to make scientifically sound recommendations for their patients.

Principles and Practice of Stress Management (4th Edition)

Principles and Practice of Stress Management (4th Edition), edited by Paul Lehrer and Robert Woolfolk, is truly a unique book. While most books on stress management review general principles without providing theoretical foundations or addressing the underlying research literature, this volume takes an empirical perspective, focusing on what has been proven to work, and clearly presenting the theoretical foundations for each principle. This book also presents the “how” of each principle, addressing best practices in conducting stress management interventions in each area. Each chapter is written by an expert in the field with significant experience in using the specific approach. Clinicians and researchers alike working in mind/body medicine or health psychology will want to have their own copy of this foundational book on their shelf.Although this is an edited book with many different authors, each chapter follows the same basic organization, giving the why and the how as well as specific case studies demonstrating how to use the approach. First, the chapters begin by reviewing the history and related research (including controlled clinical trials) of the approach, examining key theories and principles that provide the foundation for the approach. This is incredibly helpful as it explains why this approach was developed and how it is specifically structured to address the stress management issue in question. Second, the how of conducting the approach is explained in detail. For many readers, this is probably the key area of interest. Because each chapter is written by a leading expert in the field, we learn firsthand how to conduct the approach according to established, empirically supported protocols. Third, the case study presentations provide incredibly helpful examples of what it looks like to use the given approach, how the technique should be applied, and for which kinds of conditions, as well as giving expected results.The first section of the book begins by building a strong foundation for stress management practice by reviewing general theoretical and philosophical issues, psychophysiological principles, and core approaches. For example, most stress management approaches involve at least some focus on breathing, muscle relaxation, and mental focus.The second section of the book focuses on stress management approaches that target psychophysiological functioning. The contributors detail progressive muscle relaxation, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy, biofeedback and neurofeedback, breathing retraining and capnometry-assisted respiratory training, and approaches to medically unexplained disorders that have a stress component.The third section of the book focuses on meditative approaches to stress management, discussing mantra meditation, mindfulness meditation, Qigong, and yoga. The next two sections of the book focus on psychotherapy and hypnosis, discussing cognitive therapy for stress, autogenics, and hypnosis for pain and stress. The last section of the book addresses music therapy and walk-and-talk psychotherapy, and ends with a chapter on being an effective stress management clinician. This last chapter emphasizes the importance of recognizing that each client is unique and complex, and that treatment should be tailored to the client. This chapter encourages a match between the patient's expectations and preferences and the characteristics of the stress management approach chosen; the chapter also identifies trial and error as a normal part of the therapeutic process. Finally, it recognizes that each client lives in a larger world and the clinician needs to understand the bigger picture of the client's life, including areas such as relationships, work, and current life events, as well as the client's cognitions and emotions.Overall, this book is a must-have for anyone interested in stress management. This updated edition gives a thorough review of where stress management currently stands today, detailing best practices based on current research findings. Perhaps most importantly, all the chapters are written by accomplished authors with reputations in the field as experts (if not the top experts) on their subject, providing clinical depth in the approach and empirical grounding in the current research literature.

Scientific Evidence of Health Benefits by Practicing Mantra Meditation

Mantra meditation (MM) is one of the simplest and most effective meditative practices suitable for both novice and skillful meditators. It has attracted a significant number of practitioners for various health benefits or for spiritual inspiration. The scope of this review article focuses on the examination of the health benefits of practicing MM without considering the motivation by spiritual rewarding or cultivation. Through the examination, we attempt to confirm and to add scientific evidence on the benefits of mental and physical health to the practitioners. We review a large number of the recent studies of MM for understanding the mechanism in yielding medical benefits and for analyzing the quantitative evidence of the trial outcomes. The review covers four important areas: stress, anxiety, hypertension, and immunity, with the hope to evoke more studies to refine the current evidence and to encourage more studies in other promising areas. Furthermore, the review gives more attention or discussion on more recent, original, and stronger studies. The discussion can include the strong or weak points of the reviewed studies. The review discovers evidence that MM can provide various degrees of beneficial effects on the four areas considered. Studies with larger participants, superior quality, and a few others are recommended to draw firm conclusions. Several promising research areas and directions are also suggested.

The Psychological Effect of the Grateful Meditation Program Following the Anxiety and Stress Caused by COVID-19

Purpose: In order to address the problem of human alienation due to anxiety, stress, and economic polarization in our society, meditation programs have emerged as an important means in the fields of psychology and psychiatry, and hence, this study was conducted to verify the effect of grateful meditation program on the psycho-logical variables. Method: This study is a literary analysis study, and by examining 8 papers on grateful meditation programs conducted in Korea, the contents of gratitude and meditation methods used for these studies were analyzed, and the effects of these programs on the dependent variables. Results: First, as for the contents of gratitude used for these programs, the greatest number of gratitude was for one’s own body (8th paper), one s own existence (7), family (6), neighbors (5), nature (5), friends (4), and ob-jects (2) were analyzed as the most, respectively Second, as for the meditation method adopted for the grateful meditation program, it was analyzed that breathing meditation was used for the preparation phase, visualization meditation or mantra meditation was primarily used for the development phase, and motion meditation was partially used for the finishing phase. Third, the grateful meditation program was analyzed to be effective across all dependent variables (satisfaction of life, positive and negative emotions, self-esteem, anger, disposition of grati-tude, and interpersonal relationships) set for 8 studies. Conclusion: First, the future grateful meditation program ought to change the contents of the gratitude according to age. Second, the method of meditation ought to also change according to age. Third, the contents of gratitude or the method of meditation ought to be changed according to the dependent variable to be improved through the grateful meditation program. Fourth, if the ‘time of consideration for myself’ is preceded by the grateful meditation preparatory program for palpating my cognition, emotions, and actions, it would be possible to proceed more effectively and in depth during the development phase, grateful meditation. Hence, the grateful meditation program is a powerful program in promoting the cognitive, emotional, and the behavioral changes for the participants, and hence, it ought to be more systematic and widely used moving forward.

A Retrospective Analysis of Three Focused Attention Meditation Techniques: Mantra, Breath, and External-Point Meditation.

ObjectiveThe goal of this study is to compare the effectiveness of three different meditation techniques (two internal focus techniques and one external focus technique) using a low-cost portable electroencephalography (EEG) device, namely, MUSE, for an objective comparison.MethodsThis is an IRB-approved retrospective study. All participants in the study were healthy adults. Each study participant (n = 34) was instructed to participate in three meditation sessions: mantra (internal), breath (internal), and external point. The MUSE brain-sensing headband (EEG) was used to document the “total time spent in the calm state” and the “total time spent in the calm or neutral state” (outcomes) in each three-minute session to conduct separate analyses for the meditation type. Separate generalized linear models (GLM) with unstructured covariance structures were used to examine the association between each outcome and the explanatory variable (meditation type). For all models, if there was a significant association between the outcome and the explanatory variable, pairwise comparisons were carried out using the Tukey-Kramer correction.ResultsThe median time (in seconds) spent in the calm state while practicing mantra meditation was 131.5 (IQR: 94-168), while practicing breath meditation was 150 (IQR: 113-164), and while practicing external-point meditation was 100 (IQR: 62-126). Upon analysis, there was a significant association between the meditation type and the time spent in the calm state (p-value = 0.0006).ConclusionThis is the first study comparing “internal” versus “external” meditation techniques using an objective measure. Our study shows the breath and mantra technique as superior to the external-point technique as regards time spent in the calm state. Additional research is needed using a combination of “EEG” and patient-reported surveys to compare various meditative practices. The findings from this study can help incorporate specific meditation practices in future mindfulness-based studies that are focused on healthcare settings and on impacting clinical outcomes, such as survival or disease outcomes.

Complementary medicine use in stroke survivors: a US nationally representative survey

BackgroundStroke is the second most common cause of death worldwide. Even after surviving, long-term rehabilitation often becomes necessary and does not always lead to complete recovery. Guidelines focus on prevention of risk factors and present concepts for rehabilitation after a stroke. Additional to these recommendations, complementary medicine (CM) utilization is common among patients with neurological conditions. CM also offers a wide range of therapies for both prevention and rehabilitation in stroke. There is limited information available on CM utilization among stroke survivors and differences to patients without former stroke diagnosis.Methods and resultsThis analysis was based on data of the 2017 National Health Interview survey (NHIS, n = 26,742; response rate 80,7%). We analyzed the prevalence of consultations among stroke patients with CM practitioners within the last 12 months and reasons for utilization. 3.1% of participants reported a stroke, individuals without a prior stroke diagnosis were more likely to have used CM in the past 12 months (31.3% without versus 28.9% with stroke). Consultations with a chiropractor and of using mind-body-medicine was higher in individuals without stroke diagnosis, while more stroke survivors had consulted a naturopath. Equal proportions had consulted a homeopath. Most common therapy approaches among stroke survivors were spiritual meditation (13.7%), progressive relaxation (5.4%), yoga (5.2%), mindfulness meditation (4.3%), mantra meditation (3.1%), guided imagery (2.6%) and tai chi (1.7%). CM use in stroke survivors was associated with female sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.56–2.88) and higher education (AOR = 1.94, CI = 1.42–2.65).ConclusionStroke patients were less likely to take advantage of complementary medicine than the general population. Since there are many safe and beneficial options, stroke survivors might profit from better information about the existing possibilities regarding prevention and rehabilitation.

Complementary medicine use in US adults with hypertension: A nationally representative survey

ObjectivesAs well as associated cardiovascular diseases (CVD) like heart attacks, stroke, or others, arterial hypertension shows rising incidence throughout the last decades. The risk of developing an elevated blood pressure is mostly based on environmental and behavioral factors. Therefore, guidelines usually base a first-line therapy on lifestyle modifications. Complementary medicine (CM) offers a wide range of therapies to support such and CM utilization is common among CVD. We sought to analyze CM utilization among participants particularly suffering from arterial hypertension and aimed to distinguish utilization rates of different therapy approaches and predicting factors on this part of health behavior. Design and settingThis cross-sectional analysis was based on data of the 2017 National Health Interview survey (NHIS, n = 26,742; response rate 80,7%), performed among the US population. Main outcome measures and resultsWithin the last 12 months, 22.7% of participants reported to suffer from arterial hypertension and they were less likely to have used CM (26.8% with versus 32.5% without hypertension). Consulting a homeopath or using mind-body-medicine was more common among participants without the diagnosis, while equal proportions had consulted a chiropractor, a naturopath, a practitioner of traditional medicine, or a practitioner of chelation therapy. Regarding mind-body medicine (MBM), individuals with hypertension most often used spiritual meditation (10.6%), yoga (5.7%), mindfulness meditation (3.2%), progressive relaxation (3.1%), mantra meditation (2.4%), guided imagery (1.9%), tai chi (1.5%), and qi gong (0.4%). CM use in individuals with hypertension was associated with female sex, higher education, and/or living in the Western or Midwest USA. ConclusionParticipants with arterial hypertension were less likely to utilize CM therapies than those without. Regarding prevention and therapy of the disease, especially MBM therapies show promising results but further research and better information for the general population is needed.

Mantra meditation as adjunctive therapy in major depression: A randomized controlled trial

• Mantra meditation is an effective add-on treatment in major depression. • Mantra meditation is superior to progressive muscle relaxation. • After 6 months, mantra meditation mainly improved mood rather than cognitive symptoms. • Untapped potentials of mantra meditation warrant further research. To investigate the efficacy of add-on mantra meditation compared to progressive muscle relaxation in major depression. This study was a two-arm, single-site, raterblinded, randomized controlled trial involving 123 inpatients at a psychiatric hospital diagnosed with major depression according to DSM-IV criteria (January 2017 to June 2020). The treatment group practiced mantra meditation (MAM, N = 60); the comparator group practiced progressive muscle relaxation (PMR, N = 63). Both treatments were delivered via an introductory lesson followed by 30-minute group sessions twice weekly, adjunctively to usual treatment for depressive inpatients (TAU). The primary outcome measure was change in clinician-rated depression symptom severity, measured by the MADRS interview. The secondary outcome measure was self-reported depression severity, measured by the BDI-II questionnaire. Intentionto-treat was analyzed using linear mixed models. The TAU + MAM group had significantly greater improvements in MADRS score than the TAU + PMR group, both at the 3- month follow-up (between-group difference = 4.78, 95% CI = -8.32 – -1.42; d = 0.62) and at the 6-month follow-up (between-group difference = -6.24, 95% CI = -9.80 – -2.69; d = 0.79). Posttreatment, self-reported depression symptom severity was not significantly lower in the TAU + MAM group than in the TAU + PMR group. Exploratory analysis of the differences between primary and secondary outcomes showed that mantra meditation mainly improved mood rather than cognitive symptoms. In inpatients with major depression, adjunctive mantra meditation led to clinically relevant reduction in depressive symptom severity. Further research would build evidence for the untapped potentials of mantra meditation. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier : NCT03004430

Effects of meditation compared to music listening on biomarkers in breast cancer survivors with cognitive complaints: secondary outcomes of a pilot randomized control trial

ContextWe previously reported positive behavioral effects of both daily mantra meditation and classical music listening interventions in breast cancer survivors with cancer related cognitive complaints. ObjectiveThe objective of this pilot study was to compare the effects of the meditation intervention to a music listening intervention on biomarkers of inflammation and cellular aging (secondary outcomes) in breast cancer survivors. DesignRandomized control trial, baseline data collection (time 1), post intervention data collection (time 2) SettingCommunity-based, Central Texas Participants25 breast cancer survivors (BCS) who were 3 months to 6 years post chemotherapy completion and reported cognitive changes. Intervention(s)Kirtan Kriya meditation (KK) or classical music listening (ML), 8 weeks, 12 min a day Main OutcomeTelomerase activity [TA], c-reactive protein [CRP], soluble IL-2 receptor alpha [sIL-2Rα], soluble IL-4 receptor [sIL-4R], soluble IL-6 receptor [sIL-6R], soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor II [sTNF-RII], VEGF receptor 2 [sVEGF-R2], and VEGF receptor 3 [sVEGF-R3] ResultsRepeated measures analysis of variance models were analyzed from time 1 to time 2 by group for each biomarker. A pattern of greater telomerase activity across time in both groups (F (1,15) = 3.98, p = .06, ω2 = 0.04); significant decreases in sIL-4R across time for both groups (F (1,22) = 6.28, p = .02, ω2 = .003); group*time effect was nominally different but not statistically different for sIL-4R (F(1,22) = 3.82, p = .06, ω2 = .001); and a pattern for a group*time effect with ML group showing higher levels of sVEGF-R3 at time 2 (F (1,20) = 2.59, p = .12, ω2 = .009). No significant effects were found for CRP, sIL-2Rα, sIL-6R, sTNF-RII, or sVEGF-R2.