Brain Imaging Technology to Examine the Effects of Meditation

Healthy Clinical Trial

Official title:

fMRI Investigation of Meditation

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00082160
• Other study ID #: K01AT000694-01
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: April 30, 2004
• Last updated: August 3, 2006
• Start date: July 2001
• Est. completion date: June 2005

Study information

• Verified date: August 2006
• Source: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: United States: Federal Government
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this study is to use brain imaging technology to identify the parts of the brain that are activated during meditation and to compare these parts to those activated during other activities. This study will also determine the effects of meditation on involuntary functions, such as breathing.

Description:

Meditation and relaxation-based interventions are becoming more widely accepted in clinical settings because of their low cost, low risk, and proven effectiveness as a complementary intervention in a wide range of diseases. Despite the success and growing use of relaxation-based treatments, few studies have addressed the basic mechanism by which these treatments work. This study will use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to define the brain mechanisms underlying the meditative state, to differentiate this state from other states, and to determine how meditation-induced brain changes affect autonomic function.

Participants in this study will have an fMRI brain scan. Brain activity, breathing rate, and heart rate will be measured while the participant engages in three different activities: lying quietly, meditating, and mentally generating numbers.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 60
• Est. completion date: June 2005
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 18 Years to 50 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Daily practice of Vipassana or Kundalini meditation for at least 1 year and participation in at least one 1-week meditation retreat

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current medical or psychological illness

• Use of antidepressants, antianxiolytics, or compounds that alter cerebral blood flow

• Claustrophobia

• Pregnancy

Study Design

Observational Model: Defined Population, Time Perspective: Cross-Sectional

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Healthy

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Meditation

Procedure:
• Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Massachusetts General Hospital	Boston	Massachusetts

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

External Links

•   Scientific American Frontiers program for which investigator was interviewed.