Exploring Oxytocin Response to Meditative Movement

Hypertension Clinical Trial

Official title:

Exploring Oxytocin Response to Meditative Movement

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05621694
• Other study ID #: STUDY00006571
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: September 30, 2017
• Est. completion date: January 31, 2022

Study information

• Verified date: September 2023
• Source: Arizona State University
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This pilot study is designed to test effects of a single session of meditative movement (Tai Chi Easy) on older adults' blood pressure, perceptions of connection, mood, and oxytocin levels.

Description:

Endogenous oxytocin (the "cuddle hormone") is associated with lowering blood pressure (BP), suggesting that finding ways to increase oxytocin even in the absence of social connection, may be beneficial. Meditative movement emphasizing breath, meditative state and flow-inducing movements holds potential for reducing BP, improving mood and releasing oxytocin. In a single-group pilot study we exposed 21 OAs with mild-moderate hypertension to a 50-minute "Tai Chi Easy (TCE)" (simplified Tai Chi/Qigong) session, collecting BP, saliva samples for oxytocin, and psychosocial measures (connection, mood) pre/post intervention.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 21
• Est. completion date: January 31, 2022
• Est. primary completion date: January 31, 2020
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 55 Years to 80 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 55-80 --BP above 120/80 -

Exclusion Criteria:

• having a neurologic disorder such as Parkinson's, seizure disorder, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease
• answered "yes" to one or more questions on the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q). The PAR-Q is a seven-question assessment that determines one's readiness, safety and ability to engage in physical activity and is safely validated for older adults

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Hypertension

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Tai Chi Easy
A meditative movement practice that includes simple qigong movement/breath practices and single, repeated tai chi movements taught to generate a meditative state and flow

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Arizona State University	Phoenix	Arizona
United States	Arizona State University Downtown Campus	Phoenix	Arizona

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Arizona State University

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (1)

Larkey LK, James T, Han S, James DL. Pilot study of Qigong/Tai Chi Easy acute effects of meditative movement, breath focus and "flow" on blood pressure, mood and oxytocin in older adults. Complement Ther Med. 2023 Mar;72:102918. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2023.1 — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Other	The De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale	6 items each scored either 0 (not at all) 1 (somewhat lonely) or 2 (more lonely), score is computed as a mean across items, range 0-6 with higher scores indicating more loneliness	pre-intervention only
Other	Flow State Scale	Used to assess perceptions of the experience of flow while performing the Tai Chi Easy intervention. 36 items, Score range 36-80, high scores indicate greater sense of flow.	immediately after the intervention
Other	Meditative Movement Inventory	Scales that assess the experience of meditative state and breath focus during intervention, 11 items, score range 11-66 (or reported as a mean of the scores on the scale, then 1-6 range), with higher numbers indicating less breath focus and meditative state.	immediately after the intervention
Primary	Change in Blood Pressure	Using blood pressure cuff, conducting two consecutive readings of systolic and diastolic	Change from baseline (pre-intervention) blood pressure to immediately after the 50-minute intervention
Secondary	Change in Profile of Mood States; Short Form	Using only subscales for depression and tension, 14 items with response format 0-4, reporting mean of responses, range 0-4 with higher scores indicating higher levels of depression and tension.	Change from pre-intervention mood to immediately post-50-minute intervention point
Secondary	Change in perception of Connection (this is not a published scale, no formal name, created for this study)	Two items assessing perception of connection with others and connection with self, score range	Change from pre-intervention to immediately after the 50-minute intervention
Secondary	Change in Salivary Oxytocin	Saliva collection pre and post-intervention	Change from pre-intervention to immediately after the 50-minute intervention