Are Subjective Benefits of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Related to Changes in Cardiac and Cortical Responses to a Stress Task?
Mindfulness May 14, 2024 Ivan Nyklíček, G.J.M. van Boxtel, Loek J. van der Donk et al. 2 citations
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training reduced general negative affect and increased heart rate variability from before to after the intervention. However, out of six physiological measures taken during a stressful recall task, only a decrease in gamma brainwave power at a frontal electrode site was significant. The subjective improvements in distress were not related to the physiological changes. The findings suggest that MBSR's benefits on general stress may not be clearly reflected in cardiac or cortical responses during recall of a recent stressful episode.