Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training improved asthma control and reduced airway inflammation in adults with asthma. In a randomized trial, 32% of MBSR participants achieved a clinically significant improvement in asthma control compared to 12% of wait-list controls, an effect maintained four months after the intervention. Improvement was linked to reduced distress and was greatest among those with higher baseline depressive symptoms. MBSR also lowered exhaled nitric oxide, a biomarker of airway inflammation. The findings suggest MBSR may benefit asthma management, especially for patients with psychological comorbidity.
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) training in adults with asthma reduced brain responses in the lateral prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex when viewing emotional cues, and this reduction was linked to increased mindfulness. Decreased activity in the salience network after training was associated with lower psychological distress and less airway inflammation. Some of these brain and clinical changes persisted at a 6-month follow-up, while others did not. The findings indicate that MBSR promotes more efficient emotional processing and reduces reactivity, helping explain how mindfulness improves asthma control and inflammation through mind-brain-immune interactions.