The journal of pain
July 1, 2024
Patrick H. Finan, Carly Hunt, Michael L. Keaser et al.
18 citations
A pilot mechanistic randomized controlled trial tested a positive emotion-enhancing intervention called Savoring Meditation against a Slow Breathing control in 44 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Savoring significantly reduced experimental pain intensity ratings relative to rest and increased cerebral blood flow in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, as well as connectivity between that region and the caudate during painful stimulation. Participants in the Savoring condition also reported significantly increased positive emotions and reduced anhedonic symptoms from pre- to post-intervention. The findings suggest that Savoring recruits reward-enhancing corticostriatal circuits in the face of pain, warranting future work on clinical pain outcomes.
Mindfulness
April 1, 2023
Carly Hunt, Janelle E. Letzen, Samuel R Krimmel et al.
9 citations
A secondary analysis of a clinical trial compared a 12-week enhanced mindfulness-based stress reduction course (MBSR+) to stress management for headache in 98 migraine patients. Greater pre-treatment functional connectivity between the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and right nucleus accumbens predicted more meditation practice during MBSR+ and larger reductions in headache frequency. Participants who meditated more showed increased mindfulness and reduced helplessness related to pain, but not improvements in headache frequency, severity, or impact. Increased mindfulness mediated reductions in headache impact but not frequency. The findings suggest mesocorticolimbic system function relates to motivated behavior, and motivation-enhancing interventions might boost meditation engagement.
medRxiv
September 8, 2023
Patrick H. Finan, Carly Hunt, Michael L. Keaser et al.
6 citations
preprint
A brief Savoring Meditation intervention, compared to Slow Breathing, reduced experimental pain intensity ratings in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. It increased cerebral blood flow in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and connectivity between that region and the caudate during painful thermal stimulation. Participants also reported increased positive emotions and reduced anhedonic symptoms from before to after the intervention. These results suggest that Savoring Meditation engages reward-related brain circuits during pain, which may inform future work on clinical pain outcomes.
Explore (NY)
November 9, 2021
Dana D. DiRenzo, Carly Hunt, Erica Sibinga et al.
5 citations
A pilot study tested whether adults with rheumatic diseases would use a smartphone meditation app (Calm) for at least five minutes daily over 30 days. Of 35 mostly female, well-educated participants who began, 18 completed the full study. Those who finished had higher baseline stress, anxiety, pain, and global disease scores than those who dropped out. Completers averaged 283 total minutes of app use and showed significant improvement in fatigue, with trends toward less stress, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and pain. The authors conclude that app-based meditation is a feasible non-drug option for improving quality of life and fatigue, but more rigorous research is needed.
Journal of Health Psychology
September 30, 2024
Carly Hunt, Janelle E. Letzen, Dana Direnzio et al.
A new scale, the Self-Efficacy for Regular Meditation Practice Scale (SERMS), was developed to measure confidence in one's ability to meditate regularly and secure the psychological, social, and structural supports needed. Online survey data were collected at baseline and one-week follow-up. Exploratory factor analysis (n = 249) and confirmatory factor analysis (n = 249) revealed a three-factor structure: self-efficacy to benefit from meditation, persist in meditation, and obtain teacher and community support. Validity and test-retest reliability coefficients indicated the SERMS is a promising measure for studying meditation behavior adoption.