A four-week mindfulness-based intervention tailored for fibromyalgia, including weekly online group meetings and daily practices, was tested in an open-label single-arm study with 46 patients. Pain intensity measured on a numerical rating scale decreased statistically, but only 15.3% of participants achieved clinically meaningful pain relief. Moderate improvement in quality of life occurred, with 45.6% clinical responders. Small-to-medium improvements were seen in affective pain, mindfulness, resilience, and a measure of GABABergic inhibition (long-interval intracortical inhibition). The authors conclude that the results are insufficient to draw firm conclusions about therapeutic efficacy due to the study design and lack of clinical significance despite statistical significance.
A randomized controlled trial of 60 patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) found that adding 45 minutes of daily meditation to standard medical treatment for 6 weeks reduced intraocular pressure (from 15.9 to 14.4 mmHg), improved quality of life scores, increased brain oxygenation in the prefrontal cortex, and lowered stress markers including serum cortisol and interleukin-6, while increasing β-endorphins and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. The control group, receiving only standard treatment, showed no significant changes. The authors suggest meditation may be a useful adjunct to standard treatment in POAG and could potentially decrease the risk of glaucoma progression.
A 12-week yoga- and meditation-based lifestyle intervention (YMLI) added to routine drug treatment significantly reduced depression severity and improved biomarkers of neuroplasticity in adults with major depressive disorder. Compared to a control group, YMLI led to a decrease in Beck Depression Inventory-II scores by an average of 5.83 points and an increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) by 5.48 ng/ml. The intervention also increased DHEAS, sirtuin 1, and telomerase activity, while decreasing cortisol, IL-6, DNA damage, and balancing oxidative stress. Changes in BDNF were linked to reduced depression severity, with sirtuin 1, telomerase activity, and cortisol levels predicting this association. The findings suggest YMLI may be a useful therapeutic addition for managing MDD.