Acute and Long-Term Effects of App-Delivered Heartfulness Meditation on Psychological Outcomes and the Endocannabinoid Signaling System in Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome.
Thangam Venkatesan, Cecilia J. Hillard, Lina Ayer, Saranya Arumugam, Stacey Culp, Mahima Vyas, Kebire Gofar, Ana Petrova, Olafur S Palsson
Clinical and translational gastroenterology July 1, 2024 DOI: 10.14309/ctg.0000000000000711 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Single-arm pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Adults with cyclic vomiting syndrome |
| Intervention | Heartfulness meditation |
| Duration | 6-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key points | App-delivered heartfulness meditation significantly improved psychological outcomes and increased endocannabinoid levels in patients with cyclic vomiting syndrome. |
Abstract
Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) is a disorder of gut-brain interaction often triggered by stress. Interventions such as meditation may improve psychological outcomes and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), but their efficacy and the underlying mechanism are unknown. We conducted a 6-week single-arm pilot study to assess the effects of heartfulness meditation (HFM) in CVS using a custom-designed meditation app. Primary outcomes included state and trait anxiety and mood state changes pre vs post-meditation, and secondary outcomes were psychological distress, coping, sleep quality, and HRQoL at baseline and at weeks 3 and 6. Serum concentrations of endocannabinoids N -arachidonylethanolamine and 2-arachidonoylglycerol and related lipids were measured pre- and post-HFM at baseline and week 6. In 30 treatment completers, there was a significant improvement in state anxiety ( P < 0.001), total mood disturbance ( P < 0.001), and other mood states (all P values < 0.05) across the 3 time points. Trait anxiety was also improved at week 6. There was a significant improvement in psychological distress (Global Severity Index), sleep quality (daytime dysfunction), coping (using religion/spirituality), and HRQoL (mental and physical) across the 3 time points (all P < 0.05). Significant increases in N -arachidonylethanolamine and related lipids N -oleoylethanolamine and palmitoylethanolamide post vs pre-HFM were observed at week 6 ( P < 0.001, 0.002, 0.003, respectively). No adverse effects were noted. App-delivered HFM is feasible, safe, and effective and improves psychological outcomes and augments endocannabinoids. This provides insight into the mechanism underlying HFM and has potential for widespread use as a digital therapeutic in CVS and other disorder of gut-brain interaction.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cites 4
- Meditation Lowers Stress and Supports Forgiveness Among College Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial Journal of American College Health March 1, 2008
- Effect of Heartfulness cleaning and meditation on heart rate variability. Indian heart journal December 1, 2018
- Effect of heartfulness meditation on burnout, emotional wellness, and telomere length in health care professionals Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives 2017
- Mindfulness training reduces the severity of irritable bowel syndrome in women: results of a randomized controlled trial. The American journal of gastroenterology September 2011