Promising Subjective and Objective Benefits of Modified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Training for Chinese Adults with Chronic Pain: A Pilot Randomized Control Study.
Shuanghong Chen, Xubin Gao, Ting Shi, Xibo Zuo, Chengjin Hong, Yaoyao Zhang, Beibei You, Fenghua Li, Todd Jackson, Ying He
Pain and therapy December 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1007/s40122-023-00551-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 67 |
| Population | Chinese adults with chronic pain |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) |
| Duration | 8-week intervention, 3-month follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Chinese adults Chronic pain Mindfulness-based stress reduction Pilot rct FMRI |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key findings | A culturally adapted MBSR program reduced pain catastrophizing immediately after treatment, but the effect was not sustained at three months. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing pain-related stress in adults with chronic pain. However, the implementation of MBSR needs modifications across cultures. This pilot study reports the findings of a randomized controlled trial that investigated the effects of a culturally adaptive MBSR program on self-report and neuroimaging outcomes for chronic pain adults in China. Sixty-seven participants were randomly assigned to the treatment group (n = 40) or the treatment-as-usual group (n = 27) group at a ratio of 1.5:1. Participants completed self-report measures of pain severity, pain interference, depression, perceived stress, pain catastrophizing, mindfulness, and resilience at baseline assessment (T1), post-treatment (T2), and 3-month follow-up (T3) assessments. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning was also performed at T1 and T3 assessments. For the intention-to-treat sample, the results of the mixed-effect model indicated that Group × Time interaction was significant for pain catastrophizing only (F (2, 130) = 3.51, p = 0.033). Compared with the control group, those in the MBSR group reported greater reductions in pain catastrophizing at T2 (d = - 0.60), though this effect was not maintained at T3 (d = - 0.05). Additionally, the results of completer analyses found significant Group × Time interactions for pain interference (F (2, 88) = 4.40, p = 0.015) and perceived stress (F (2, 88) = 3.13, p = 0.048), but not for other measures. Finally, both groups exhibited decreased regional homogeneity (ReHo) in the frontal lobe, while increased ReHo in the cerebellum anterior lobe was unique to the MBSR group. The present findings suggest that the minor modified MBSR program improves certain pain-related outcomes for Chinese adults with chronic pain. Future studies with larger samples of Chinese chronic pain patients are needed to detect the small-to-moderate benefit of MBSR on fMRI and/or other objective methods.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- fMRI-based explanations for how meditation could modulate pain processing. Frontiers in Neuroscience 2025
- Mindfulness on the brain: a review of structural and functional MRI findings in mindfulness-based stress reduction. European journal of radiology February 1, 2026
- Effects of meditation on neural responses to pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis of fMRI studies. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews July 1, 2024
Cites 13
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology Annual Review of Clinical Psychology December 11, 2018
- Mindfulness‐based interventions for psychological and physical health outcomes in cancer patients and survivors: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials Psycho-Oncology September 11, 2019
- Impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction for people with multiple sclerosis at 8 weeks and 12 months: A randomized clinical trial Multiple Sclerosis Journal July 9, 2018
- Enhanced Resting-State Functional Connectivity With Decreased Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuations of the Salience Network in Mindfulness Novices Frontiers in Human Neuroscience March 3, 2022
and 8 more in the library