Effects of Single-Session Group Mantra-meditation on Salivary Immunoglobulin A and Affective State: A Psychoneuroimmunology Viewpoint.
Fatemeh Torkamani, Alireza Aghayousefi, Ahmad Alipour, Mohammad Nami
Explore (New York, N.Y.) January 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.explore.2017.10.010 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA single 20-minute session of group mantra-meditation increased salivary immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) and improved positive affect in healthy women. In a controlled pretest-posttest study, 30 women (mean age 44 ± 3 years) from yoga clubs in Shiraz were randomly assigned to meditate or attend a lecture only. Saliva samples and affective state questionnaires were collected at baseline, post-meditation, and one hour later. The meditation group showed significantly higher s-IgA levels and greater positive affect changes than controls. The findings suggest that even brief group mantra-meditation may positively influence immune components and emotional states, offering a low-cost mental-health intervention for settings like nursing homes.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Controlled pretest-posttest study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Healthy women from yoga clubs in Shiraz, mean age 44 ± 3 years |
| Intervention | Group mantra-meditation |
| Dose | 20-minute session |
| Duration | Single session with assessments at baseline, post-meditation, and one hour later |
| Keywords | Affects Mantra-meditation Psychoneuroimmunology Salivary immunoglobulin a |
| Key finding | A single 20-minute group mantra-meditation session significantly increased salivary immunoglobulin A and improved affective states compared to a control group. |
Abstract
Based on existing psychoneuroimmunological insights, the present study aimed at investigating possible effects of a single-session group mantra-meditation on salivary immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) and affective states. A controlled pretest-posttest study enrolled 30 healthy women (mean age 44 ± 3 years) through a multi-stage random sampling method from yoga clubs in Shiraz (Feb-Dec, 2016). Subjects were randomly assigned to experimental (n = 15) and control (n = 15) groups. Participants in both the groups attended a structured introductory lecture about mantra-meditation after which those in the experimental group meditated for 20min. Saliva samples were collected after the intervention, and the participants' affective states were examined by a qualified clinical psychologist blinded to the intervention using the positive and negative affect schedule questionnaire at sequential time-points, i.e., baseline, post-meditation, and one hour later. Similar assessments were done for the control group subjects. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to test saliva samples for the IgA titer. The s-IgA and the positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS) test results were statistically evaluated using an analysis of variance. The mean s-IgA titer in the experimental group at 'post-meditation' and '1-hour later' time-points were found to be statistically different from those of the control group (P < .05). In addition, results indicated a significant change in affect among experimental group subjects as compared to controls (P < .05). Our findings suggest that "group mantra-meditation" training even for a single session may positively influence some immunological components and improve affective states. As a simple and low-cost psychoneurobehavioral intervention, this method may offer mental-health benefits at nursing homes as well as group-therapies.