Influence of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and catechol O-methyl transferase polymorphisms on effects of meditation on plasma catecholamines and stress.
Ye-Ha Jung, Do‐hyung Kang, Min Soo Byun, Geumsook Shim, Soo Jin Kwon, Go-Eun Jang, Ul Soon Lee, Seung Chan An, Joon Hwan Jang, Jun Soo Kwon
Stress January 2012 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2011.592880 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 137 |
| Population | Adults who practiced meditation regularly and healthy control adults |
| Measures | modified Stress Response Inventory |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Meditation's effects on plasma catecholamines and stress vary by BDNF and COMT polymorphisms. Meditators with COMT Met allele had higher norepinephrine than Val/Val meditators. Stress levels were lower in meditators than controls for BDNF Val/Met and Met/Met, but not Val/Val. |
Abstract
Meditation may show differential effects on stress and plasma catecholamines based on genetic polymorphisms in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and catechol O-methyl transferase (COMT). Eighty adults (40 men, 40 women; mean age 26 years) who practiced meditation regularly and 57 healthy control adults (35 men, 22 women; mean age 26 years) participated. Plasma catecholamines (norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E), and dopamine (DA)) concentrations were measured, and a modified form of the Stress Response Inventory was administered. The results were analyzed using two-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with control and meditation subjects, gene polymorphism as factors, and meditation duration as the covariate. Two-way ANCOVA showed a significant interaction between control and meditation subjects, and BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on DA/NE+DA/E (p = 0.042) and NE/E+NE/DA (p = 0.046) ratios. A significant interaction was found for control and meditation subjects with COMT Val158Met polymorphism and plasma NE concentrations (p = 0.009). Post hoc ANCOVA in the meditation group, adjusted for meditation duration, showed significantly higher plasma NE concentrations for COMT Met carriers than COMT Val/Val subjects (p = 0.025). Significant differences of stress levels were found between the control and meditation subjects in BDNF Val/Met (p < 0.001) and BDNF Met/Met (p = 0.003), whereas stress levels in the BDNF Val/Val genotype did not differ between the control and meditation groups. This is the first evidence that meditation produces different effects on plasma catecholamines according to BDNF or COMT polymorphisms.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cited by 11
- Meditation effects within the hippocampal complex revealed by voxel-based morphometry and cytoarchitectonic probabilistic mapping Frontiers in Psychology 2013
- Three months-longitudinal changes in relative telomere length, blood chemistries, and self-report questionnaires in meditation practitioners compared to novice individuals during midlife Medicine October 14, 2022
- Serum BDNF predicts increases in telomere length during a month-long residential meditation retreat Brain Behavior and Immunity Integrative September 1, 2023
- Effects of Integrated Amrita Meditation Technique on Anxiety, Depression, and Plasma Neurotransmitters on a Healthy Population: A Randomized Controlled Trial Followed by a Case–Control Study The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 25, 2021
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depressive Disorders. Advances in experimental medicine and biology 2021
and 6 more in the library
Cites 9
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation training: Effects on distress, positive states of mind, rumination, and distraction Annals of Behavioral Medicine February 1, 2007
- Mental Training Affects Distribution of Limited Brain Resources PLoS Biology May 4, 2007
- The effects of mind-body training on stress reduction, positive affect, and plasma catecholamines. Neuroscience Letters July 26, 2010
- Meditation effects on cognitive function and cerebral blood flow in subjects with memory loss: a preliminary study. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 2010
and 4 more in the library