Carotid-body modulation through meditation in stage-I hypertensive subjects: Study protocol of a randomized and controlled study.
Tiago Rodrigues de Lemos Augusto, Juliana Peroni, Wandriane De Vargas, Priscilla Caroll Santos, Wendel Dantas, Roberta Lazari Padavini, Rodrigo Koch, Erlandson Saraiva, Marco Aurélio Vinhosa Bastos, Paulo de Tarso Müller
Medicine January 6, 2023 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000032295 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial protocol Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Adults of both sexes with stage 1 hypertension |
| Intervention | Transcendental meditation |
| Duration | 8 weeks of meditation or waiting-list control, with 3 visits after randomization and 2 additional visits after completion |
| Measures | Poincaré method |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Proposes that the carotid body plays a hierarchical role in fine-tuning blood pressure and ventilatory variability during meditation, predicting that hyperoxic deactivation of the carotid body combined with meditation will reduce blood pressure beyond either intervention alone, and that changes in ventilatory variability will be partly mediated by reduced carotid body activity. |
Abstract
Adjunctive therapy for hypertension is in high demand for clinical research. Therefore, several meta-analyses have provided sufficient evidence for meditation as an adjunct therapy, without being anchored on reliable physiological grounds. Meditation modulates the autonomic nervous system. Herein, we propose a hierarchical-dependent effect for the carotid body (CB) in attenuating blood pressure (BP) and ventilatory variability (VV) fine-tuning due to known nerve connections between the CB, prefrontal brain, hypothalamus, and solitary tract nucleus. The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the role of CB in the possible decrease in BP and changes in VV that could occur in response to meditation. This was a prospective, single-center, parallel-group, randomized, controlled clinical trial with concealed allocation. Eligible adult subjects of both sexes with stage 1 hypertension will be randomized into 1 of 2 groups: transcendental meditation or a control group. Subjects will be invited to 3 visits after randomization and 2 additional visits after completing 8 weeks of meditation or waiting-list control. Thus, subjects will undergo BP measurements in normoxia and hyperoxia, VV measurements using the Poincaré method at rest and during exercise, and CB activity measurement in the laboratory. The primary outcome of this study was the detection of changes in BP and CB activity after 8 weeks. Our secondary outcome was the detection of changes in the VV at rest and during exercise. We predict that interactions between hyperoxic deactivation of CB and meditation; Will reduce BP beyond stand-alone intervention or alternatively; Meditation will significantly attenuate the effects of hyperoxia as a stand-alone intervention. In addition, VV can be changed, partially mediated by a reduction in CB activity. Trial registration number: ReBEC registry (RBR-55n74zm). Stage: pre-results.
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
Cites 13
- The neuroscience of meditation: classification, phenomenology, correlates, and mechanisms. Progress in Brain Research 2019
- Neurophysiological, cognitive-behavioral and neurochemical effects in practitioners of transcendental meditation - A literature review Revista da Associação Médica Brasileira May 1, 2019
- The Effects of Mindfulness and Meditation on Vagally Mediated Heart Rate Variability: A Meta-Analysis. Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2021
- Is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Effective for People with Hypertension? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 30 Years of Evidence. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health March 11, 2021
- Transcendental meditation and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning: a pilot, randomized controlled trial with young adults. Stress 2020
and 8 more in the library