Randomized controlled trial of yogic meditation techniques for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
D S Shannahoff-Khalsa, L E Ray, S Levine, C C Gallen, B J Schwartz, J J Sidorowich
CNS Spectrums December 1999 DOI: 10.1017/s1092852900006805 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 22 |
| Population | Adults and one adolescent with obsessive-compulsive disorder diagnosed by DSM-III-R criteria, recruited by advertisement and referral at Children's Hospital, San Diego |
| Interventions | Kundalini yoga meditation Relaxation Response plus Mindfulness Meditation |
| Duration | 12 months planned; 3-month interval testing; groups merged for an additional year, with final assessment at 15 months |
| Measures | Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), Symptoms Checklist-90-Revised Obsessive Compulsive (SCL-90-R OC), SCL-90-R Global Severity Index (SCL-90-R GSI), Profile of Moods scale (POMS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Purpose in Life (PIL) test |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Kundalini yoga meditation produced greater improvements than Relaxation Response plus Mindfulness Meditation at three months on the Y-BOCS, SCL-90-R OC and GSI scales, and POMS, while the comparison group showed no improvement on any of six scales. After groups merged for a year of kundalini yoga, the final group of 11 improved 71%, 62%, 66%, 74%, 39%, and 23% on the Y-BOCS, SCL-90-R OC, SCL-90-R GSI, POMS, PSS, and PIL, respectively (P<0.003). |
Abstract
The objective of this study was to compare efficacy of two meditation protocols for treating patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Patients were randomized to two groups-matched for sex, age, and medication status-and blinded to the comparison protocol. They were told the trial would last for 12 months, unless one protocol proved to be more efficacious. If so, groups would merge, and the group that received the less efficacious treatment would also be afforded 12 months of the more effective one. The study was conducted at Children's Hospital, San Diego, Calif. Patients were selected according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition-Revised (DSM-III-R) criteria and recruited by advertisements and referral. At baseline, Group 1 included 11 adults and 1 adolescent, and Group 2 included 10 adults. Group 1 employed a kundalini yoga meditation protocol and Group 2 employed the Relaxation Response plus Mindfulness Meditation technique. Baseline and 3-month interval testing was conducted using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), Symptoms Checklist-90-Revised Obsessive Compulsive (SCL-90-R OC) and Global Severity Index (SCL-90-R GSI) scales, Profile of Moods scale (POMS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Purpose in Life (PIL) test. Seven adults in each group completed 3 months of therapy. At 3 months, Group 1 demonstrated greater improvements (Student's independent groups t-test) on the Y-BOCS, SCL-90-R OC and GSI scales, and POMS, and greater but nonsignificant improvements on the PSS and PIL test. An intent-to-treat analysis (Y-BOCS) for the baseline and 3-month tests showed that only Group 1 improved. Within-group statistics (Student's paired t-tests) showed that Group 1 significantly improved on all six scales, but Group 2 had no improvements. Groups were merged for an additional year using Group 1 techniques. At 15 months, the final group (N=11) improved 71%, 62%, 66%, 74%, 39%, and 23%, respectively, on the Y-BOCS, SCL-90-R OC, SCL-90-R GSI, POMS, PSS, and PIL; P<0.003 (analysis of variance). This study demonstrates that kundalini yoga techniques are effective in the treatment of OCD.
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 14
- The psychological and neurophysiological concomitants of mindfulness forms of meditation Acta Neuropsychiatrica April 1, 2007
- Meditation as a Potential Therapy for Autism: A Review Autism Research and Treatment 2012
- Neurophenomenology of an Altered State of Consciousness: An fMRI Case Study. Explore 2016
- The neurophysiological effects of yogic meditation observed in electroencephalography patterns and neurotransmitter levels: A narrative review of scientific evidence. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine 2026
- The time scales of irreversibility in spontaneous brain activity are altered in obsessive compulsive disorder. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2023
and 9 more in the library