This preregistration specifies the confirmatory efficacy and safety analyses for the main paper of the EX_WELL arm of the RESET Berlin trial. The trial compares circular breathwork against progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), an active, structurally matched comparator, in adults with trauma exposure and subclinical depressive symptomatology. The primary outcome is mental well-being (WEMWBS)....
Background: The perimenopausal transition is a demanding phase marked by heightened psychological strain, reduced life quality, disturbed sleep, and disrupted neuroendocrine function. Although hormone replacement therapy remains the standard medical option, there is expanding interest in mind-body approaches as complementary strategies. Still, well-designed randomized trials examining the joint...
BackgroundAnxiety and other non-motor symptoms can greatly diminish quality of life in people with Parkinson's Disease (PD). Yet, few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have assessed accessible, non-pharmacological mental health treatments for people with PD.ObjectiveTo assess the feasibility and impact of brief, remotely-delivered meditation and breathwork on neuropsychiatric symptoms in...
High ventilation breathwork (HVB) is increasingly used in psychotherapeutic and contemplative contexts to induce altered states of consciousness (ASC), yet its neurobiological mechanisms remain poorly understood. Thirty experienced HVB practitioners (mean age 44.97 ± 11.80 years) underwent perfusion and resting-state fMRI to assess acute cerebrovascular and post-acute network changes. Cerebral...
BackgroundResearch suggests that high ventilation breathwork (HVB) improves mental health by reducing experiential avoidance (EA) through altered states of consciousness (ASCs). The present study examined whether EA during participants’ most recent breathwork session predicted mental well-being afterward. Additionally, the study examined the relationships between EA, ASCs, emotional...
Although conscious connected breathwork (CCB) continues to grow in popularity as a practice used for nervous system regulation, stress reduction, and emotional well-being, little is known about how its effects and experiences may vary across the menstrual cycle. Existing research indicates that breathwork, including different conscious connected breathwork (CCB) techniques, can influence...
Recently, the applied psychophysiology community has started to investigate the effectiveness of combining neurofeedback and biofeedback interventions. The training triad of beta-theta neurofeedback, heart rate variability biofeedback, and box-breathing continuous feedback can influence participants' electrophysiological activity and also help healthy individuals decrease reaction time. For...
Anxiety disorders represent one of the most prevalent categories of mental illness worldwide, and pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatments, while effective, remain inaccessible or unacceptable to a substantial proportion of affected individuals. Yoga and pranayama, mind–body practices rooted in South Asian contemplative traditions, have attracted sustained scientific interest as...