Cortical thickness and pain sensitivity in zen meditators.

Zen meditation has been associated with low sensitivity on both the affective and the sensory dimensions of pain. Given reports of gray matter differences in meditators as well as between chronic pain patients and controls, the present study investigated whether differences in brain morphometry are associated with the low pain sensitivity observed in Zen practitioners. Structural MRI scans were performed and the temperature required to produce moderate pain was assessed in 17 meditators and 18 controls. Meditators had significantly lower pain sensitivity than controls. Assessed across all subjects, lower pain sensitivity was associated with thicker cortex in affective, pain-related brain regions including the anterior cingulate cortex, bilateral parahippocampal gyrus and anterior insula. Comparing groups, meditators were found to have thicker cortex in the dorsal anterior cingulate and bilaterally in secondary somatosensory cortex. More years of meditation experience was associated with thicker gray matter in the anterior cingulate, and hours of experience predicted more gray matter bilaterally in the lower leg area of the primary somatosensory cortex as well as the hand area in the right hemisphere. Results generally suggest that pain sensitivity is related to cortical thickness in pain-related brain regions and that the lower sensitivity observed in meditators may be the product of alterations to brain morphometry from long-term practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Meditation as psychotherapy: A review of the literature.

It has been widely argued that meditation has psychotherapeutic potential. Research on meditation has yielded 3 sets of findings: (a) experienced meditators who are willing to participate without pay in meditation research appear happier and healthier than nonmeditators; (b) beginning meditators who practice meditation for 4-10 wks show more improvement on a variety of tests than nonmeditators tested at the same time; and (c) persons who are randomly assigned to learn and practice meditation show more improvement over 4-10 wks than control Ss assigned to some form of alternate treatment. However, this is not conclusive evidence that meditation is therapeutic. The therapeutic benefits found could be the result of expectation of relief or of simply sitting on a regular basis. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coherence between emotional experience and physiology: Does body awareness training have an impact?

Two fundamental issues in emotion theory and research concern: (a) the role of emotion in promoting response coherence across different emotion systems; and (b) the role of awareness of bodily sensations in the experience of emotion. The present study poses a question bridging the two domains; namely, whether training in Vipassana meditation or dance, both of which promote attention to certain kinds of bodily sensations, is associated with greater coherence between the subjective and physiological aspects of emotion. We used lag correlations to examine second-by-second coherence between subjective emotional experience and heart period within individuals across four different films. Participants were either: (a) experienced Vipassana meditators (attention to visceral sensations), (b) experienced dancers (attention to somatic sensations), and (c) controls with no meditation or dance experience. Results indicated a linear relationship in coherence, with meditators having highest levels, dancers having intermediary levels, and controls having lowest levels. We conclude that the coherence between subjective and cardiac aspects of emotion is greater in those who have specialized training that promotes greater body awareness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nonanalytic attending, hypnotic susceptibility, and psychological well-being in trained meditators and nonmeditators.

Asked 4 groups of 25 undergraduates who were trained meditators differing in amount of meditation practice and a group of 25 nonmeditators to attend nonanalytically to a mantra in 2 meditation sessions. Ss signaled intrusions into their attending, and were also assessed on several person variables. The 4 trained meditator groups differed from one another only in terms of self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale). When combined into a single group, meditators signaled fewer intrusions and reported "deeper" levels of meditating than nonmeditators. However, meditators and nonmeditators did not differ on hypnotic susceptibility, absorption, or indices of psychopathology. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Transcendental Meditation and fine perceptual-motor skill

30 college male meditators had a 20-min. meditation followed by a 6-min. waking phase prior to 5-min. continuous practice on the pursuit rotor task. This was followed by a 4-min. rest then a further 2-min. of pursuit rotor practice. A similar group of college males who were non-meditators (N = 30) followed the same procedures except that instead of meditating they sat quietly for the initial 20-min. period. The expectations that Transcendental Meditation would (a) facilitate learning and performance; (b) cause less within-subject variability; and (C) cause less reactive inhibition, (c) cause less reactive inhinition, were not upheld by the results. With the exception of performance, which was significantly lower for the meditators, the two groups were no different. Thus, it appears that certain reported physiological and psychological benefits that are attributed to the practice of Transcendental Meditation (such as less anxiety, greater consistency, more awareness, altertness, and attention) are not manifested in the present behavioral test of perceptural-motor function. In fact, in terms of performance, the meditators seemed to be at a disadvantage.     

Differential effects on pain intensity and unpleasantness of two meditation practices.

Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience that can be regulated by many different cognitive mechanisms. We compared the regulatory qualities of two different meditation practices during noxious thermal stimuli: Focused Attention, directed at a fixation cross away from the stimulation, which could regulate negative affect through a sensory gating mechanism; and Open Monitoring, which could regulate negative affect through a mechanism of nonjudgmental, nonreactive awareness of sensory experience. Here, we report behavioral data from a comparison between novice and long-term meditation practitioners (long-term meditators, LTMs) using these techniques. LTMs, compared to novices, had a significant reduction of self-reported unpleasantness, but not intensity, of painful stimuli while practicing Open Monitoring. No significant effects were found for FA. This finding illuminates the possible regulatory mechanism of meditation-based clinical interventions like Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Implications are discussed in the broader context of training-induced changes in trait emotion regulation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fear of physical sensations and trait anxiety as mediators of the response to hyperventilation in nonclinical subjects.

Three studies were conducted to compare the ability of a measure of fear of physical sensations (Anxiety Sensitivity Index; ASI) and a measure of trait anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; STAI) to predict response to hyperventilation. In the 1st study 43 Ss were selected who differed in scores on the ASI but were equated on levels of trait anxiety. Two other studies were conducted in which Ss (ns?=?63 and 54) varied randomly on ASI and STAI scores. The results indicate that scores on the ASI account for a significant proportion of variance in the response to hyperventilation that is not accounted for by scores on the STAI. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Awareness of subtle emotional feelings: A comparison of long-term meditators and nonmeditators.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 7(4) of Emotion (see record 2007-17748-023). The copyright attribution is incorrect. The article is in the public domain.] The authors explored whether meditation training to enhance emotional awareness improves discrimination of subtle emotional feelings hypothesized to guide decision-making. Long-term meditators and nonmeditators were compared on measures of self-reported valence and arousal, skin conductance response (SCR), and facial electromyography (EMG) to masked and nonmasked emotional pictures, and on measures of heartbeat detection and self-reported emotional awareness. Groups responded similarly to nonmasked pictures. In the masked condition, only controls showed discrimination in valence self-reports. However, meditators reported greater emotional clarity than controls, and meditators with higher clarity had reduced arousal and improved valence discrimination in the masked condition. These findings provide qualified support for the somatic marker hypothesis and suggest that meditation may influence how emotionally ambiguous information is processed, regulated, and represented in conscious awareness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Anxiety: States, traits—situations?

Investigated the utility of situational assessments of trait anxiety in predicting state anxiety reactions. 96 male undergraduates preselected as either high or low on 3 measures of trait anxiety—Stimulus–Response Inventory of General Trait Anxiousness (S–R GTA) Physical Danger; S–R GTA Evaluation; State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI A-Trait) Anxiety Trait scale—were exposed to 2 experimentally induced stresses (a physical danger stress and an evaluation stress). Results indicate that the STAI A-Trait and the S–R GTA Evaluation measures correlated significantly higher with each other than either did with the S–R GTA Physical Danger measure and that both stresses produced a significant increase in state anxiety. In addition, the triple interaction of type of stress, trait level, and trait measure was, as predicted, significant. This finding indicates that high-trait-anxious Ss responded with greater state reactions when the trait measure corresponded with type of stress. Results are discussed as support for the interaction model of anxiety and for the need to measure situational components of trait anxiety. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Meditation versus relaxation: An examination of the physiological effects of relaxation training and of different levels of experience with transcendental meditation.

Three groups of meditators with varying amounts of experience (averages of 7 days, 14 mo, and 5 yrs), a group trained in relaxation, and a pseudomeditation group were tested for changes in heart rate, respiration, skin temperature, and skin conductance during meditation or relaxation. Each group consisted of 7 Ss. The 2 more experienced groups of meditators showed decreases in heart rate during meditation while the relaxation group showed increases in skin temperature. There were no significant changes in skin conductance or respiration before, during, or after the meditation or relaxation periods. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of Transcendental Meditation versus resting on physiological and subjective arousal.

On 4 successive days, 10 highly trained and experienced meditators (aged 26–54 yrs) were asked to relax for 5 min, meditate for 20 min, and then relax for 5 min. In contrast, 10 other Ss (aged 22–32 yrs) who had no training or experience with meditation were asked to relax for 5 min, rest for 20 min, and then relax for 5 min. Physiological arousal (heart and respiration rates, skin resistance, and blood pressure) and subjective arousal (cognitive, somatic, and relaxation) were measured throughout the experiment. Prior to meditating or resting, meditators tended to have higher heart rates and diastolic blood pressure than did nonmeditators. Meditation was associated with generally reduced arousal; but while meditating, meditators did not evidence lower levels of arousal than nonmeditators did while resting. Results place qualifications on previous studies of the effects of meditation on arousal. Implications for the study of personality functioning, stress management, and psychotherapy are discussed. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Practicing of meditation by school children and their levels of field dependence-independence, test anxiety, and reading achievement.

Studied the effects that training in meditation might have on selected aspects of the cognitive and affective functioning of 26 disadvantaged 3rd graders. Ss were given meditation practice over an 18-wk period. 2 control groups were formed. The data indicate that relative to the control groups, Ss who practiced meditation (a) became more field independent, as measured by the Children's Embedded Figures Test, and (b) became less test anxious, as measured by the Test Anxiety Scale for Children. No effect on level of reading achievement was apparent. Results suggest that through meditation practice the individual may learn how to concentrate and to alter volitionally his feeling state by shifting his attention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Awareness of subtle emotional feelings: A comparison of long-term meditators and nonmeditators": Correction to Nielsen and Kaszniak (2006).

Reports an error in "Awareness of Subtle Emotional Feelings: A Comparison of Long-Term Meditators and Nonmeditators" by Lisbeth Nielsen and Alfred W. Kaszniak (Emotion, 2006[Aug], Vol 6[3], 392-405). The copyright attribution is incorrect. The article is in the public domain. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2006-10747-005.) The authors explored whether meditation training to enhance emotional awareness improves discrimination of subtle emotional feelings hypothesized to guide decision-making. Long-term meditators and nonmeditators were compared on measures of self-reported valence and arousal, skin conductance response (SCR), and facial electromyography (EMG) to masked and nonmasked emotional pictures, and on measures of heartbeat detection and self-reported emotional awareness. Groups responded similarly to nonmasked pictures. In the masked condition, only controls showed discrimination in valence self-reports. However, meditators reported greater emotional clarity than controls, and meditators with higher clarity had reduced arousal and improved valence discrimination in the masked condition. These findings provide qualified support for the somatic marker hypothesis and suggest that meditation may influence how emotionally ambiguous information is processed, regulated, and represented in conscious awareness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Trait version: structure and content re-examined

Although the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) is a popular measure of anxiety, some previous research suggests that the trait scale may assess depression, as well as anxiety. The factor structure of the trait items was initially examined using factor analytic procedures. Confirmatory factor analytic methods suggested that a hierarchical solution best fit the data, with one overall factor and two lower order factors. The lower order subscales created from this factor solution were examined in a sample of individuals diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Overall, the results offered good support for the notion that the trait scale of the STAI assesses depression, as well as anxiety. One set of items appeared to assess anxiety and worry, whereas the other assessed sadness and self-deprecation. The two subscales correlated differentially with other measures of anxiety and depression in a manner that was consistent with their content. Finally, diagnostic groups and controls could be meaningfully distinguished on these subscales. Implications for the use of this measure are discussed.     

Effects of a single session of large-group meditation and progressive muscle relaxation training on stress reduction, reactivity, and recovery.

Three hundred eighty-seven undergraduate students in a large-group setting were exposed to 20 min of either meditation, progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), or a control condition, followed by 1 min of stress induction and another 10 min of each intervention. Participants in the meditation and PMR groups decreased more in cognitive, somatic, and general state anxiety than controls. The PMR group had the greatest decline in somatic anxiety, lending some support to the cognitive/somatic specificity hypothesis. After exposure to a visual stressor, those in the relaxation conditions had higher levels of anxiety and recovered more quickly than controls. Findings demonstrated the effectiveness of brief group training in meditation or PMR in reducing state anxiety after exposure to a transitory stressor. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-desensitization and meditation in the reduction of public speaking anxiety.

Assigned 38 speech-anxious students to the following self-administered treatment conditions: (a) systematic desensitization, (b) desensitization with meditation replacing progressive relaxation, (c) meditation only, and (d) no treatment. All 3 treatment manuals included coping-skill instructions. The results indicate that the 3 treatments were equally effective in reducing anxiety and produced a greater reduction in self-reported (but not behavioral) anxiety than that found in untreated Ss. Reliable changes in physiological manifestations of anxiety were found only in Ss who rated the treatment rationale as highly credible. High credibility ratings were also associated with significantly greater reductions in self-reported anxiety. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-reports of depression and state-trait anxiety: Evidence for differential assessment.

Several researchers have found anxiety and depression to be indistinguishable in nonclinical samples and have suggested that both constructs may be components of a general psychological distress process. Another possibility is that overlap is due to the psychometric limitations of scales used. A series of exploratory factor analyses were conducted in a nonclinical sample (N?=?605) using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Endler Multidimensional Anxiety Scales (EMAS; N. S. Endler et al, 1991). Both state and trait anxiety and depression could be differentiated with the BDI and the EMAS but not with the STAI. Some theoretical models of negative affectivity or general psychopathology may be premature. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inflammatory bowel disease: a study of the association between anxiety and depression, physical morbidity, and nutritional status

BACKGROUND: The etiology of inflammatory bowel disease is unclear, and the role played by anxiety and depression is highly controversial. Anxiety and depression in patients with inflammatory bowel disease could be secondary to disabling symptoms, but the interaction between physical morbidity and psychologic illness in these subjects has not been sufficiently investigated. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease are nevertheless frequently undernourished, but there are no studies on the association between anxiety and depression and malnutrition. This study was designed to characterize anxiety and depression in subjects affected by inflammatory bowel disease and to establish the influence of physical morbidity and/or nutritional status on psychologic disorders. METHODS: Seventy-nine consecutive patients, 43 with Crohn's disease (CD) and 36 with ulcerative colitis (UC), were enrolled in the study. An index of the disease activity and physical morbidity was obtained by the simplified Crohn's Disease Activity Index and Truelove-Witts criteria and using the Clinical Rating Scale. Thirty-six healthy volunteers were studied as controls. All the subjects were given the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) test and the Zung self-rating Depression Scale. RESULTS: The percentage of subjects with state anxiety was significantly higher in the CD (P < 0.001) and UC (P < 0.001) groups than in control subjects. There was no significant difference in trait anxiety among groups. The percentage of subjects with depression was significantly higher in the CD (P < 0.05) and UC (P < 0.05) groups than in control subjects. State anxiety and depression were significantly associated with physical morbidity and correlated with malnutrition in CD and UC patients. CONCLUSION: Anxiety and depression in patients with inflammatory bowel disease could be reactive to the disabling symptoms and to malnutrition. As measured with the STAI, personality trait of anxiety does not seem to play an important role in inflammatory bowel disease.     

Anxiety and pain in surgical patients.

Investigated the effects of surgery on state anxiety (A-state) and perceived pain in 59 white male surgical patients. The Melzack-Torgerson Pain Questionnaire, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Fear of Surgery Scale (FSS) were given the day before the operation and again 10 days after surgery. Results indicate that surgery as a physical threat has an effect on A-state but not on anxiety as a personality disposition (trait anxiety; A-trait). The correlation of A-state and magnitude of reported pain postsurgery, but not presurgery, attributed to the existence of little pain variance before surgery, and to realistic concern over pain following surgery. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Use of graduated behavior rehearsal, feedback, and systematic desensitization for speech anxiety.

48 17–48 yr old speech-anxious undergraduates were offered a 4-wk speech anxiety group. Ss were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: (a) graduated behavior rehearsal/feedback (GBR), (b) graduated behavior rehearsal/feedback plus systematic desensitization (GBR/SD), or (c) the no-treatment control. Each S completed a series of pre- and posttreatment tests, including the short form of the Personal Report of Confidence as a Speaker and the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). A behavioral measure, the short form of the Behavioral Assessment of Speech Anxiety, was also obtained at pre- and postassessment. Except for the behavioral instrument, the battery of tests was repeated at a 6-wk follow-up. The GBR and GBR/SD treatment groups demonstrated significantly greater speech anxiety reduction than the no-treatment controls at postassessment and follow-up assessment. The exception was that the GBR group did not score significantly lower than the controls on the A-State scale of the STAI. No significant differences were found between the GBR and GBR/SD treatment conditions on any dependent measure. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)