Time, Touch, Attention and the Autonomic Nervous System

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Stress
• Interventions: Other: Reading while extending loving kindness; Other: Interpersonal Mindful Compassion with Touch

• Registration Number: NCT01428674
• Lead Sponsor: Wake Forest University

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to describe the onset, duration and dose-response of interpersonal mindful compassion on respiratory rate and heart rate variability in healthy adults in order to prepare for research evaluating the impact of this intervention in patient populations and to prepare for basic research investigating the CNS mechanisms for observed effects.

Previous research has found that mindfulness meditation, including mindful compassion, results in autonomic changes in the practitioner. Emerging neuroscience of dyadic interactions suggests that through the effects of mirror neuron isopraxis, one person's physiologic state may be mirrored by another. However, no research has directly evaluated the impact of one person's mindful compassion on another person's autonomic activity. This study paves the way for an entirely new avenue of research inquiry.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2011-02
• Primary Completion: 2011-06
• Study Completion: 2011-06
• Study First Submitted: 2011-08-30
• Study First Submitted QC: 2011-09-02
• Study First Posted: 2011-09-05
• Status Verified: 2018-08
• Last Update Submitted: 2018-08-13
• Last Update Posted: 2018-08-15

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 20

Inclusion Criteria

• Healthy subjects age 18 - 40

Exclusion Criteria

• Taking beta blocker medication

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
10 minutes reading	Reading while extending loving kindness	-
20 minutes reading	Reading while extending loving kindness	-
20 minutes touch	Interpersonal Mindful Compassion with Touch	-
10 minutes touch	Interpersonal Mindful Compassion with Touch	-

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Heart Rate Variability from pre-intervention period to intervention period	continuous monitoring for 10 min before intervention and during 10 or 20 minute intervention
Change in Respiratory Rate from pre-intervention period to intervention period	continuous monitoring for 10 minutes before intervention and during 10 or 20 minute intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Perceived Stress, Relaxation, Peacefulness	baseline, after a 10 minute rest period, before 10 or 20 minute intervention, immediately after intervention, 20 minutes after intervention