Reduced stress and inflammatory responsiveness in experienced meditators compared to a matched healthy control group.

ABSTRACT: Psychological stress is a major contributor to symptom exacerbation across many chronic inflammatory conditions and can acutely provoke increases in inflammation in healthy individuals. With the rise in rates of inflammation-related medical conditions, evidence for behavioral approaches that reduce stress reactivity is of value. Here, we compare 31 experienced meditators, with an average of approximately 9000 lifetime hours of meditation practice (M age=51years) to an age- and sex-matched control group (n=37; M age=48years) on measures of stress- and inflammatory responsivity, and measures of psychological health. The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) was used to induce psychological stress and a neurogenic inflammatory response was produced using topical application of capsaicin cream to fo

SUBMITTER: Rosenkranz MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4851883 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature