Psychoneuroimmunology of Meditation.

Background: Meditation is a conscious mental discipline, that has been implicated in the relaxation response. The mechanism behind such a relaxing effect is psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), based on the interaction between mind, physical health, and self-healing; that conceptualizes that stress and an individual's emotional state led to predisposition to diseases. Research to date suggests that meditation may play an active role in remodeling the imbalance between mind and body by modulating the psychoneuroimmunological effects of stress. However, to date, the multi-dimensional psychoneuroimmune aspects of meditation together have not been completely explicated. An evidence-based mechanism has been framed for the first time in India to explain the psychoneuroimmunology of regular and long-term meditation practice. Summary: Present evidence-based mechanism confirms prefrontal cortex (PFC) acts as a 'Functional Connectome' where psycho-neuro-immune aspects of meditation function simultaneously to exert positive benefits in the regulation of cognitive and emotional behavior. Also, this mechanism will help us to understand how human augmentation with lifestyle modification fosters brain plasticity to overcome various neuropsychiatric illnesses. Key Message: Meditation is a scientific tool against neuro-psychiatric illnesses.

Right Broca's area is hyperactive in right-handed subjects during meditation: Possible clinical implications?

Broca's area, conventionally located in left (categorical) hemisphere of brain, is responsible for integrating linguistic and non-linguistic processing however, functionality of its right homolog remains partly understood and explored. This perception is based on the fact that in 96% of right-handed individuals, who constitute 91% of human population, the left hemisphere is dominant or categorical hemisphere. Here, we introduce novel scientific-based hypothesis that the right homolog of Broca's region which we observed hyperactive during attention focused meditation, might further play an important role in patients with attention deficits and language and speech disorders. Meditation includes self-regulation practices that focus on attention and awareness to achieve better control on mental processes. The positron emission tomography of brain in twelve (12) apparently healthy male, right-handed long-term meditators showed that the right Broca's area was significantly hyperactive (p = 0.002) during Meditation vs. Baseline while there was only a subtle increase in the activity of left Broca's area. Our results suggest that hitherto partly explored and understood right homolog of the Broca's area (referred to as right Broca's area) may have some important role, especially during meditation which needs to be explored further.

Neural mechanism of attention control in long-term preksha meditation.

Meditation is a complex mental process-practiced widely for stress management and promotion of health- exerts beneficial effects on physical and mental health, and cognitive performance. However, until now, few theoretical neural mechanisms of meditation had been proposed, still not completely elucidated. We have previously evaluated the brain activity during Preksha meditation using an innovative 18FDG-PET methodological approach. Based on our previous study observations, we proposed here the neurophysiological framework of long-term and regular practice of preksha meditation. This mechanism will provide the scientific evidence to understand the attention control mechanisms resulting from the advanced state of preksha meditation. This might have multiple clinical applications as well as effective in a healthy population for attention-related tasks. Also, it is expected that the present neural model will provide a scientific platform for future clinical studies of meditation.

Physiological persona differences based on stress and inflammation between meditators and healthy controls.

Background Nowadays, yoga is endorsed and advised routinely to stay fit and healthy, as well as control many chronic diseases including diabetes type 2, hypertension, coronary artery diseases, etc. Now, our assumption is that those who do regular yoga have different persona than who do not do yoga regularly. We planned to test our hypothesis scientifically, and therefore baseline physiological characteristics with stress and inflammation levels in long-term and short-term meditators and healthy novice controls were analyzed. Methods In this retrospective analysis, 97 male participants were included for their Baseline analysis. Fifteen apparently healthy subjects practicing preksha meditation (since >5 years, at least 5 days a week) were included as long-term meditators (LTMs); 58 subjects who attended one of our short-term yoga-based lifestyle intervention programs for 2 weeks were included as short-term meditators (STMs); 24 male novice subjects, who did not participate in any yogic intervention, were included as healthy controls. Here, we analyzed the Baseline plasma levels of stress and inflammatory markers, cortisol, ß-endorphin, interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in long-term meditators vs. short-term meditators vs. healthy controls. Outcome measures The study parameters body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), plasma levels of stress and immune markers, cortisol, ß-endorphin (ß-Ed), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), were assessed in all the three groups at baseline. Results Significant (p<0.05) differences were observed at baseline for plasma levels of stress and inflammatory markers as well as body mass index and systolic blood pressure among LTM vs. STM vs. healthy controls. Conclusions Our observations suggest that the subjects who do regular yoga-meditation practice have better stress & inflammation status than comparable age matched healthy controls.

Brain Plasticity and Neurophysiological Correlates of Meditation in Long-Term Meditators: A 18Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography Study Based on an Innovative Methodology.

Objective: Previous studies evaluating neurophysiological correlates of long-term meditation are constrained by some methodological limitations. The objective of this study was to measure changes in the regional cerebral glucose metabolism during meditation using a novel methodological approach. Design: The present study was a part of a larger, nonrandomized, single-center open-label study. Setting/location: The study was conducted at the Department of Physiology and Department of Nuclear Medicine and Positron Emission Tomography. A dedicated place was set up as a yoga room, away from the positron emission tomography (PET) scanning room in the Department of Nuclear Medicine and Positron Emission Tomography, where meditators performed meditation in a peaceful environment in a sitting posture with eyes closed. The electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded to affirm the meditation objectively. Subjects: Twenty-four sets of PET scans were obtained at 2 different occasions (baseline and postmeditation within 40 min of 18FDG [18fluorodeoxyglucose] injection) from 12 apparently healthy, male, right-handed long-term meditators practicing Preksha meditation (since >5 years, at least 5 days a week) who were recruited from a well-established meditation center in Delhi. Outcome measures: Changes in the regional cerebral glucose metabolism during meditation versus baseline. Results: Regional cluster analysis showed significantly activated well-defined areas of fronto-parieto-temporal regions of the right versus left hemisphere during meditation. Interestingly, right homolog of Broca's area and right lentiform nucleus were hyperactive during meditation in all the meditators. Conclusions: Long-term meditation might potentially enhance the explicit functions of specific parts of the right hemisphere, possibly due to neuroplastic changes in the brain. Importantly, results of the current study are encouraging and show a novel methodological approach to acquire 18FDG PET/CT (computed tomography) images. The study was registered at Clinical Trial Registry India (CTRI), CTRI/2009/091/000727.

A two-year follow-up case of chronic fatigue syndrome: substantial improvement in personality following a yoga-based lifestyle intervention.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is characterized by excessive fatigue after minimal physical or mental exertion, muscle and joint pain, poor concentration, dizziness, and sleep disturbances. We report here the effect of a yoga-based lifestyle intervention in a 30-year old male patient with a documented diagnosis of CFS with compromised quality of life (QoL) and altered personality. METHODS: The patient initially attended a short-term yoga-based lifestyle intervention program that consisted of yoga-postures, breathing exercises (pranayama), meditation, group discussions, and individualized advice on stress management, diet and physical activity besides group support. Thereafter, patient attended 5 more such programs. RESULTS: There was a notable and consistent improvement in his clinical profile, positive aspects of personality and subjective well-being, and reduction in anxiety following this yoga-based lifestyle intervention. CONCLUSION: Overall, the results suggest that lifestyle intervention may improve clinical condition and personality in patients with CFS.

Age and gender might influence big five factors of personality: a preliminary report in Indian population.

Age and gender are two important physiological variables which might influence the personality of an individual. The influence of age and gender on big five personality domains in Indian population was assessed in this cross-sectional study that included 155 subjects (female = 76, male = 79) aged from 16-75 years. Big five personality factors were evaluated using 60-item NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) at a single point in time. Among the big five factors of personality, Conscientiousness was positively correlated (r = 0.195; P < 0.05) with age in total study population, and retained the significance (P < 0.05) in men only when analyzed by gender subgroups. Further, age and gender sub-group analysis also showed that Neuroticism was inversely correlated with age in women aged 26-35 years (P < 0.05). Neuroticism and Extraversion showed a positive correlation with age in men aged 36-45 years (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively). Neuroticism was inversely correlated with age in men aged 46-55 years (P < 0.05). This preliminary report suggested that personality traits might change with age, and is gender-dependent.

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol increases following a short-term yoga-based lifestyle intervention: a non-pharmacological modulation.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to assess the effect of a brief but comprehensive yoga-based lifestyle intervention on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c). METHODS: This prospective interventional study was performed at the Integral Health Clinic (IHC), an outpatient facility at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, a tertiary health care centre, conducting yoga-based lifestyle intervention programmes for prevention and management of chronic diseases. The study included apparently healthy normal weight, overweight and obese subjects who underwent a pretested 10-day yoga-based programme including asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), meditation, group discussions, lectures and individualized advice on stress management and healthy diet. The primary outcome measure was change in serum HDL-c at day 10 versus day 0. RESULTS: 238 participants (147 women, 91 men, 38.81±11.40 years) were included in the study. There was a significant increase in HDL-c levels from baseline to day 10 (42.93±5.00 vs 43.52±5.07 mg/dL, P = 0.043). Notably, HDL-c was significantly improved in those for whom the baseline HDL-c levels were lower than the recommended values. Also, there was a reduction in blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and improvement in other lipid profile variables. CONCLUSION: This yoga-based lifestyle intervention significantly increased HDL-c levels in a short duration of 10 days. This has additional clinical relevance as HDL-c is suggested to be one of the strongest statistically independent predictors of major cardiovascular events.

Adiponectin, interleukin-6, and cardiovascular disease risk factors are modified by a short-term yoga-based lifestyle intervention in overweight and obese men.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of a short-term yoga-based lifestyle intervention on risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and markers of inflammation and endothelial function in overweight and obese men. DESIGN: Nonrandomized prospective lifestyle intervention study with pre-post design. SETTING AND LOCATION: Integral Health Clinic, an outpatient facility providing yoga-based lifestyle intervention programs for prevention and management of chronic diseases. SUBJECTS: Overweight and obese men (n=51) were enrolled in the study. Subjects who were physically unable to participate and those participating in other interventions were excluded from the study. INTERVENTION: A pretested intervention program including asanas (physical postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), group discussions, lectures, and individualized advice. OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was weight loss, and the secondary outcome measures were clinical and laboratory correlates of CVD risk, levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), adiponectin, and endothelin-1 (ET-1). RESULTS: Men (n=51, body mass index [BMI] 26.26±2.42 kg/m(2)) were enrolled and underwent a yoga-based lifestyle intervention for 10 days. Of 51 subjects, 30 completed the study. There was a significant reduction in weight from Baseline to Day 10 (74.60±7.98, 72.69±8.37 kg, p<0.001, respectively), BMI (26.26±2.42, 25.69±2.47 kg/m(2), p<0.001, respectively), and systolic BP (121.73±11.58, 116.73±9.00, p=0.042, respectively). There was a significant reduction in plasma IL-6 from Baseline to Day 10 (median 2.24 vs. 1.26 pg/mL, respectively, p=0.012). There was a significant increase in the plasma adiponectin from Baseline to Day 10 (median 4.95 vs. 6.26 µg/mL, respectively, p=0.014). Plasma ET-1 level remained unchanged. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that even a short-term yoga-based lifestyle intervention may be an important modality to reduce the risk for CVD as indicated by weight loss, reduction in systolic blood pressure, an increase in adiponectin, and decrease in IL-6 in overweight and obese men.

A short-term, comprehensive, yoga-based lifestyle intervention is efficacious in reducing anxiety, improving subjective well-being and personality.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of a short-term comprehensive yoga-based lifestyle intervention in reducing anxiety, improving subjective well-being and personality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study is a part of an ongoing larger study at a tertiary care hospital. Participants (n=90) included patients with chronic diseases attending a 10-day, yoga-based lifestyle intervention program for prevention and management of chronic diseases, and healthy controls (n=45) not attending any such intervention. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Change in state and trait anxiety questionnaire (STAI-Y; 40 items), subjective well-being inventory (SUBI; 40 items), and neuroticism extraversion openness to experience five factor personality inventory revised (NEO-FF PI-R; 60 items) at the end of intervention. RESULTS: Following intervention, the STAI-Y scores reduced significantly (P<0.001) at Day 10 (66.7 ± 13.0) versus Day 1 (72.5 ± 14.7). Also, positive SUBI scores (F1- F6) improved significantly (P<0.01) at Day 10 versus Day 1. Similarly NEO-FF PI-R scores improved significantly (P<0.001) at Day 10 versus Day 1. Control group showed an increase in STAI-Y while SUBI and NEO-FF PI-R scores remained comparable at Day 10 versus Day 1. CONCLUSIONS: The observations suggest that a short-term, yoga-based lifestyle intervention may significantly reduce anxiety and improve subjective well-being and personality in patients with chronic diseases.

Efficacy of a short-term yoga-based lifestyle intervention in reducing stress and inflammation: preliminary results.

OBJECTIVES: Previously it was shown that a brief yoga-based lifestyle intervention was efficacious in reducing oxidative stress and risk of chronic diseases even in a short duration. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of this intervention in reducing stress and inflammation in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases. DESIGN: This study reports preliminary results from a nonrandomized prospective ongoing study with pre-post design. SETTING/LOCATION: The study was conducted at the Integral Health Clinic, an outpatient facility conducting these yoga-based lifestyle intervention programs for prevention and management of chronic diseases. SUBJECTS: Patients with chronic inflammatory diseases and overweight/obese subjects were included while physically challenged, and those on other interventions were excluded from the study. INTERVENTION: A pretested intervention program included asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), stress management, group discussions, lectures, and individualized advice. OUTCOME MEASURES: There was a reduction in stress (plasma cortisol and ß-endorphin) and inflammation (interleukin [IL]-6 and tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α) at day 0 versus day 10. RESULTS: Eighty-six (86) patients (44 female, 42 male, 40.07 ± 13.91 years) attended this program. Overall, the mean level of cortisol decreased from baseline to day 10 (149.95 ± 46.07, 129.07 ± 33.30 ng/mL; p=0.001) while ß-endorphins increased from baseline to day 10 (3.53 ± 0.88, 4.06 ± 0.79 ng/mL; p=0.024). Also, there was reduction from baseline to day 10 in mean levels of IL-6 (2.16 ± 0.42, 1.94 ± 0.10 pg/mL, p=0.036) and TNF-α (2.85 ± 0.59, 1.95 ± 0.32 pg/mL, p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: This brief yoga-based lifestyle intervention reduced the markers of stress and inflammation as early as 10 days in patients with chronic diseases; however, complete results of this study will confirm whether this program has utility as complementary and alternative therapy.