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Endometriosis-related pain is supposedly mainly responsible for generating psychological stress and deteriorating the quality of life. However, the interaction between these factors has not been investigated, considering its multidimensional nature and through the path of effects of psychosocial approaches. The present study aims to investigate the effect of a brief mindfulness-based intervention (bMBI) on pain dimensions and its mediator role on psychological stress and QoL-Vitality improvement. A secondary analysis of a pilot randomized controlled trial using a series of parallel and serial mediators was carried out. The results showed that bMBI improves the sensory (B = -6.09 [-9.81, -2.52], ß = -0.42) and affective (B = -3.40 [-5.02, -1.80], ß = -0.47) pain. The bMBI effect on psychological stress reduction was mediated by these changes in sensory (B = -2.81 [-6.06, -0.41], ß = -0.21) and affective (B = -1.97 [-5.07, -0.17], ß = -0.15) pain. Serial sensory pain and psychological stress reduction (B = 2.27 [0.11, 5.81], ß = -0.09) mediated the bMBI effect on quality of life vitality. Meditation training promotes additional improvement in affective and sensory pain characteristics through which psychological stress is reduced. The sensory pain dimension must be positively impacted in combination with psychological stress for the bMBI improves women's vitality. Adding a psychosocial intervention like meditation training to the standard treatment plan may be required for some women to achieve the needed changes to restore well-being.

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Heart Failure is a significant public health problem leading to a high burden of physical and psychological symptoms despite optimized therapy. To evaluate primarily the impact of a Stress Reduction, Meditation, and Mindfulness Program on stress reduction of patients with Heart Failure. A randomized and controlled clinical trial assessed the effect of a stress reduction program compared to conventional multidisciplinary care in two specialized centers in Brazil. The data collection period took place between April and October 2019. Thirty-eight patients were included and allocated to the intervention or control groups. The intervention took place over 8 weeks. The protocol assessed the scales of perceived stress, depression, quality of life, anxiety, mindfulness, quality of sleep, a 6-minute walk test, and biomarkers analyzed by a blinded team, considering a p-value <0.05 statistically significant. The intervention resulted in a significant reduction in perceived stress from 22.8 ± 4.3 to 14.3 ± 3.8 points in the perceived stress scale-14 items in the intervention group vs. 23.9 ± 4.3 to 25.8 ± 5.4 in the control group (p-value<0.001). A significant improvement in quality of life (p-value=0.013), mindfulness (p-value=0.041), quality of sleep (p-value<0.001), and the 6-minute walk test (p-value=0.004) was also observed in the group under intervention in comparison with the control. The Stress Reduction, Meditation, and Mindfulness Program effectively reduced perceived stress and improved clinical outcomes in patients with chronic Heart Failure.

A Insuficiência Cardíaca é um importante problema de saúde pública, que leva à alta carga de sintomas físicos e psicológicos, apesar da terapia otimizada. Avaliar primariamente o impacto de um Programa de Redução de Estresse, Meditação e Atenção plena na redução do estresse de pacientes com Insuficiência Cardíaca. Ensaio clínico randomizado e controlado que avaliou o impacto de um programa de redução de estresse comparado ao atendimento multidisciplinar convencional, em dois centros especializados no Brasil. O período de coleta de dados ocorreu entre abril e outubro de 2019. Um total de 38 pacientes foram alocados nos grupos de intervenção ou controle. A intervenção aconteceu ao longo de 8 semanas. O protocolo consistiu na avaliação das escalas de estresse percebido, depressão, qualidade de vida, ansiedade, atenção plena, qualidade do sono, teste de 6 minutos de caminhada e biomarcadores por um grupo cego, considerando um p-valor <0,05 como estatisticamente significativo. A intervenção resultou em redução significativa no estresse percebido de 22,8 ± 4,3 para 14,3 ± 3,8 pontos na escala de estresse percebido no grupo de intervenção vs. 23,9 ± 4,3 para 25,8 ± 5,4 no grupo controle (p-valor<0,001). Foi observada melhora significativa na qualidade de vida (p-valor=0,013), atenção plena (p-valor=0,041), qualidade do sono (p-valor<0,001) e no teste de 6 minutos de caminhada (p-valor=0,004) no grupo sob intervenção comparado com o controle. O Programa de Redução de Estresse, Meditação e Atenção plena reduziu efetivamente o estresse percebido e melhorou desfechos clínicos em pacientes com Insuficiência Cardíaca.

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OBJECTIVES: Utility of cognitive-behavioral practice interventions in school settings have been discussed by the scientific community regarding their possibility of insertion in the educational field. In this way, this review article analyzes the scientific production on the practice of meditation offered at school in adolescents, since the appropriation of studies that point to reflections and perspectives of meditative practice can favor the development of new pedagogical trajectories in the school environment. CONTENT: The electronic databases VHL, PubMed, and CAPES were consulted, using the combination of the terms related to meditation, adolescents, and school. This analysis resulted in eight articles, including field research and reviews, published between 2010 and 2021. SUMMARY: The articles showed improvement in emotional coping skills, social relationships, self-regulation, control of mood levels, stress, depression, and anger, and significant gains in self-reflection and academic attention. They pointed out that elementary and high school students present more significant responses, and these factors, such as duration, frequency, and systematization of the session, can interfere with these responses. OUTLOOK: These results indicate that meditation practice in adolescents can be a valuable strategy for health promotion and educational training in the school environment.

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Adjunctive therapy for hypertension is in high demand for clinical research. Therefore, several meta-analyses have provided sufficient evidence for meditation as an adjunct therapy, without being anchored on reliable physiological grounds. Meditation modulates the autonomic nervous system. Herein, we propose a hierarchical-dependent effect for the carotid body (CB) in attenuating blood pressure (BP) and ventilatory variability (VV) fine-tuning due to known nerve connections between the CB, prefrontal brain, hypothalamus, and solitary tract nucleus. The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the role of CB in the possible decrease in BP and changes in VV that could occur in response to meditation. This was a prospective, single-center, parallel-group, randomized, controlled clinical trial with concealed allocation. Eligible adult subjects of both sexes with stage 1 hypertension will be randomized into 1 of 2 groups: transcendental meditation or a control group. Subjects will be invited to 3 visits after randomization and 2 additional visits after completing 8 weeks of meditation or waiting-list control. Thus, subjects will undergo BP measurements in normoxia and hyperoxia, VV measurements using the Poincaré method at rest and during exercise, and CB activity measurement in the laboratory. The primary outcome of this study was the detection of changes in BP and CB activity after 8 weeks. Our secondary outcome was the detection of changes in the VV at rest and during exercise. We predict that interactions between hyperoxic deactivation of CB and meditation; Will reduce BP beyond stand-alone intervention or alternatively; Meditation will significantly attenuate the effects of hyperoxia as a stand-alone intervention. In addition, VV can be changed, partially mediated by a reduction in CB activity. Trial registration number: ReBEC registry (RBR-55n74zm). Stage: pre-results.

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Abstract Objective The study investigated the effects of a short video app guided loving-kindness meditation (LKM) on college students' mindfulness, self-compassion, positive psychological capital, and suicide ideation. The purpose of the study is to investigate the intervention effect of LKM training on suicidal ideation among college students with the help of the short video application and to provide an empirical basis for the exploration of early suicide intervention strategies for college students. Methods We recruited 80 college students from a university in China. The final 74 eligible participants were divided into two groups: app use group (n = 37) and the control group (n = 37). The app group accepted an 8-week app use interference, while the control group underwent no interference. We measured four major variable factors (mindfulness, self-compassion, positive psychological capital, and suicide ideation) before and after the app use intervention. Results In the app group, self-compassion and positive psychological capital were significantly higher, and suicide ideation was significantly lower than the control group. In the control group, there were no noticeable differences in any of the four variables between the pre-test and post-test. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that the short video app guided LKM may help to improve self-compassion, and positive psychological capital, and reduce suicide ideation. The finding of the short video app-guided LKM's effect extends our understanding of the integrative effects of positive psychology and digital media on the reduction of suicide ideation.

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Methods: Undergraduate students from the University of Chile's health careers were divided at random into control (n = 7) and treated groups (n = 15). The treated group participated in an active meditation program once a week for three months. This treatment included different techniques such as Chakra Sounds, Nataraj, Mandala, Kundalini, Devavani, Gourishankar, and Nadabrahma. Hair samples were taken before and after the treatment period to measure cortisol. Results: The control group increased cortisol level 168.9 ± 76.8 pg/mg compared with initial levels. The treated group shows a decrease of initial cortisol values in 28.5 ± 12.8 pg/mg after meditation protocol application. Conclusions: Blending active meditation in students' daily routine through occupational therapy intervention might prevent undergraduate students' stress in healthcare careers.

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Mindfulness-based approaches that promote health, improve quality of life, and reduce the impact of comorbidities are key aspects in chronic diseases management. We aimed to verify the impact of a short-term meditation protocol on psychosocial and physiological parameters in chronic hemodialysis patients. We enrolled twenty-two patients, median age of 69.5 years old, into a 12-week meditation protocol that occurred during each hemodialysis session for 10-20 minutes, 3x/week, in a private tertiary hospital. We then evaluated clinical, psychological, and laboratorial parameters pre- and post-meditation. Patients exhibited a better control of serum phosphorus (-0.72 mg/dL; P = 0.002), a decrease in systolic blood pressure (-1.90 mmHg; P = 0.009), a 23% decrease in depressive symptoms (P = 0.014), and an increase of 7% in the self-compassion scale (P = 0.048) after meditation. To note, we observed an increase in 13% of the mindfulness score (P = 0.019). Our preliminary study describes the effects of a short-term meditation protocol in chronic hemodialysis setting. We observed a decrease in depressive symptoms and in blood pressure values, an improvement in self-compassion and serum phosphorous levels. In conjunction with the promising results of meditation in chronic kidney disease setting, this encouraging preliminary study supports the need for additional clinical trials.

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Study Basis: This evidence map presents a summary of studies that addressed the effects of meditation on various clinical and health conditions. Meditation is a contemplative practice that has been used for the promotion of health, and the treatment of different conditions. Method: The study is based on the search of four electronic databases for the period 1994-November 2019 and includes systematic reviews, meta-analyses, meta-syntheses, and integrative reviews. 3iE evidence gap map was the methodology of choice, and AMSTAR 2 was used for the analyses. Tableau was used to graphically display the confidence level, number of reviews, health outcomes, and intervention effects. Results: This map encompasses 191 studies, with Mindfulness being the key word that retrieved the highest number of results. Several meditation techniques were evaluated in different contexts, and the confidence levels of 22 studies were high, 84 were moderate, and 82 were low. Two 2 meta-syntheses and 1 integrative review were also included. Most of the studies reported positive effects and a beneficial potential of the practice of meditation. Health outcomes were divided into five groups out of which mental health and vitality, and well-being and quality of life stood out with the largest number of studies. Conclusions: Meditation has been applied in different areas. This Evidence Map intends to be an easy visual tool to access valuable evidence-based information on this complementary therapy for patients, health professionals, and managers.

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Objective: Unprecedented work pressures and social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic may worsen loneliness and sleep problems in health-care professionals. Heartfulness meditation has been shown to improve burnout and sleep. In the current study, the effects of remote Heartfulness meditation in improving loneliness and sleep quality were measured. Methods: Physicians and advance practice providers were randomly assigned to receive either daily Heartfulness Meditation program or no intervention (control group) in a prospective four-week randomized control study design. UCLA loneliness and PSQI scores were collected at baseline and after the program duration of 4 weeks. The study was retrospectively registered with trial Number, ISRCTN85787008 (8 January 2021). Results: Of the 155 subjects enrolled in the study, 50% were lonely and 97% had sleep problems. Attrition rate was 36%. Among those who completed the study, the mean UCLA loneliness scores decreased from 42.1 to 39.4 in the Heartfulness group (N = 40, p = 0.009) and 42.2 to 41.15 in the control group (N = 57, p = 0.254). The mean PSQI scores decreased from 10.75 to 9.14 in the Heartfulness group (N = 41, p = 0.001) and 9.41 to 8.87 in the control group (N = 58, p = 0.122). Younger participants aged 30 and under had higher loneliness and sleep problems. Conclusions: The current study is one of the first attempts to assess loneliness and sleep problems among physicians and advance practice providers during COVID-19 pandemic in the US. A significant burden of loneliness and sleep problems was identified. An improvement of sleep and loneliness was noted with the practice of Heartfulness meditation. This remote intervention might be a useful tool to be explored in larger studies.

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One of the major puzzles in medical research and public health systems worldwide is Alzheimer's disease (AD), reaching nowadays a prevalence near 50 million people. This is a multifactorial brain disorder characterized by progressive cognitive impairment, apathy, and mood and neuropsychiatric disorders. The main risk of AD is aging; a normal biological process associated with a continuum dynamic involving a gradual loss of people's physical capacities, but with a sound experienced view of life. Studies suggest that AD is a break from normal aging with changes in the powerful functional capacities of neurons as well as in the mechanisms of neuronal protection. In this context, an important path has been opened toward AD prevention considering that there are elements of nutrition, daily exercise, avoidance of toxic substances and drugs, an active social life, meditation, and control of stress, to achieve healthy aging. Here, we analyze the involvement of such factors and how to control environmental risk factors for a better quality of life. Prevention as well as innovative screening programs for early detection of the disease using reliable biomarkers are becoming critical to control the disease. In addition, the failure of traditional pharmacological treatments and search for new drugs has stimulated the emergence of nutraceutical compounds in the context of a "multitarget" therapy, as well as mindfulness approaches shown to be effective in the aging, and applied to the control of AD. An integrated approach involving all these preventive factors combined with novel pharmacological approaches should pave the way for the future control of the disease.

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Resumo: Introdução: Sob a perspectiva do cuidado em saúde do estudante, o bem-estar mental desempenha forte influência na qualidade de vida e, consequentemente, na performance acadêmica e profissional. Programas baseados na atenção plena focam o desenvolvimento de habilidades de gerenciamento de estresse, sendo estratégias eficazes para melhorar o manejo da saúde mental. Ademais, esses programas se mostram reproduzíveis e com a característica de serem realizados em grupo. Objetivo: Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar a percepção sobre um programa de prática meditativa oferecido a estudantes de Medicina com o enfoque nas estratégias apreendidas a partir dessa experiência. Método: Este estudo foi realizado na Universidade Federal do Paraná, por meio da aplicação de um protocolo preexistente de mindfulness adaptado para a realidade dos estudantes de graduação. Trata-se de um estudo de metodologia qualitativa que avaliou os impactos trazidos pela meditação e as implicações efetivas na vida dos participantes do programa. Resultados: Significativas mudanças foram relatadas pelos participantes, como um autocuidado maior, melhora na organização pessoal e maior compreensão de suas emoções. Apontaram a estratégia como ponto de apoio importante para enfrentamento das dificuldades diárias que encontravam no curso. Tais aspectos perduraram nos discursos dos participantes mesmo após seis meses da intervenção. Apesar dessa melhora, os alunos não incorporaram a meditação em si como um hábito diário. Conclusões: Na perspectiva de uma abordagem em grupo, além dos efeitos positivos, a prática se mostrou barata e de fácil reprodução. Por se tratar de uma prática com diversos protocolos estabelecidos e bem estudados, poderia se tornar uma inestimável ferramenta de apoio à saúde mental dos estudantes.

Abstract: Introduction: From the perspective of student health care, mental well-being is a key influence on quality of life and, consequently, on academic and professional performance. Mindfulness-based programs focus on developing stress management skills, representing effective strategies to improve mental health management. Furthermore, these programs are reproducible and can be conducted in groups. Objective: To analyze how medical students perceive a practical meditation program offered to them, focusing on the strategies learned from that experience. Method: This study was conducted at the Federal University of Paraná, using an existing Mindfulness protocol adapted to the reality of the undergraduate students. It was a qualitative methodological study to assess the impacts caused by the meditation and the effective life implications for the participants. Results: Significant changes were reported by the participants, such as greater self-care, improved personal organization and greater understanding of their emotions. They pointed out the strategy as an important support point to face the daily difficulties they encountered during medical school. Such aspects persisted in the accounts given by the participants even after six months of the intervention. Despite this improvement, the students did not incorporate meditation itself as a daily habit. Conclusions: From a group approach perspective, as well as the positive effects, the practice proved to be cheap and easy to reproduce. As there are numerous well-studied and established protocols for the practice, it could become an invaluable support tool for student mental health.

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OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to evaluate the impact of yogic meditation in sleep quality of healthy pediatric healthcare professionals. METHOD: Subjects were randomized into a meditation group (MG, n = 32), who attended a yogic meditation class held for eight weeks, or a control group (CG, n = 32). Polysomnography (PSG) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores were determined at baseline and after eight weeks. RESULTS: The PSQI overall score was lower (p = 0.024) in the MG. Reported sleep latency (p = 0.046) and MG sleep latency (p = 0.028) were lower in the MG at eight weeks. PSG showed a time effect (p = 0.020) on decreasing minutes of wake after sleep onset in the MG. There were strong and significant correlations between PSG and PSQI variables. There was a significant time effect on heart rate (p = 0.001) in the MG. CONCLUSION: Yogic meditation may be used as an integrative health tool to foster improvements in the health-related aspects of healthcare professionals' lives. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02947074; trial registry name: Meditation Practice in Pediatric Healthcare Professionals: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

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A meditação é uma prática que consiste no foco da atenção para o momento presente, de modo não analítico ou discriminativo, podendo ser dividida em dois tipos: meditação concentrativa e mindfulness. A meditação e mindfulness trazem benefícios para o fortalecimento físico, emocional, mental, social e cognitivo. Dessa forma, são indicados para estímulo do bem-estar, relaxamento, redução do estresse, da hiperatividade e dos sintomas depressivos. A prática também pode ser efetiva no tratamento do tabagismo. Qual a eficácia e a segurança de meditação/mindfulness no controle do tabagismo em adultos e/ou idosos? As buscas foram realizadas em sete base de dados sem restrição de ano de publicação. Foram incluídas revisões sistemáticas em inglês, português e espanhol que avaliaram os efeitos da tecnologia no tratamento do tabagismo em população adulta e idosa. A avaliação da qualidade metodológica foi realizad por uma profissional e revisada por outra, utilizando-se a ferramenta AMSTAR 2. Nesta revisão rápida, produzida em dez dias, foram utilizados atalhos metodológicos, de maneira que apena so processo de seleção foi realizado em duplicidade e de forma independente. De 64 revisões sistemáticas recuperadas nas bases de dados, nove atenderam aos critérios de elegibilidade e foram incluídas. A avaliação da qualidade metodológica indicou que duas revisões são de qualidade baixa e seis de qualidade criticamente baixa. Não foram encontradas evidências sobre meditação concentrativa. As revisões apresentaram resultados sobre o uso de diversas categorias de mindfulness no controle do tabagismo. A prática de mindfulness mostrou efeito sobre a cessação, o desejo e a abstinência de fumar, bem como no estado de humor de ex-tabagistas. Os estudos mostraram não haver diferença entre mindfulness e outras terapias na redução do consumo de cigarros. É importante ressaltar que a maior parte destes resultados se refere a ensaios clínicos únicos e com número reduzido de participantes. Apenas uma revisão relatou sobre a segurança da prática de mindfulness, mostrando a não ocorrência de eventos adversos. Diversas modalidades do mindfulness mostraram efeitos positivos para o controle do tabagismo com relação à cessação, ao desejo de fumar, à abstinência ao fumo, e ao estado de humor de ex-tabagistas. A segurança da prática de mindfulness e meditação foi pouco investigada. Estes achados, no entanto, devem ser interpretados com cautela, visto que a confiança nos resultados das revisões foi considerada baixa e criticamente baixa na avaliação da qualidade metodológica. Além disso, a grande diversidade de intervenções incluídas nas comparações tornou difícil a realização de metanálises, de forma que os resultados na maioria das vezes foram apresentados de forma descritiva e com frequência sem dados numéricos. Há necessidade de mais estudos, com qualidade metodológica adequada, para afirmar sobre a eficácia da prática de mindfulness no controle do tabagismo.

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A meditação é uma prática que consiste no foco da atenção para o momento presente, de modo não analítico ou discriminativo, podendo ser dividida em dois tipos: meditação concentrativa e mindfulness. A meditação e o mindfulness trazem benefícios para o fortalecimento físico, emocional, mental, social e cognitivo. Dessa forma, são indicados para estímulo do bem-estar, relaxamento, redução do estresse, da hiperatividade e dos sintomas depressivos. Qual a eficácia/efetividade e a segurança de meditação/mindfulness para o tratamento da obesidade em população adulta? As buscas foram realizadas em seis bases de dados sem restrição de ano de publicação. Foram incluídas revisões sistemáticas em inglês, português e espanhol que avaliaram os efeitos de meditação/mindfulness no tratamento da obesidade na população adulta e idosa. A avaliação da qualidade metodológica foi realizada por meio do AMSTAR 2, por uma profissional e revisada por outra. Nesta revisão rápida, produzida em três dias, foram utilizados atalhos metodológicos, de maneira que apenas o processo de seleção foi realizado em duplicidade e de forma independente. Dos 60 relatos encontrados nas bases, foram incluídas três revisões sistemáticas que atenderam aos critérios de elegibilidade, sendo uma com metanálise. A avaliação da qualidade indica que uma revisão é de baixa qualidade metodológica e duas de qualidade criticamente baixa. Todas as revisões apresentaram resultados sobre o uso de mindfulness no tratamento de obesidade, mas houve poucos resultados sobre meditação. O uso do mindfulness associado ou não a outras terapias teve efeitos favoráveis para perda de peso, redução do IMC, melhora do comportamento alimentar e fome emocional. A meditação mostrou ser benéfica para a redução de peso corporal. Não foram relatados eventos adversos. O mindfulness foi a tecnologia avaliada em todas as revisões selecionadas e mostrou resultados favoráveis em todos os desfechos apresentados. Não houve relatos de eventos adversos. No entanto, a confiança nos resultados da maioria das revisões foi considerada baixa ou criticamente baixa na avaliação da qualidade metodológica. Assim sendo, deve-se ter cautela ao interpretar os resultados.

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O mapa apresenta uma visão geral das evidências sobre os efeitos da Meditação para diversas condições clínicas e de saúde da população em geral. A partir de uma ampla busca bibliográfica de estudos publicados e não publicados, foram incluídos no Mapa 191 revisões (78 revisões sistemáticas, 110 metanálises, 2 metassínteses e 1 revisão integrativa). Sobre os tipos de meditação: 147 revisões avaliaram resultados a partir de técnicas de mindfulness ou derivados, 34 revisões avaliaram meditação geral, 8 revisões meditação transcendental, 3 revisões técnicas de compaixão e 1 revisão avaliou práticas de atenção focada. Todos os estudos foram selecionados, avaliados, caracterizados e categorizados por pares de pesquisadores da área de Meditação.

El mapa muestra una vista general de las experiencias sobre los efectos de la meditación para diversas condiciones clínicas y de la salud de la población en general. A partir de una amplia búsqueda bibliográfica de estudios publicados y no publicados, fueron incluidas 191 revisiones: 78 revisiones sistemáticas, 110 metanálises, 2 metassínteses y 1 revisión integrativa. Sobre los tipos de meditación: 147 revisiones disponibles resultados de partir de técnicas de mindfulness o derivados, 34 revisiones disponibles meditación general, 8 revisiones medita trascendental, 3 revisiones técnicas de comparación y 1 revisión acerca prática de atención focada. Todos los estudios fueron seleccionados, evaluados, y caracterizados por pares de investigadores del área de Meditación.

The map provides an overview of the evidence on the effects of Meditation for various clinical and health conditions of the general population. From a wide bibliographic search of published and unpublished studies, 191 reviews were included in the Map: 78 systematic reviews, 110 meta-analyzes, 2 meta-syntheses and 1 integrative review. About types of meditation: 147 reviews evaluated results for mindfulness techniques or derivatives, 34 reviews evaluated general meditation, 8 reviews transcendental meditation, 3 compassion technique and 1 review evaluated practices of focused attention. All studies were selected, evaluated, characterized and categorized by pairs of researchers in the area of ​​Meditation.

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Em vista da necessidade de divulgar conteúdo de qualidadesobre práticas de autocuidado que ajudem a manter a saúde em dia, a Rede Colaborativa PICS criou esta cartilha a fim de oferecer orientações básicas a quem deseja conhecer mais as medicinas tradicionais orientais que a muito tempo ajudam a humanidade a tratar as dores do corpo e da alma consideradas incuráveis pela sociedade ocidental.

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Response inhibition - the ability to suppress inappropriate thoughts and actions - is a fundamental aspect of cognitive control. Recent research suggests that mental training by meditation may improve cognitive control. Yet, it is still unclear if and how, at the neural level, long-term meditation practice may affect (emotional) response inhibition. The present study aimed to address this outstanding question, and used an emotional Go/Nogo task and electroencephalography (EEG) to examine possible differences in behavioral and electrophysiological indices of response inhibition between Vipassana meditators and an experience-matched active control group (athletes). Behaviorally, meditators made significantly less errors than controls on the emotional Go/Nogo task, independent of the emotional context, while being equally fast. This improvement in response inhibition at the behavioral level was accompanied by a decrease in midfrontal theta activity in Nogo vs. Go trials in the meditators compared to controls. Yet, no changes in ERP indices of response inhibition, as indexed by the amplitude of the N2 and P3 components, were observed. Finally, the meditators subjectively evaluated the emotional pictures lower in valence and arousal. Collectively, these results suggest that meditation may improve response inhibition and control over emotional reactivity.

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OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of mindfulness and relaxation training for insomnia on insomnia and quality of life in postmenopausal women. METHODS: Thirty postmenopausal women aged 50 to 65 years, who were not using hormone therapy, and had a diagnosis of insomnia and an apnea-hypopnea index of less than 15, were randomly assigned to two groups: a mindfulness intervention group and a control group. They were assessed before the intervention, and 8 weeks after its completion using questionnaires assessing sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index), quality of life in menopause (Menopause-Specific Quality of Life), menopausal symptoms (Kupperman Menopausal Index), and level of attention (Mindfulness Awareness Attention Scale). They were also assessed through ambulatory polysomnography. This is a pilot study and is limited by its small sample size. RESULTS: The results of the questionnaires showed significant differences in the group that received mindfulness training compared with the control group, namely, improvements in sleep quality, a reduction in the severity of insomnia, a better quality of life, improved attention levels, and a reduction in menopausal and vasomotor symptoms. Polysomnography results showed no differences between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Eight weeks mindfulness meditation training improved sleep quality, quality of life, attention levels, and reduced vasomotor symptoms in postmenopausal women with insomnia.

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INTRODUCTION: The mechanisms underlying the use of yoga in pain relief are still unclear. This study reviewed literature reports on encephalic activity related to analgesia induced by yoga meditation practice. METHODS: This integrative review examined studies published in the Pubmed, LILACS and MEDLINE databases without restriction of the year of publication. The research involved 16 descriptors related to the words: yoga, pain and neuroimaging methods. Inclusion criteria involved only the publications available online, with free access and written in English. RESULTS: 2 case studies and 1 pilot study met the criteria. Yoga meditation practice induces analgesia primarily through attenuation of the medial pain perception system including the Anterior Cingulate Cortex and Insula regions, as well as the lateral system including the Secondary Sensory Cortex and Thalamus. CONCLUSION: Yoga induced analgesia is a potentially important adjunct to current pain management. This integrative review revealed that there is a need for further research that analyzes the encephalic regions related to analgesia induced by yoga practice.

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Research suggests that mindfulness-practices may aid smoking cessation. Yet, the neural mechanisms underlying the effects of mindfulness-practices on smoking are unclear. Response inhibition is a main deficit in addiction, is associated with relapse, and could therefore be a candidate target for mindfulness-based practices. The current study hence investigated the effects of a brief mindfulness-practice on response inhibition in smokers using behavioral and electroencephalography (EEG) measures. Fifty participants (33 females, mean age 20 years old) underwent a protocol of cigarette exposure to induce craving (cue-exposure) and were then randomly assigned to a group receiving mindfulness-instructions or control-instructions (for 15 minutes approximately). Immediately after this, they performed a smoking Go/NoGo task, while their brain activity was recorded. At the behavioral level, no group differences were observed. However, EEG analyses revealed a decrease in P3 amplitude during NoGo vs. Go trials in the mindfulness versus control group. The lower P3 amplitude might indicate less-effortful response inhibition after the mindfulness-practice, and suggest that enhanced response inhibition underlies observed positive effects of mindfulness on smoking behavior.

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