Mechanistic Pathways of Mindfulness Meditation in Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.
Condition: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders
MeSH terms: Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The purpose of this study is to find out how meditation influences certain systems in the
      body: nervous system, hormonal system, and respiratory system. Another purpose is to see how
      meditation may help improve post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms.
    

Detailed description: 
      This study requires nine visits to the clinic: one screening visit, one baseline visit, six
      training sessions, and one endpoint visit. There will be approximately 100 people enrolled in
      this study who will be randomly allocated to one of four groups: a slow breathing group, a
      meditation group, a meditation plus slow breathing group and a sitting quietly group.

      Participants will undergo a telephone screening, a screening visit, baseline visit, six
      intervention visits (once per week for six weeks), and one endpoint visit (one week after the
      final training visit). A telephone screening and screening visit will ensure participant
      eligibility. The screening visit included structured clinician interviews on PTSD symptoms
      and other mental health disorders, completion of questionnaires, and receipt of home saliva
      collection kit. At the baseline visit, electrodes will be attached to measure the electrical
      activity of head, chest, skin, and respiration and blood pressure during a computer task.
      Intervention visits include slow breathing, meditation, mediation and slow breathing, or
      sitting quietly depending on which group the participant is allocated to. Breathing rates and
      other electrical activity of the body will be measured also. Breathing rate will be measured
      with an elastic band that is placed around the chest. Electrical activity will be measured by
      the electrodes that will be placed on the scalp, chest and skin. The endpoint visit will be
      exactly the same as the baseline visit.
    

Intervention name(s): Slow Breathing; Meditation; Meditation and slow breathing; Sitting Quietly
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): The slowed breathing group will be trained on a breathing device, RESPeRATE, designed to reduce respiratory rate.They will practice with RESPeRATE once a week (for 6 weeks) in the laboratory with the research staff.; The Mindfulness Body Scan meditation will be used for the mindfulness meditation group.Participants will be trained once a week (for six weeks) in the laboratory by the research staff.; A structured Mindfulness breathing will be guided by the research staff during the lab trainings. The participant will sit upright and attempt to focus attention on his or her own breath as it passes the opening of the nostrils or on the rising and falling of the abdomen or chest. Whenever attention wanders from the breath, the participant will simply notice the distracting thought and then let it go as attention is returned to the breath. Training will be given once every week for 6 weeks.; The SQ control group's "intervention" will include sitting quietly and listening to a neutral-content book on tape to serve as a time and attention control at each laboratory session. They will also be asked to sit quietly at home daily.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Investigator)
Primary purpose: Treatment