Time, Touch, Attention and the Autonomic Nervous System

Study Overview
=================
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.

Official Title
-----------------
The Impact of Interpersonal Mindful Compassion on Autonomic Nervous System Function

Conditions
-----------------
Stress

Intervention / Treatment
-----------------
* Other: Interpersonal Mindful Compassion with Touch
* Other: Reading while extending loving kindness


Participation Criteria
=================
Eligibility Criteria
-----------------
Inclusion Criteria: Healthy subjects age 18 - 40 Exclusion Criteria: Taking beta blocker medication

Ages Eligible for Study
-----------------
Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 40 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
-----------------
All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
-----------------
Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
=================
How is the study designed?
-----------------

Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: 10 minutes reading<br> | Other: Reading while extending loving kindness<br>* The practitioner sits in a room with the participant, pretending to read, while extending loving kindness to the participant.<br>|
| Experimental: 20 minutes touch<br> | Other: Interpersonal Mindful Compassion with Touch<br>* A practitioner lightly touches the participant on the hands, arms, shoulders, lower legs and feet while extending loving kindness to the participant.<br>|
| Experimental: 20 minutes reading<br> | Other: Reading while extending loving kindness<br>* The practitioner sits in a room with the participant, pretending to read, while extending loving kindness to the participant.<br>|
| Experimental: 10 minutes touch<br> | Other: Interpersonal Mindful Compassion with Touch<br>* A practitioner lightly touches the participant on the hands, arms, shoulders, lower legs and feet while extending loving kindness to the participant.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
-----------------
Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Perceived Stress, Relaxation, Peacefulness |  | baseline, after a 10 minute rest period, before 10 or 20 minute intervention, immediately after intervention, 20 minutes after intervention | 

 Terms related to the study
=================
Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
-----------------
Interpersonal mindful compassion, Loving kindness meditation, Autonomic Nervous System, Heart rate variability, Respiratory rate, Relaxation