Clinical trial NCT06237530: Interoception and Body Scan
Official title: Exploring Visceral Body Scan, Somatosensory Body Scan, and External Meditation
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE1
PHASE2
Conditions: Healthy
Keywords: body scan
interoception
interoceptive
mindfulness
somatosensory
Lead sponsor: University of Valencia
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2024-02-01
Enrollment: 48
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: The investigators tested two different versions of the body scan (meditation practice), one focused on visceral signals -visceral body scan (VBS)- and the other on somatosensory signals -somatosensory body scan (SBS)- in comparison to an exteroceptive, non-body focused, control condition -external control meditation (ECM)-. To do so, an online approach was conducted, as it has been proved to be an effective strategy, while being more widely accessible and reducing costs and time.
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: Body scan meditation has been assumed to be an interoceptive intervention, and the evidence for its effects on interoceptive processes is unclear. Although this mindfulness based exercise typically involves focusing on some interoceptive signals such as breath, it also involves other bodily cues, such as somatosensory cues. The present study aimed to (1) investigate the feasibility of three online delivered mindfulness practices that differ in the signals targeted: visceral body scan (VBS), somatosensory body scan (SBS), and external (non body) meditation (ECM), and (2) gain insight into the potentially different effects of these interventions on interoceptive and other psychological outcomes in order to inform future full scale randomized controlled trials (RCT).


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Age over 18
* being Spanish or English speakers
* Ability to use a computer or smartphone
* Daily access to computer or smartphone with an Internet connection

Exclusion Criteria:

* Being diagnosed with a severe psychiatric disorder (e.g., substance abuse, eating disorder, psychotic disorder)
* Severe visual or auditory difficulties that cannot be corrected with glasses or auditory aids
* Having a medical condition that prevents participation in this study
* Changes in psychotropic medication during the study
* Having been exposed to any extremely traumatic event that is being re-experienced or interfering during the last month
* Body image-related difficulties as indicated by scores above 3 on the Body Image as Source of Shame questionnaire.
* Regular meditation practice in the current moment

Primary outcomes:
measure: Adherence assessed by completed intervention sessions
timeFrame: Through study completion, a total of 7 days
measure: Meditation-related adverse effects assessed by a self-report questionnaire
timeFrame: Immediately post-intervention
measure: Acceptability assessed by a satisfaction questionnaire
timeFrame: Immediately post-intervention
measure: Self-reported quality of the mindfulness practice
timeFrame: Immediately post-intervention
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Adaptive interoceptive sensibility style assessed by a questionnaire
timeFrame: Immediately pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention
measure: Sensitivity and attention to interoceptive signals assessed by a questionnaire
timeFrame: Immediately pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention
measure: Perceived Body Boundaries in bodily self-awareness assessed by a VAS
timeFrame: Immediately pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention
measure: Spatial Frame of Reference in bodily self-awareness assessed by a VAS
timeFrame: Immediately pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention
measure: Mindfulness trait assessed by a self-report questionnaire
timeFrame: Immediately pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention
measure: Alexithymia assessed by a self-report questionnaire
timeFrame: Immediately pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention
measure: Negative emotion regulation assessed by a self-report questionnaire
timeFrame: Immediately pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention
measure: Positive emotion regulation assessed by a self-report questionnaire
timeFrame: Immediately pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention
measure: Depressive symptomatology assessed by a self-report questionnaire
timeFrame: Immediately pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention
measure: Qualitative feedback assessed by several open-ended questions
timeFrame: Immediately pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Valencia
country: Spain
facility: Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Valencia
state: Comunidad Valenciana
Study officials:
affiliation: Univeristy of Valencia
name: Rosa M Baños, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: