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Time, Touch, Attention and the Autonomic Nervous System
This study has been completed.
Sponsor:
Wake Forest University
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Wake Forest University Health Sciences ( Wake Forest University )
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
NCT01428674
First received: August 30, 2011
Last updated: March 16, 2017
Last verified: March 2017
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Purpose
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.
| Condition | Intervention |
|---|---|
| Stress | Other: Interpersonal Mindful Compassion with Touch Other: Reading while extending loving kindness |
| Study Type: | Interventional |
| Study Design: | Allocation: Randomized Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment Masking: Participant Primary Purpose: Treatment |
| Official Title: | The Impact of Interpersonal Mindful Compassion on Autonomic Nervous System Function |
Further study details as provided by Wake Forest University Health Sciences ( Wake Forest University ):
Primary Outcome Measures:
- Change in Heart Rate Variability from pre-intervention period to intervention period [ Time Frame: 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 [ Time Frame: continuous monitoring for 10 minutes before intervention and during 10 or 20 minute intervention ]
Secondary Outcome Measures:
- Perceived Stress, Relaxation, Peacefulness [ Time Frame: baseline, after a 10 minute rest period, before 10 or 20 minute intervention, immediately after intervention, 20 minutes after intervention ]
| Enrollment: | 20 |
| Study Start Date: | February 2011 |
| Study Completion Date: | June 2011 |
| Primary Completion Date: | June 2011 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure) |
| Arms | Assigned Interventions |
|---|---|
| Experimental: 10 minutes reading |
Other: Reading while extending loving kindness
The practitioner sits in a room with the participant, pretending to read, while extending loving kindness to the participant.
|
| Experimental: 20 minutes touch |
Other: Interpersonal Mindful Compassion with Touch
A practitioner lightly touches the participant on the hands, arms, shoulders, lower legs and feet while extending loving kindness to the participant.
|
| Experimental: 20 minutes reading |
Other: Reading while extending loving kindness
The practitioner sits in a room with the participant, pretending to read, while extending loving kindness to the participant.
|
| Experimental: 10 minutes touch |
Other: Interpersonal Mindful Compassion with Touch
A practitioner lightly touches the participant on the hands, arms, shoulders, lower legs and feet while extending loving kindness to the participant.
|
Eligibility| Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years to 40 Years (Adult) |
| Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
| Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | Yes |
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Healthy subjects age 18 - 40
Exclusion Criteria:
- Taking beta blocker medication
Contacts and Locations
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To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01428674
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01428674
Sponsors and Collaborators
Wake Forest University
Investigators
| Principal Investigator: | Kathi J Kemper, MD | Wake Forest University Health Sciences |
More Information
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
| Responsible Party: | Wake Forest University |
| ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT01428674 History of Changes |
| Other Study ID Numbers: |
WFUIRB00015699 |
| Study First Received: | August 30, 2011 |
| Last Updated: | March 16, 2017 |
Keywords provided by Wake Forest University Health Sciences ( Wake Forest University ):
|
Interpersonal mindful compassion Loving kindness meditation Autonomic Nervous System |
Heart rate variability Respiratory rate Relaxation |
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on July 24, 2017