Mindfulness Meditation Neuroimaging Study for Undergraduates

Summary

This study is designed to test the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation intervention classes on psychosocial health outcomes. Additionally, the investigators would like to examine changes in the brain that might occur following the mindfulness meditation intervention. The investigators are particularly interested in changes in brain activity that are correlated with changes in inflammation-related markers in the blood. The nervous system and immune system are closely connected, and both are influenced by mindfulness. However, it is unclear whether changes in neural activity are linked with changes in inflammation. A compelling feature of mindfulness interventions is their potential for reducing inflammatory activity; however, this has not been examined in college students. In addition to measuring psychosocial outcomes, the investigators will employ sophisticated, vertically-integrated measures of inflammatory biology that allow the study team to probe intervention effects on circulating markers of inflammation.

Thus, the investigators intend to recruit 60 undergraduate students and will randomize them into either a 6-week standardized mindfulness intervention or to a wait-list control group. Participants will complete brain scans, provide blood samples for immune analysis, and complete questionnaires at pre- and post-intervention assessments

Conditions

• Inflammation
• Psychosocial Functioning
• Depression, Anxiety

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Mindfulness Meditation classes

The mindful awareness practices (MAPS) intervention is based on an institutional program developed by the Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC) at UCLA, but takes a more practical and accessible approach that focuses specifically on the practice of mindfulness and its application in everyday life (as compared to the focus on stress and stress reduction in mindfulness-based stress reduction). Key components of the intervention include development of bodily awareness, managing pain, working with difficult thoughts and feelings, cultivating positive emotions and loving kindness, and relational mindfulness practices. Each session provides structured training and exercises in mindfulness, including formal meditation practices and strategies for the daily informal use of mindfulness, as well as opportunity for group discussion and sharing. Participants will be instructed to practice mindfulness techniques on a daily basis, beginning with five minutes and increasing to 20 minutes.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of California, Los Angeles

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Julienne E Bower, Ph.D. · University of California, Los Angeles

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-03-27

Primary Completion

2023-06-10

Completion

2023-06-10

Countries

• United States

Study Locations