Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT03975595

Meditation Effects on Brain Function in Rheumatoid Arthritis

The purpose of this study is to determine the neural mechanisms supporting meditation-based pain relief in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. The scientific premise is that RA patients' use of different meditation practices during noxious thermal stimulation will alter neural function in brain areas associated with pain, evaluation, and emotional appraisal. The investigators will randomize RA patients to a brief 4-session course of Intervention A (n=20) or Intervention B (n=20). At post-intervention, participants will undergo functional MRI (fMRI) using a perfusion-based arterial spin labeling (ASL) technique during noxious thermal stimulation to determine if the meditation practices differentially alter neural function during noxious thermal stimulation.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Rheumatoid Arthritis Arthritis Arthritis, Rheumatoid Autoimmune Diseases Connective Tissue Diseases Immune System Diseases Joint Diseases Musculoskeletal Diseases Rheumatic Diseases Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases

Age range

30 year–70 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Baltimore, Maryland, 21224, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Withheld to preserve recruitment integrity.

Exclusion criteria

  • Withheld to preserve recruitment integrity.

Treatment and study plan

Meditation Intervention A

Behavioral

This will be a brief meditation intervention involving guided breathing and/or attention exercises. Further information is withheld to preserve blinding.

Meditation Intervention B

Behavioral

This will be a brief meditation intervention involving guided breathing and/or attention exercises. Further information is withheld to preserve blinding.

Primary outcomes

  1. Lateral Orbital Frontal Cortex Activation

    Time frame: Measured at the post-Intervention time point during an MRI scan, approximately 60 minutes.

    Activation in the Lateral Orbital Frontal Cortex will be quantitatively measured as the difference in cerebral blood flow (CBF) response during noxious thermal stimulation while participants actively practice Intervention A in the scanner, compared to the CBF response during noxious thermal stimulation while participants rest. The unit of measure will be milliliter per 100 gram brain tissue per minute.

  2. Nucleus Accumbens Activation

    Time frame: Measured at the post-Intervention time point during an MRI scan, approximately 60 minutes

    Activation in the Nucleus Accumbens will be quantitatively measured as the difference in cerebral blood flow (CBF) response during noxious thermal stimulation while participants actively practice Intervention B in the scanner, compared to the CBF response during noxious thermal stimulation while participants rest. The unit of measure will be milliliter per 100 gram brain tissue per minute (ml/100g/min). There is no normal range for this measure.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Johns Hopkins University

Other

Collaborators

  • National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • University of California, San Diego
  • University of Maryland, Baltimore
  • University of Utah

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2021
Study completion
2021
First posted
Jun 5, 2019
Registry last updated
Mar 9, 2023

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.