Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT01488422

Neural Correlates of Stress Reduction

This study will identify neural mechanisms associated with changes in emotion regulation following participation in stress reduction programs.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Stress Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Emotional Stress Life Stress Psychological Stress Social Stress Stress, Psychological

Age range

18 year–50 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • 18-50 years of age
  • Right-handed
  • Stressed

Exclusion criteria

  • Lifetime history of schizophrenia or psychosis
  • Psychiatric illness
  • History of seizure or significant head trauma
  • Use of psychotropic medications
  • Metallic implants or devices contraindicating magnetic resonance imaging
  • Claustrophobia
  • Pregnancy

Treatment and study plan

Stress Reduction

Behavioral

We are comparing 2 well-studied approaches to stress reduction. All participants will receive stress reduction instructions that have already been proven to effectively reduce stress. Our goal is to compare the neural mechanisms associated with both approaches.

Primary outcomes

  1. Changes in gray matter structure

    Time frame: 8 weeks

    Study participants will undergo an MRI scan before and after attending an 8-week stress reduction program.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Emotion regulation

    Time frame: 8-weeks

    Study participants will do an emotion regulation task while they are in the MRI scanner. We will assess brain activity and skin conductance during the task. Changes in these measures will be assessed before and after enrollment in the stress reduction program

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Massachusetts General Hospital

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Structural and Functional Mechanisms of Stress Reduction

Important dates

Study start
2011
Primary completion
2014
Study completion
2014
First posted
Dec 8, 2011
Registry last updated
Jan 15, 2015

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.