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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT01428674

Time, Touch, Attention and the Autonomic Nervous System

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.

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Key information

Conditions

Stress

Age range

18 year–40 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Healthy subjects age 18 - 40

Exclusion criteria

  • Taking beta blocker medication

Treatment and study plan

Interpersonal Mindful Compassion with Touch

Other

A practitioner lightly touches the participant on the hands, arms, shoulders, lower legs and feet while extending loving kindness to the participant.

Reading while extending loving kindness

Other

The practitioner sits in a room with the participant, pretending to read, while extending loving kindness to the participant.

Primary outcomes

  1. 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

  2. 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 outcomes

  1. 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

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Wake Forest University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Impact of Interpersonal Mindful Compassion on Autonomic Nervous System Function

Important dates

Study start
2011
Primary completion
2011
Study completion
2011
First posted
Sep 5, 2011
Registry last updated
Aug 15, 2018

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.

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