Pilot Study Evaluating the Impact of Stress Reduction on Atherosclerotic : Heart and Mind Study
Massachusetts General Hospital
Summary
The plot study aims to evaluate the effect of 8 weeks of stress reducing intervention on atherosclerotic plaque inflammation in adults, as quantified by positron emission tomography (PET) with fluorine-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) in individuals with increased psychosocial stress.
Description
This randomized controlled imaging study will be performed to evaluate the impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction via a mind body program on arterial inflammation in individuals with self-identified high levels of stress. Individuals will undergo baseline Fluorodeoxyglucose-Positron emission tomography / magnetic resonance imaging and will then be randomized to the stress-reduction intervention group or no intervention groups by blocks of 2:1, with stratification by age and sex. The stress reduction sessions focus on developing an understanding of stress physiology and the physiology of…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 30–65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * • Aged between 30-65 years * Identifies as having increased levels of stress and/or has a Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) score \>5 at baseline, and is interested in participating Exclusion Criteria: * Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) score \<6
Interventions
- BehavioralStress Reduction
The stress reduction program is a multimodal mind-body resiliency program that incorporates 3 core components into each session: * Elicitation of the Relaxation Response (RR) through mind-body techniques; * Discussion about stress awareness to learn how to identify personal stressors and experiences of stress; and * Coping strategies and adaptive perspective-taking to promote positive well-being.
Location
- Massachusetts General HospitalBoston, Massachusetts