Content uploaded by Kenneth G Walton
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Kenneth G Walton on May 14, 2018
Content may be subject to copyright.
A preview of the PDF is not available
Effects of the Transcendental Meditation program on adaptive mechanisms: changes in hormone levels and responses to stress after 4 months of practice
Abstract
Stress has been implicated in both somatic and mental disorders. The mechanisms by which stress leads to poor health are largely unknown. However, studies in animals suggest that chronic stress causes high basal cortisol and low cortisol response to acute stressors and that such changes may contribute to disease. Previous studies of the Transcendental Mediation® (TM) technique as a possible means of countering effects of stress have reported altered levels of several hormones both during the practice and longitudinally after regular practice of this technique. In this prospective, random assignment study, changes in baseline levels and acute responses to laboratory stressors were examined for four hormones—cortisol, growth hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone and testosterone—before and after 4 months of either the TM technique or a stress education control condition. At pre- and post-test, blood was withdrawn continuously through an indwelling catheter, and plasma or serum samples were frozen for later analysis by radioimmunoassay. The results showed significantly different changes for the two groups, or trends toward significance, for each hormone over the 4 months. In the TM group, but not in the controls, basal cortisol level and average cortisol across the stress session decreased from pre- to post-test. Cortisol responsiveness to stressors, however, increased in the TM group compared to controls. The baselines and/or stress responsiveness for TSH and GH changed in opposite directions for the groups, as did the testosterone baseline. Overall, the cortisol and testosterone results appear to support previous data suggesting that repeated practice of the TM technique reverses effects of chronic stress significant for health. The observed group difference in the change of GH regulation may derive from the cortisol differences, while the TSH results are not related easily to earlier findings on the effects of chronic stress.
... After practicing transcendental meditation for 4 months, the level of cortisol and TSH were decreased, whereas there was an increase in growth hormone. [1,6] A researcher also found an increase in alpha waves and a significant decrease in serum cortisol during the practice of Yoga. [1,7] In a study, scientists found a significant improvement in systolic blood pressure (BP), body mass index and high density lipid cholesterol, heart rate, body weight, diastolic BP, total cholesterol, triglycerides after regular practice of Yoga. ...
... They concluded that yoga training utilized in this study had not significant effect on thyroid function in sedentary women. In studies of Werner et al, [20] and Maclean et al, [6] reported that transcendental meditation had no significant effected on T3 and T4 level. In study of Gorden et al. also, reported that there is no significant change in TSH, T3 and T4 level after the practice of yoga. ...
Background: Hypothyroidism, a thyroid disorder is more common in females and refers to an under active thyroid gland, whereby the thyroid gland can not make enough thyroid hormone to maintain homeostatisis in the body. Low thyroid hormone levels cause metabolic functions to slow down, resulting in a general symptomology that can include dry skin, fatigue, loss of energy, weight gain, depression ormemory problems. Yoga is an excellent form of health care management that is well suited to the needs of thyroid patients. Before the development of Western Medical science, Yogis believed that the neuroendocrine system was vital to health and a set of practices were devised in order to maintain healthy glands and the body’s metabolism. Materials and Methods: The present study included 50 mid aged women aged between 35-50 years. The subjects were practiced yoga for 6 months, the yoga practice includes Asana, Praṇayama and Yoganidra for one hour weekly minimum four days per week for 24 weeks, usually morning sessions 7 to 8 am period was selected for yoga. We have measured the Triiodothyronine (T3), Thyroxine (T4) and Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) pre and post study. Result: The middle aged women aged between 35-50 years were involed in study for 6 months, pre and post thyroid blood hormone levels were measured. Before the study T3 level was 135+8.96 ug/dL, after study it was 152+12.62 ug/dL, T4 level was before the study was 6.3+0.82ug/dL and after study was 7.5+1.23 ug/dL, TSH level was before study 3.72+0.92 U/mL and after the study was 4.95+1.56 U/mL and P-value was statistically significant(<0.05) in T3 and T4 values. Conclusion: Our study concluded that yoga is helping the maintenance of good levels of thyroid hormones. Yoga may be considered as supportive or complementary therapy in conjunction with medical therapy for the treatment of thyroid disorders.
... Identification of glucocorticoid receptor signaling as one of the canonical pathways arising from pathway analysis of the microarray data in that study is consistent with prior physiologic studies [15][16][17][18]. Together, these studies suggest that reduction of long-lasting effects of stress on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, especially reduction of chronically elevated cortisol, is a likely mechanism mediating some of the beneficial effects of TM technologies. ...
... Previous studies in blood have reported that F levels are reduced both acutely during an individual TM practice session [120] and chronically, in a prospective, random assignment, active-control study of male medical students after 4 months of twice-daily practice of TM [18]. More relevant to the current study, lower urinary excretion rates of F were found in a previous study of long-term (avg. ...
Background: Our previous comparison of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from long-term Transcendental Meditation® (TM®) practitioners and matched non-practitioner controls found 200 differentially expressed (DE) genes. Bioinformatics analyses of these DE genes suggested a reduced risk of diseases associated with stress and aging in the TM group. Here we assessed additional signs of reduced stress and aging. Methods: A sample of 15 of the 200 DE genes was studied using qPCR in PBMCs from 40-year TM practitioners (“Old TM”, n = 23) compared to a “Young Control” group (n = 19) and an “Old Control” group (n = 21) of non-meditators. In these three groups, plus a “Young TM”, 12-year practitioner group (n = 26), we also studied EEG-based parameters of cognitive function (the Brain Integration Scale (BIS), and latency of three components of the event-related potential (ERP)). Finally, using LC/MS/MS, we compared persistent levels of cortisol (F) and its inactive congener, cortisone (E), in hair. Results: qPCR analysis showed that 13 of the 15 genes were more highly expressed in Old Controls than in Young Controls. In the Old TM group, 7 of these 13 were lower than in Old Controls. Both TM groups had higher BIS scores than their age-matched controls. The Old TM group had shorter N2, P3a, and P3b latencies than the Old Control group, and latencies in the Old TM group were not longer than in the Young Control group. The Hair F/Hair E ratio was higher in the control subgroups than in their age-matched TM subgroups, and Hair F was higher in the Young Control and combined control groups than in the Young TM and combined TM groups. Conclusions: These results are consistent with reductions in biomarkers of chronic stress and biological age in long-term TM meditators. They are also consistent with results from the previous study suggesting that TM practice lowers energy consumption or leads to more efficient energy metabolism.
... Meditation, particularly Dharana and Dhyana, has been shown to enhance creativity, energy levels, and cognitive functions while reducing insomnia, anxiety, and psychosomatic conditions, thus improving overall health (Parnabas et al., 2014). Regular meditation practice decreases glucocorticoid levels and oxidative stress, leading http://vidyajournal.org to a reduced physiological response to stressors and lower hormone-stressor interaction rates (Sudsuang et al., 1991;Jevning et al., 1978;MacLean et al., 1997). A single session of cyclic meditation (CM) calms the mind, enhances mindfulness, and heightens awareness of the mind, body, and breath, leading to improved higher mental functions (Vinchurkar et al., 2014). ...
Football demands high levels of muscle strength, aerobic capacity, and anaerobic power to meet the sport's physical and physiological challenges. Yoga has been shown to enhance flexibility, stability, endurance, and cognitive function, benefiting both physical performance and mental well-being. Despite this, there is a notable absence of studies specifically focused on sport-specific yoga practices for football players. The study aims to identify essential yoga practices for football players based on input from subject matter experts. A total of 76 yoga practices were identified through a review of classical texts and supported by research evidence. To establish the validity of these practices, a panel of 30 subject matter experts (SMEs) was consulted. The data were analysed using Lawshe's Content Validity Ratio (CVR) to assess content validity. Among the 76 integrated yoga practices subjected to validation, 38 practices achieved a CVR score of ≥0.33, signifying high content validity (p<0.05), while the remaining 38 practices had a CVR score of <0.33, indicating low content validity. The 38 practices with a CVR score of ≥0.33 were deemed essential for football players. The study highlights the potential of yoga to improve overall athletic performance and reduce injury risk, emphasizing the need for incorporating sport-specific yoga programs.
... Meditation, particularly Dharana and Dhyana, has been shown to enhance creativity, energy levels, and cognitive functions while reducing insomnia, anxiety, and psychosomatic conditions, thus improving overall health(Parnabas et al., 2014). Regular meditation practice decreases glucocorticoid levels and oxidative stress, leading to a reduced physiological response to stressors and lower hormone-stressor interaction rates(Sudsuang et al., 1991; Jevning et al., 1978;MacLean et al., 1997). A single session of cyclic meditation (CM) calms the mind, enhances mindfulness, and heightens awareness of the mind, body, and breath, leading to improved higher mental functions(Vinchurkar et al., 2014). ...
Football demands high levels of muscle strength, aerobic capacity, and anaerobic power to meet the sport's physical and physiological challenges. Yoga has been shown to enhance flexibility, stability, endurance, and cognitive function, benefiting both physical performance and mental well-being. Despite this, there is a notable absence of studies specifically focused on sport-specific yoga practices for football players. The study aims to identify essential yoga practices for football players based on input from subject matter experts. A total of 76 yoga practices were identified through a review of classical texts and supported by research evidence. To establish the validity of these practices, a panel of 30 subject matter experts (SMEs) was consulted. The data were analysed using Lawshe’s Content Validity Ratio (CVR) to assess content validity. Among the 76 integrated yoga practices subjected to validation, 38 practices achieved a CVR score of ≥0.33, signifying high content validity, while the remaining 38 practices had a CVR score of <0.33, indicating low content validity. The 38 practices with a CVR score of ≥0.33 were deemed essential for football players. The study highlights the potential of yoga to improve overall athletic performance and reduce injury risk, emphasizing the need for incorporating sport-specific yoga programs.
... This inhibition results in lower anxiety, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and 17,18 cardiac output in students practicing yoga and meditation. decrease cardiovascular response mainly due to decrease release of stress hormone " cortisol " from adrenal cortex & the adrenaline levels from adrenal medulla due to decrease 19,20 sympathetic discharge from Adrenal gland. ...
Stress is described as a state of anxiety,strain,nervousness,tension,constant worry or pressure.It is an accepted fact that psychosocial factors operate through mental processes, consciously or unconsciously, to produce hypertension and other cardiovascular disorders . The stress hormone, cortisol, is public health enemy number one & elevated cortisol levels act as a potential trigger for mental illness and decreased resilience—especially in adolescence. affect multiple systems of body.The aims of this study was to investigate whether regular practice of yoga for sixty minutes twice a day for six months can improve the cardiovascular status and decrease serum cortisol in hyper-rector professional computer workers, to cold pressor test.Summary - regular practice of Yoga for 6 months can reduce the serum cortisol level and cardiovascular hyper reactivity, for reducing the morbidity and mortality from cardio vascular disorders, by inducing parasympathetic predominance and cortico-hypothalamo-medullary inhibition.
... This effect has been confirmed by various studies in yoga [33]. Yoga also affects the amount of hypothalamic, pituitary, and adrenal responses, leading to adaptability in the secretion of endocrine glands in the face of substances such as cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormones [34,35]. It has been found that yoga increases thalamic gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is considered a drug treatment for anxiety and mood disorders [36,34]. ...
... Our participants perceived enhanced presentmoment awareness and diminished anxiety and stress. According to Barnes et al. (2001), MacLean et al. (1997), and Walton et al. (2004, the TM technique has positive effects in reducing psychological and physiological responses to stressors, as well as reducing elevated cortisol levels. Travis et al. (2009) found that TM promoted coherent brain functioning, associated with lower stress levels. ...
Purpose of Study: Given the enormity of the most recent challenges to clinician well-being, intensified by the pandemic, we decided to explore the influence of Transcendental Meditation ® (TM) ® on the well-being of clinical nurses. The purpose of our study was to use qualitative analysis to enhance our understanding of the experiences of clinical nurses who practiced TM, as viewed through the lens of our conceptual model and Watson's holistic unitary caring science theory. Design and Method: This qualitative study involved a thematic analysis of clinical nurses’ written descriptions following the completion of the TM program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings: The nurse participants shared their experiences with the practice of TM as creating present moment focus, leading to enhanced self-care, and development of authentic presence with others. The overall theme uncovered in the analysis is that authentic presence is veritas (truth) in knowing, being, doing, and becoming. Conclusions: The findings were congruent with Watson's unitary caring science theory and provided illumination of the holistic value of TM as a self-care strategy for supporting nurses’ well-being with the goal of retaining nurses in practice. When nurses care for themselves, they are more likely and able to care for others, thus helping them to enjoy their nursing careers.
We examined changes in brain waves and blood levels of serum Cortisol during yoga exercise in 7 yoga instructors and found that alpha waves increased and serum Cortisol decreased. These two measures were negatively correlated (r = -.83). Comparison with a control group of nonpractitioners is desirable.
Psychological distress has a demonstrable impact on cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and risk factors. Transcendental Meditation (TM) has been shown to reduce stress and improve health and well‐being. The current review aimed to synthesize the evidence on the effects of TM on cardiometabolic outcomes and identify gaps for future research. We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and Web of Science databases for relevant literature. Forty‐five papers that reported studies of TM on cardiometabolic risk factors and diseases were included. Evidence shows that TM is effective in reducing blood pressure (BP). We found some evidence that TM can improve insulin resistance and may play a role in improving dyslipidemia, exercise tolerance, and myocardial blood flow, and in reducing carotid intima‐media thickness and left ventricular mass. Studies show that long‐term TM practice can reduce the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, and CVD mortality. This review identified that certain studies have high participant drop‐out rates, and fewer studies targeted comprehensive cardiometabolic outcomes beyond BP with longer follow‐up periods. We found that most studies were conducted in specific populations, which may limit generalizability. In conclusion, TM has the potential to improve cardiometabolic health; however, research gaps highlight the need for larger phase III multicenter clinical trials with long‐term follow‐ups.
Aging is a multifactorial process that results in heterogeneous patterns of progressive morbidity and disability (1–3). This complex process is influenced by multiple internal homeostatic mechanisms which are, in turn, influenced by the external stimuli or stressors. One of the best characterized homeostatic response systems is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis which coordinates multiple neuroendocrine and metabolic response to stressors. Interest in possible age-related changes in homeostatic regulation, and in HPA functioning in particular, has been stimulated by the fact that men and women who are 65 and over represent one of the fastest growing segments of the population (4). Estimates for the United States alone project that by the year 2000 there will be more than 35 million people aged 65 and over and more than 51 million by the year 2020 (5). The needs of this population in terms of healthcare resources have focused attention on identifying the factors that influence their patterns of disease and disability.
The synthesis and release of GnRH within a specific subset of neurons in the hypothalamus, which serves as the primary drive to the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, is subject to various levels of control. Although a number of direct synaptic connections to GnRH-containing neurons have been identified, which presumably provide some regulatory inputs, the mechanisms responsible for hormonal regulation of GnRH synthesis and release mediated by either cell surface or intracellular receptors remain controversial. The recent demonstration that a subset of GnRH-containing neurons in the rat hypothalamus possesses immunoreactive glucocorticoid receptors (GR) implies that this class of steroid hormones could exert a direct effect to regulate the functioning of these neurons and perhaps the HPG axis. We used the GT1-3 and GT1-7 cell lines of immortalized GnRH-secreting hypothalamic neurons as a model to study the direct effects of glucocorticoids on GnRH gene expression. We demonstrated that these cell lines possess GR that bind the synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone, in vitro with high affinity (Kd = 2-3 nM). These receptors are functional, as indicated by their ability to activate transcription from exogenously introduced heterologous glucocorticoid-responsive promoters. Furthermore, dexamethasone represses both the endogenous mouse GnRH gene, decreasing steady state levels of GnRH mRNA, and the transcriptional activity of transfected rat GnRH promoter-reporter gene vectors. Glucocorticoid repression of rat GnRH promoter activity appears to be mediated by sequences contained within the promoter proximal 459 basepairs and not be influenced by the relative basal activity of the GnRH promoter. Thus, our results provide the first direct demonstration of glucocorticoid repression of transcription in a hypothalamic cell line and suggest that GR acting directly within GnRH neurons could be at least partly responsible for negative regulation of the HPG axis by glucocorticoids.
Chronic stress causing elevated morning (AM) corticosterone (B) concentrations of 2-8 micrograms B/dl does not appear to inhibit subsequent activity in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a surprising finding in view of the known depression in AM basal ACTH by only 3 micrograms B/dl in adrenalectomized rats. To distinguish between the possibilities that either intact rats are less sensitive to B feedback than adrenalectomized rats, or that chronic stress facilitates responses in the HPA axis, we elevated basal B levels in young male rats with slow-release B pellets in the absence of stress. Between 4-6 days after implantation of B pellets at three doses that elevated basal AM (diurnal trough) plasma B to approximately 1.2, 4, and 10 micrograms/dl, we studied basal ACTH and B at trough (AM) and peak evening (PM) times of the diurnal cycle, as well as the responses to the stress of restraint and blood collection from the tail at each time of day. We also determined mean daily plasma B, insulin, a...
Although a number of previous studies have suggested that glucocorticoids influence somatostatin (SS) function at the peptide level in some tissues and SS mRNA levels in thyroid tumor cells, there has been no systematic investigation of the effects of glucocorticoids on SS gene expression in normal tissues. In the present study, we have examined the effect of dexamethasone (DEX) on SS secretion and gene expression in rat tissues using as models DEX-treated rats in vivo, primary cultures of rat islet and cerebrocortical cells, and a SS-producing rat islet tumor cell line (1027B2). In vivo DEX administration (0.5 mg/kg) for 3 or 8 days augmented SS-mRNA 2- to 3-fold in peripheral tissues (stomach, pancreas, and jejunum), but reduced it by 50-60% in brain. The DEX effect was time dependent, being more pronounced after 8 days than after 3 days of treatment. In all tissues, SS mRNA levels returned to control values 2 weeks after cessation of DEX. Changes in tissue content of immunoreactive SS paralleled those ...
Over the past 5 yr, we have examined some of the sharpest edges of the pathology of aging. We have studied the capacity of aged organisms to respond appropriately to stress and the capacity of stress to cumulatively damage aging tissue. The idea of a relationship between stress and aging has permeated the gerontology literature in two forms. First, senescence has been thought of as a time of decreased adaptiveness to stress. This idea has been supported frequently, as many aged physiological systems function normally under basal conditions, yet do not adequately respond to a challenge. For example, aged and young humans have similar basal body temperatures, but the former are relatively impaired in thermoregulatory capacities when heat- or cold-challenged. A second theme in gerontology concerning stress is that chronic stress can accelerate the aging process. Selye and Tuchweber for example, postulated a finite "adaptational energy" in an organism, with prolonged stress prematurely depleting such reserves, thus accelerating the onset of senescence. This idea was derivative of earlier idea that the "rate of living" could be a pacemaker of aging. Experimentally, varied approaches have supported the notion that at least some biomarkers of age can be accelerated by stress.
The above hypotheses led us to examine the adrenocortical axis, the endocrine axis which is among the most central to the stress response. Our findings support both of these concepts. We find that the aged male rat is impaired in terminating the secretion of adrenocortical stress hormones, glucocorticoids, at the end of stress. This hormonal excess may be due to degenerative changes in a region of the brain which normally inhibits glucocorticoid release; the degeneration, in turn, is caused by cumulative exposure to glucocorticoids. Together, these effects form a feed-forward cascade with potentially serious pathophysiological consequences in the aged subject.
Reproduced by permission.
Robert M. Sapolsky, Lewis C. Krey, Bruce S. McEwen, The Neuroendocrinology of Stress and Aging: The Glucocorticoid Cascade Hypothesis. Endocr. Rev. 7 , 284-301 (1986).
Objective:
This article presents a new formulation of the relationship between stress and the processes leading to disease. It emphasizes the hidden cost of chronic stress to the body over long time periods, which act as a predisposing factor for the effects of acute, stressful life events. It also presents a model showing how individual differences in the susceptibility to stress are tied to individual behavioral responses to environmental challenges that are coupled to physiologic and pathophysiologic responses.Data Sources:
Published original articles from human and animal studies and selected reviews. Literature was surveyed using MEDLINE.Data Extraction:
Independent extraction and cross-referencing by us.Data Synthesis:
Stress is frequently seen as a significant contributor to disease, and clinical evidence is mounting for specific effects of stress on immune and cardiovascular systems. Yet, until recently, aspects of stress that precipitate disease have been obscure. The concept of homeostasis has failed to help us understand the hidden toll of chronic stress on the body. Rather than maintaining constancy, the physiologic systems within the body fluctuate to meet demands from external forces, a state termed allostasis. In this article, we extend the concept of allostasis over the dimension of time and we define allostatic load as the cost of chronic exposure to fluctuating or heightened neural or neuroendocrine response resulting from repeated or chronic environmental challenge that an individual reacts to as being particularly stressful.Conclusions:
This new formulation emphasizes the cascading relationships, beginning early in life, between environmental factors and genetic predispositions that lead to large individual differences in susceptibility to stress and, in some cases, to disease. There are now empirical studies based on this formulation, as well as new insights into mechanisms involving specific changes in neural, neuroendocrine, and immune systems. The practical implications of this formulation for clinical practice and further research are discussed.(Arch Intern Med. 1993;153:2093-2101)
