Meditation News and Research

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The term meditation refers to a variety of techniques or practices intended to focus or control attention. Most of them are rooted in Eastern religious or spiritual traditions. These techniques have been used by many different cultures throughout the world for thousands of years.

Today, many people use meditation outside of its traditional religious or cultural settings as a form of mind-body medicine. Many claims have been made about its value in promoting or improving health and wellness.

Highlights from April 2014 issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter

Here are highlights from the April issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

26 Apr 2014

Marital stress may make people more vulnerable to depression, says study

Marital stress may make people more vulnerable to depression, according to a recent study by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers and their colleagues.

26 Apr 2014

Research roundup: Structural concerns in ACOs; public's view of mandated contraception coverage

The Medicare Accountable Care Organization (ACO) programs reward participating health care provider groups that achieve slower spending growth and high quality of care.

26 Apr 2014

UCSF researchers discover natural way to avoid urinary incontinence

An ancient form of meditation and exercise could help women who suffer from urinary incontinence, according to a new study from UC San Francisco.

26 Apr 2014

Older women with gumption score high on compassion

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that older women, plucky individuals and those who have suffered a recent major loss are more likely to be compassionate toward strangers than other older adults.

18 Apr 2014

Researchers integrate meditation and science to develop targeted mental health treatments

Mindfulness is always personal and often spiritual, but the meditation experience does not have to be subjective. Advances in methodology are allowing researchers to integrate mindfulness experiences with brain imaging and neural signal data to form testable hypotheses about the science - and the reported mental health benefits - of the practice.

4 Apr 2014

Religion and spirituality have distinct but complementary influences on health

Religion and spirituality have distinct but complementary influences on health, new research from Oregon State University indicates.

29 Mar 2014

EEG findings specific to mood state in bipolar disorder

The electrical activity of the brain differs in patients with bipolar disorder according to whether they are experiencing a manic or depressed phase, research shows.

27 Mar 2014

Researchers find stress can delay pregnancy and double risk of infertility

Having difficulty getting pregnant can be an incredibly stressful experience for any couple. Now, for the first time, researchers have data that suggests preconception stress might play a role in infertility.

24 Mar 2014

Kessler Foundation receives grant to supports variety of rehabilitation research projects in spinal cord injury

Kessler Foundation has received more than $718,000 in grant funding from the Craig Neilsen Foundation. The funding, comprised of five grants, supports a variety of rehabilitation research projects in spinal cord injury (SCI), including pain management, functional outcomes, quality of life, and factors affecting cognitive function.

18 Mar 2014

Mindfulness-based meditation could lessen some symptoms of cancer in teens

Mindfulness-based meditation could lessen some symptoms associated with cancer in teens, according to the results of a clinical trial intervention led by researchers at the University of Montreal and its affiliated CHU Sainte-Justine children's hospital.

14 Mar 2014

Research suggests that MBSR program can reduce employee stress and burnout

Within the health care industry and beyond, daily exposure to stress can lead to negative consequences for employees both on and off the job - from apathy and burnout to physical illness or mental impairments.

4 Mar 2014

Yoga offers unique benefits for women with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy

For women with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy, yoga offers unique benefits beyond fighting fatigue, according to research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

4 Mar 2014

Study links carbohydrate calorie-rich diets to greater risk for brain shrinkage, dementia and AD

Even small increases in blood sugar caused by a diet high in carbohydrates can be detrimental to brain health. Recent reports in medical literature link carbohydrate calorie-rich diets to a greater risk for brain shrinkage, dementia and Alzheimer's disease, impaired cognition, and other disorders.

24 Feb 2014

Transcendental meditation technique shows significant reduction in PTSD in just 10 days

African civilians in war-torn countries have experienced the threat of violence or death, and many have witnessed the abuse, torture, rape and even murder of loved ones. Many Congolese living in Ugandan refugee camps are suffering from severe posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

11 Feb 2014

Anxiety, depression and meditation: an interview with Dr Madhav Goyal, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

We wanted to be broadly inclusive of any kind of meditation program, so we defined a meditation program to be any kind of structured meditation program that involved at a minimum 4 hours of training, with instructions to practice outside the classroom.

28 Jan 2014

Practicing yoga for atleast 3 months can reduce fatigue and inflammation in breast cancer survivors

Practicing yoga for as little as three months can reduce fatigue and lower inflammation in breast cancer survivors, according to new research.

27 Jan 2014

Technology increases cognitive behavioral therapy options for insomnia

Web- and telehealth-based delivery of cognitive behavioral therapy is effective for treating chronic insomnia, giving rural-dwelling adults more choice and better access to services, researchers report.

20 Jan 2014

Thickening of brain cortex linked with spiritual and religious practice

A thickening of the brain cortex associated with regular meditation or other spiritual or religious practice could be the reason those activities guard against depression - particularly in people who are predisposed to the disease, according to new research led by Lisa Miller, professor and director of Clinical Psychology and director of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.

17 Jan 2014

Viewpoints: Health law debate on contraceptive coverage; Cuccinelli: No investigators for Medicaid fraud; 50 years after the famed report on smoking

The Little Sisters of the Poor, an organization of Roman Catholic nuns that runs nursing homes around the country, is testing the contraceptive coverage mandate of the Affordable Care Act. Last week, we're sorry to say, the nuns won a temporary reprieve from Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Under the law, most employers are required to provide their employees with health insurance that covers birth control. But the Obama administration agreed to a compromise for nonprofit religious groups that object to contraception, exempting them from paying for such coverage. Instead, insurers agreed to absorb the cost. All the religious organization has to do is fill out a simple form attesting to its situation. Unfortunately, even that was too much for the Little Sisters of the Poor (1/7).

9 Jan 2014

Meditation News and Research

Further Reading

Highlights from April 2014 issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter

Marital stress may make people more vulnerable to depression, says study

Research roundup: Structural concerns in ACOs; public's view of mandated contraception coverage

UCSF researchers discover natural way to avoid urinary incontinence

Older women with gumption score high on compassion

Researchers integrate meditation and science to develop targeted mental health treatments

Religion and spirituality have distinct but complementary influences on health

EEG findings specific to mood state in bipolar disorder

Researchers find stress can delay pregnancy and double risk of infertility

Kessler Foundation receives grant to supports variety of rehabilitation research projects in spinal cord injury

Mindfulness-based meditation could lessen some symptoms of cancer in teens

Research suggests that MBSR program can reduce employee stress and burnout

Yoga offers unique benefits for women with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy

Study links carbohydrate calorie-rich diets to greater risk for brain shrinkage, dementia and AD

Transcendental meditation technique shows significant reduction in PTSD in just 10 days

Anxiety, depression and meditation: an interview with Dr Madhav Goyal, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Practicing yoga for atleast 3 months can reduce fatigue and inflammation in breast cancer survivors

Technology increases cognitive behavioral therapy options for insomnia

Thickening of brain cortex linked with spiritual and religious practice

Viewpoints: Health law debate on contraceptive coverage; Cuccinelli: No investigators for Medicaid fraud; 50 years after the famed report on smoking

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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