A New Translational Tool for Studying the Role of Breathing in Meditation.

描述（由申请人提供）：呼吸练习，单独或作为身心干预的一部分，如冥想和瑜伽，有可能改善各种急性和慢性疾病。本提案描述了一种新的翻译工具的应用，用于动态监测呼吸的特定呼吸练习，正念呼吸（MB），对一个主要的心血管危险因素，血压（BP）的影响的调查。新的监测仪不仅可以连续测量呼吸率，还可以连续测量自然环境中呼出空气中的CO2（PetCO2），以及诊所设置。PetCO2的相关性在于它与血液CO2共同变化，血液CO2反过来调节酸碱平衡，已知对所有身体组织的稳定生理功能至关重要，因此对健康很重要。本项目提出了一项研究MB对PetCO2，呼吸频率和血压的个体高血压前期的影响。第一个具体的目的是测试的假设，即8周的MB计划将产生更大的变化PetCO2比发生在健康教育（HE）注意力控制组。第二个具体目标是检验以下假设：MB将比HE产生更大的24小时BP水平降低，并且BP降低幅度较大的MB参与者将比BP变化较小的参与者显示PetCO2变化更大。新的监测仪能够在发生改变PetCO2的呼吸剧烈变化时向参与者提供反馈。因此，本项目的第三个具体目标是在3个月的随访期内研究补充MB和HE培训与PetCO2反馈对BP的影响。这个项目有可能阐明一种机制，通过这种机制，MB或其他身心干预措施可以影响心血管疾病的主要危险因素，从而证明其适用性。 这种新的平移工具的研究在CAM。 公共卫生相关性：这项研究将为科学界和公众提供一种新的翻译工具，可以帮助我们进一步了解各种身心干预措施，包括呼吸练习和冥想如何影响健康结果，包括血压升高。这一工具可用于研究，以提高这些干预措施的有效性，从而促进公共卫生。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Breathing exercises, alone or as a component of mind-body interventions such as meditation and yoga, have potential for amelioration of a wide range of acute and chronic disorders. The present proposal describes the application of a new translational tool for ambulatory monitoring of breathing to the investigation of the effects of a specific breathing exercise, mindful breathing (MB), on a major cardiovascular risk factor, blood pressure (BP). The new monitor enables continuous measurement, not only of breathing rate, but of CO2 in expired air (PetCO2) in the natural environment, as well as the clinic setting. The relevance of PetCO2 is that it co-varies with blood CO2, which in turn regulates acid base balance, known to be vital for stable physiological function in all bodily tissues, and thus important to health. The present project proposes a study of MB effects on PetCO2, breathing rate, and BP in individuals with prehypertension. A first specific aim is to test the hypothesis that an eight week program of MB will produce greater changes in PetCO2 than occur in a health education (HE) attention control group. A second specific aim is to test the hypothesis that MB will produce greater reductions in 24-hr BP levels than HE, and that MB participants with greater decreases in BP will show larger changes in PetCO2 than those with smaller BP changes. The new monitor has the capacity to provide feedback to participants when an acute change in breathing that alters PetCO2 has occurred. The third specific aim of this project is, therefore, to investigate the effect of supplementing MB and HE training with PetCO2 feedback on BP during a 3-month follow-up period. This project has the potential to elucidate a mechanism by which MB or other mind-body interventions can influence a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and thereby demonstrate the applicability of this new translational tool to research in CAM. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This research would provide the scientific community and the public with a new translational tool that could help advance our understanding of how various mind-body interventions, including breathing exercises, and meditation may impact health outcomes, including elevated blood pressure. This tool could be used in research to enhance the effectiveness of those interventions, and by doing so, contribute to public health.