DOES THE RELAXATION RESPONSE INHIBIT ACUTE STRESS?

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中利用 资源由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目和 调查员(PI)可能从NIH的另一个来源获得了主要资金， 并因此可以在其他清晰的条目中表示。列出的机构是 该中心不一定是调查人员的机构。 这项研究将研究松弛反应如何抑制急性应激的生理变化。它将检验一种假设，即松弛反应的分子介体将抵消与急性心理社会应激相关的生化和细胞变化。一氧化氮是一种短暂的含氮自由基，可调节多种生理活动，包括a)血管扩张，b)降低下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺(HPA)轴的激活，c)减少白细胞的促炎反应，这些结果在松弛反应中也可以观察到。我们将调查在松弛反应过程中是否在中枢神经系统之外产生了NO。此外，我们将确定松弛反应是否1)在急性应激时不同程度地抑制肾上腺素能神经系统和HPA轴的激活，2)在体内降低儿茶酚胺介导的血小板和淋巴细胞的活性。另一项研究将使用功能磁共振成像，使用马萨诸塞州综合医院的设施。这项子研究的目标是了解在进行放松反应时涉及大脑的哪些部分，并开发使用功能磁共振图像研究正常生理变化的影响的技术。 这项研究是一项随机、对照、单盲的临床试验，旨在测试放松反应如何抑制18-45岁正常健康成年人的急性应激生理变化。通过包括积极放松反应训练组和放松反应教育安慰剂对照治疗组，我们将能够测试放松反应训练的整体效果。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. This study will examine how the relaxation response inhibits the physiologic changes of acute stress. It will test the hypothesis that molecular mediators of the relaxation response will counteract the biochemical and cellular changes associated with acute psychosocial stress. Nitric oxide, a short-lived nitrogenous free radical, mediates diverse physiologic activities including a) vascular dilatation, b) decreased hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation and c) decreased proinflammatory response by leukocytes, findings that are also observed with the relaxation response. We will investigate whether NO is generated outside the CNS during the relaxation response. In addition, we will determine whether the relaxation response 1) differentially inhibits activation of the adrenergic nervous system and HPA axis during acute stress and 2) decreases catecholamine-mediated activities of platelets and lymphocytes in vivo. An additional study will be conducted using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, using facilities at Massachusetts General Hospital. The goal of this sub-study is to understand which parts of the brain are involved when the relaxation response is practiced and to develop techniques for studying the effects of normal physiologic variation using functional magnetic resonance images. This study is a randomized, controlled, single blind clinical trial designed to test how the relaxation response inhibits the physiologic changes of acute stress in normal, healthy adults, age 18-45 years. By including an active relaxation response training group, and a relaxation response education placebo control treatment group, we will be able to test the overall effect of relaxation response training.