EFFECTS OF ENERGY THERAPY ON PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO ACUTE STRESS [REV 9-

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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. Complementary therapies such as Reiki are becoming popular. Reiki is a practice used for relaxation and pain management that involves physical touch and social contact with a trained, empathetic practitioner. Unlike many relaxation therapies, Reiki requires no participation by the patient, a feature that makes Reiki particularly attractive in the hospital setting, where patients are often extremely anxious, depressed, in pain, or sedated. Our primary research questions are to determine whether physiological changes are induced during a Reiki session and whether a Reiki session affects responses to a subsequent acute stressor. Secondary research questions include assessing which benefits result from placebo, empathetic intentions, or unique abilities of ¿attuned¿ Reiki practitioners and assessing background characteristics associated with acceptance and responsiveness. Based on its use to reduce pain and anxiety, a potential mechanism by which Reiki might exert effects is at the level of affecting emotional centers of the brain with resulting decreases in activity of stress pathways. To assess these possibilities, we will perform a randomized, controlled, blinded study with three groups of 70 healthy volunteers. In Specific Aim 1, we will assess changes in physiological markers of nervous and hormonal activation, brain activity, and psychological well-being before and after a 30-min session of Reiki, as compared to control groups. In Specific Aim 2, we will assess the ability of Reiki to affect physiological markers of nervous and hormonal activation, immune function, and platelet activation an initiating factor of coagulation, a risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis, to an ensuing 5-min acute laboratory stressor. The use of supine-control and sham groups will allow us to gain insights into mechanisms by which Reiki effects are mediated. Interactions between baseline characteristics and treatment effects will be assessed. Information obtained from the proposed studies will provide detailed information on physiological pathways affected by Reiki. This information is critical if we are to make rational decisions on potential situations in which Reiki sessions may provide benefits and those in which there may be the potential for harm. Should Reiki decrease stress pathways or reduce physiological responses to stressful situations, it could be a powerful adjunct to traditional medicine and have enormous health and economic impact.