CLINICAL TRIAL: DOES THE RELAXATION RESPONSE INHIBIT ACUTE STRESS?

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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. 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.