Publication
Journal of Human Stress
Vol 4, Issue 2
Abstract
Oxygen consumption is usually considered to be predictable and unalterable at a fixed work intensity. The relaxation response is hypothesized to be an integrated hypothalamic response which results in generalized decreased sympathetic nervous system activity. One physiologic manifestation of the relaxation response is decreased oxygen consumption. The possibility that the elicitation of the relaxation response could decrease oxygen consumption at a fixed work intensity was investigated. Oxygen consumption was decreased 4 percent (p < 0.05) in eight subjects working at a fixed intensity when the relaxation response was simultaneously elicited.
Web and Email Links
Related Listings
Journal
Behavioral Medicine
Over the last 20 years, medical researchers from a variety of disciplines, including behavioral medicine, neuro-immunology, neuroendocrinology, social medicine, and psychiatry, have converged in an effort to produce greater understanding and acceptance of the effects of psychological factors on physical health. Many in the medical profession have remained somewhat skeptical, claiming that psychological components of healing are largely "folklore", unsubstantiated by hard evidence. The […]
Journal
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
Numerous studies have documented the normal age-related decline of neural structure, function, and cognitive performance. Preliminary evidence suggests that meditation may reduce decline in specific cognitive domains and in brain structure. Here we extended this research by investigating the relation between age and fluid intelligence and resting state brain functional network architecture using graph theory, in middle-aged yoga and meditation practitioners, and matched controls. Flui […]
Journal
The Lancet
To determine whether decreased sympathetic-nervous-system activity achieved by the relaxation response could decrease premature ventricular contractions (P.V.C.S), eleven ambulatory patients with proven, stable ischæmic heart-disease and P.V.C.s were investigated. The patients, who were taking no medication for the P.V.C.S, were trained to elicit regularly the relaxation response through a non-cultic psychological technique. The frequency of the P.V.C.s was measured by computer analys […]