Physiological Correlates of Meditation and Their Clinical Effects in Headache: An Ongoing Investigation

Stress is a well-known risk factor in the development of addiction and in addiction relapse vulnerability. A series of population-based and epidemiological studies have identified specific stressors and individual-level variables that are predictive of substance use and abuse. Preclinical research also shows that stress exposure enhances drug self-administration and reinstates drug seeking in drug-experienced animals. The deleterious effects of early life stress, child maltreatment, a […]

A previous investigation has demonstrated that the practice of a meditational technique elicits a wakeful, hypometabolic state. Measurement of O2 consumption and CO2 elimination was made by sampling techniques; mean values of these parameters were calculated from 6–10 minute samples. The present study extends this investigation, using a recently developed method of continuous measurement of O2 consumption and CO2 elimination. Continuous measurement of these parameters permitted the de […]

Human pupillary dilatation after topical instillation of phenylephrine was assessed in a prospective, randomized, controlled experiment to measure alterations in α-end-organ responsivity after regular elicitation of the relaxation response. Baseline pupillometric measurements were taken in both experimental and control subjects. The experimental subjects then practiced daily a technique that elicited the relaxation response while the control subjects sat quietly for comparable periods […]