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Mindful Meditation
Increases Antibody Titers to Flu
Vaccine
Researchers performed a
randomized, controlled study to
discover the effects of an 8-week
training program of mindfulness
meditation on brain and immune
function with healthy employees in a
work environment.
Brain electrical activity was measured
on 25 participants before the program
and immediately after it, as well as 4
months later. A wait list of 16 was
also measured at the same intervals.
At the end of the 8-week period,
subjects in both groups were
vaccinated with influenza vaccine.
Findings revealed significant
increases in left-sided, anterior
activation in meditators (a pattern
previously associated with positive
mood), as opposed to the non-meditators
In addition, there were significant
increases in antibody titers to
influenza vaccine among the subjects
in the meditation condition, as
compared with those in the control
group. The degree of left-sided
activation predicted the degree of
antibody titer rise to the vaccine.
The study concludes that a short
program of mindfulness meditation
produces demonstrable positive effects
on brain and immune function and
further research is indicated.
Citation: Davidson RJ,
Kabat-Zinn J, Schumacher J, Rosencranz
M, Miller D, Santorelli SF, Urbanowski
F, Harrington A, Bonus K, Sheridan J.
Alterations in Brain and Immune
Function Produced by Mindfulness
Meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine 65:
pp 564-570 (2003).
Citation: Citation: Davidson
RJ, Kabat-Zinn J, Schumacher J,
Rosencranz M, Miller D, Santorelli SF,
Urbanowski F, Harrington A, Bonus K,
Sheridan J. Alterations in Brain and
Immune Function Produced by
Mindfulness Meditation. Psychosomatic
Medicine 65: pp 564-570 (2003). |