LONGIMED: Changes in Perception and Cognition During a Meditation Retreat

Sponsor

Hospices Civils de Lyon (Other)

Overall Status

Completed

CT.gov ID

NCT04449913

Collaborator

(none)

Enrollment

Location

Arms

6.2

Actual Duration (Months)

9.3

Patients Per Site Per Month

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

This study aims at assessing neuro-behavioral changes occuring during an intensive ten days meditation retreat. The investigator will study changes in tactile, auditory and pain perceptions as well as changes in cognitive and affective mental contents and their neural markers, as measured by self-reports, EEG event-related potentials, and functional connectivity of resting state fMRI. He will recruit healthy participants with a prior meditation experience. They will be randomly assigned to two groups, one active group who will undergo measurements just before, during and 3 weeks after the retreat. The other group will serve of control for task habituation, control participants will undergo the same measurements, equally spaced in time, but before the retreat. The main hypothesis is that meditation training strengthens meta-awareness, attention capacities resulting in enhanced bodily- and self-awareness during sensory perception and emotion regulation during pain.

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment	Phase
Healthy Volunteers	Behavioral: 10 days intensive meditation retreat Behavioral: Waiting for a 10 days intensive meditation retreat	N/A

Study Design

Study Type:

Interventional

Actual Enrollment :

58 participants

Allocation:

Randomized

Intervention Model:

Parallel Assignment

Masking:

Single (Participant)

Primary Purpose:

Basic Science

Official Title:

Study of the Longitudinal Changes in Perception and Cognition Occurring During a Meditation Retreat

Actual Study Start Date :

Oct 2, 2020

Actual Primary Completion Date :

Apr 10, 2021

Actual Study Completion Date :

Apr 10, 2021

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/Treatment
Experimental: Active group 10 days intensive meditation retreat	Behavioral: 10 days intensive meditation retreat The intervention consists in a 10 days contemplative retreat, with 6 to 8 hours of sitting and walking meditation per day, and 1 or 2 hours of meditation teachings. The meditation practice will mainly train in mindfulness practice. Mindfulness meditation intends to train attention to detect and regulate afflictive cognitive and emotional patterns. Mindfulness practice requires skills involved in openness to experience, in monitoring the focus of attention and in detecting distraction, disengaging attention from the source of distraction, and flexibly (re)directing and engaging attention to the intended object. A brief introduction to loving-kindness and compassion meditation will also be present throughout the retreat.
Other: Control group Waiting for a 10 days intensive meditation retreat	Behavioral: Waiting for a 10 days intensive meditation retreat At the time of measure, participants in this group are waiting to participate to the same meditation retreat as the active group. They may perform their own daily meditation practices as usual.

Arm

Intervention/Treatment

Experimental: Active group

10 days intensive meditation retreat

Behavioral: 10 days intensive meditation retreat

The intervention consists in a 10 days contemplative retreat, with 6 to 8 hours of sitting and walking meditation per day, and 1 or 2 hours of meditation teachings. The meditation practice will mainly train in mindfulness practice. Mindfulness meditation intends to train attention to detect and regulate afflictive cognitive and emotional patterns. Mindfulness practice requires skills involved in openness to experience, in monitoring the focus of attention and in detecting distraction, disengaging attention from the source of distraction, and flexibly (re)directing and engaging attention to the intended object. A brief introduction to loving-kindness and compassion meditation will also be present throughout the retreat.

Other: Control group

Waiting for a 10 days intensive meditation retreat

Behavioral: Waiting for a 10 days intensive meditation retreat

At the time of measure, participants in this group are waiting to participate to the same meditation retreat as the active group. They may perform their own daily meditation practices as usual.

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

changes in matched forces (Newtons) during a force-matching task. [1 or 2 days before the start of the retreat]
Bodily awareness following meditation training could impact the attenuation of real tactile sensations during self-generated touch. Measurement of pressure force will be done through a force-matching paradigm.
changes in matched forces (Newtons) during a force-matching task. [7 days later]
Bodily awareness following meditation training could impact the attenuation of real tactile sensations during self-generated touch. Measurement of pressure force will be done through a force-matching paradigm.
changes in matched forces (Newtons) during a force-matching task. [at least 3 weeks after the end of the retreat]
Bodily awareness following meditation training could impact the attenuation of real tactile sensations during self-generated touch. Measurement of pressure force will be done through a force-matching paradigm.
changes in EEG an auditory evoked response called the mismatch negativity (microVolt) [1 or 2 days before the start of the retreat]
Moment-to-moment monitoring following meditation training could downregulate the automatic formation of perceptual habits. Measurement of auditory evoked potentials will be done through Biosemi 64 electrodes EEG net during an auditory oddball task.
changes in EEG an auditory evoked response called the mismatch negativity (microVolt) [7 days later]
Moment-to-moment monitoring following meditation training could downregulate the automatic formation of perceptual habits. Measurement of auditory evoked potentials will be done through Biosemi 64 electrodes EEG net during an auditory oddball task.
changes in EEG an auditory evoked response called the mismatch negativity (microVolt) [at least 3 weeks after the end of the retreat]
Moment-to-moment monitoring following meditation training could downregulate the automatic formation of perceptual habits. Measurement of auditory evoked potentials will be done through Biosemi 64 electrodes EEG net during an auditory oddball task.
changes in EEG pain-related evoked responses (microVolt) [1 or 2 days before the start of the retreat]
Moment-to-moment monitoring and emotion regulation following meditation training could downregulate pain catastrophizing. Measurement pain-related evoked potentials will be done through Biosemi 64 electrodes EEG net during a pain characterization task.
changes in EEG pain-related evoked responses (microVolt) [7 days later]
Moment-to-moment monitoring and emotion regulation following meditation training could downregulate pain catastrophizing. Measurement pain-related evoked potentials will be done through Biosemi 64 electrodes EEG net during a pain characterization task.
changes in EEG pain-related evoked responses (microVolt) [at least 3 weeks after the end of the retreat]
Moment-to-moment monitoring and emotion regulation following meditation training could downregulate pain catastrophizing. Measurement pain-related evoked potentials will be done through Biosemi 64 electrodes EEG net during a pain characterization task.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Changes in perceived pain intensity during a pain paradigm [1 or 2 days before the start of the retreat]
Moment-to-moment monitoring and emotion regulation following meditation training could regulate the cognitive-affective pain amplificatory processes. Scales ranging from no intensity or unpleasantness, to highest pain intensity or unpleasantness experienced in life will be used during a pain characterization task.
Changes in perceived pain intensity during a pain paradigm [7 days later]
Moment-to-moment monitoring and emotion regulation following meditation training could regulate the cognitive-affective pain amplificatory processes. Scales ranging from no intensity or unpleasantness, to highest pain intensity or unpleasantness experienced in life will be used during a pain characterization task.
Changes in perceived pain intensity during a pain paradigm [at least 3 weeks after the end of the retreat]
Moment-to-moment monitoring and emotion regulation following meditation training could regulate the cognitive-affective pain amplificatory processes. Scales ranging from no intensity or unpleasantness, to highest pain intensity or unpleasantness experienced in life will be used during a pain characterization task.
Changes in perceived pain unpleasantness during a pain paradigm. [at least 3 weeks after the end of the retreat]
Moment-to-moment monitoring and emotion regulation following meditation training could regulate the cognitive-affective pain amplificatory processes. Scales ranging from no intensity or unpleasantness, to highest pain intensity or unpleasantness experienced in life will be used during a pain characterization task.
Changes in perceived pain unpleasantness during a pain paradigm. [1 or 2 days before the start of the retreat]
Moment-to-moment monitoring and emotion regulation following meditation training could regulate the cognitive-affective pain amplificatory processes. Scales ranging from no intensity or unpleasantness, to highest pain intensity or unpleasantness experienced in life will be used during a pain characterization task.
Changes in perceived pain unpleasantness during a pain paradigm. [7 days later]
Moment-to-moment monitoring and emotion regulation following meditation training could regulate the cognitive-affective pain amplificatory processes. Scales ranging from no intensity or unpleasantness, to highest pain intensity or unpleasantness experienced in life will be used during a pain characterization task.
Changes in BOLD functional connectivities at rest and during mindfulness meditation within and between the salience, default mode and executive brain networks [1 to 7 days before the start of the retreat]
Moment-to-moment monitoring following meditation training could regulate different attention related brain networks. Brain structural anatomy will be recorded in a 3-Tesla fMRI scaner during rest, and BOLD signal activation during rest and meditation states.
Changes in BOLD functional connectivities at rest and during mindfulness meditation within and between the salience, default mode and executive brain networks [1 to 7 days after the end of the retreat]
Moment-to-moment monitoring following meditation training could regulate different attention related brain networks. Brain structural anatomy will be recorded in a 3-Tesla fMRI scaner during rest, and BOLD signal activation during rest and meditation states.
Changes in BOLD functional connectivities at rest and during mindfulness meditation within and between the salience, default mode and executive brain networks [at least 3 weeks after the end of the retreat]
Moment-to-moment monitoring following meditation training could regulate different attention related brain networks. Brain structural anatomy will be recorded in a 3-Tesla fMRI scaner during rest, and BOLD signal activation during rest and meditation states.
Changes in macroscale functional organization of brain BOLD activity at rest or in meditation [1 to 7 days before the start of the retreat]
Moment-to-moment monitoring following meditation training could regulate different attention related brain networks. Brain structural anatomy will be recorded in a 3-Tesla fMRI scaner during rest, and BOLD signal activation during rest and meditation states.
Changes in macroscale functional organization of brain BOLD activity in meditation [1 to 7 days before the start of the retreat]
Moment-to-moment monitoring following meditation training could regulate different attention related brain networks. Brain structural anatomy will be recorded in a 3-Tesla fMRI scaner during rest, and BOLD signal activation during rest and meditation states.
Changes in macroscale functional organization of brain BOLD activity at rest or in meditation [1 to 7 days after the end of the retreat]
Moment-to-moment monitoring following meditation training could regulate different attention related brain networks. Brain structural anatomy will be recorded in a 3-Tesla fMRI scaner during rest, and BOLD signal activation during rest and meditation states.
Changes in macroscale functional organization of brain BOLD activity in meditation [1 to 7 days after the end of the retreat]
Moment-to-moment monitoring following meditation training could regulate different attention related brain networks. Brain structural anatomy will be recorded in a 3-Tesla fMRI scaner during rest, and BOLD signal activation during rest and meditation states.
Changes in macroscale functional organization of brain BOLD activity at rest or in meditation [at least 3 weeks after the end of the retreat]
Moment-to-moment monitoring following meditation training could regulate different attention related brain networks. Brain structural anatomy will be recorded in a 3-Tesla fMRI scaner during rest, and BOLD signal activation during rest and meditation states.
Changes in macroscale functional organization of brain BOLD activity in meditation [at least 3 weeks after the end of the retreat]
Moment-to-moment monitoring following meditation training could regulate different attention related brain networks. Brain structural anatomy will be recorded in a 3-Tesla fMRI scaner during rest, and BOLD signal activation during rest and meditation states.
Changes in experiential thought sampling thoughout the meditation retreat. [every day from day 1 to day 10 of the retreat]
Moment-to-moment monitoring of thougts and emotions during intensive meditation training could regulate mind-wandering and mood. Different scales of thoughts content, emotional valence and awareness of them will be recorded

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years to 67 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Yes

Inclusion Criteria:

Age between 18 and 67
Regular meditation practice (at least 20 minutes 3 times a week) arising from a formal teaching (buddhist tradition, MBSR, mindfulness) for at least one year.
Having taken part to at least one intensive retreat (more than six hours of sitting meditation a day, during at least two days) in the past.
Affiliated to french social security
Motivated to take part in the study
Having signed an informed consent
Normal or corrected vision
Sufficient mastering of French to be able to understand correctly written and auditory instructions

Exclusion Criteria:

neurological or psychiatric antecedents
chronical pain or any other medical condition giving rise to acute pain or sensitivity to pain.
Motor or sensory deficit in the hands
severe auditory loss
regularly taking medical drugs acting on the central nervous system
regularly taking opioids or antidepressant drugs
alcohol consumption above the safety threshold recognized by the French healthy agency (10 drinks a week, 2 drinks a day, 5 drinks for special occasions)
drugs consumption (except tabacco) qualified as addictive according to medical criteria (https://www.drogues.gouv.fr/comprendre/l-essentiel-sur-les-addictions/qu-est-ce-qu-un e-addiction)
alcohol or drug consumption the day before or the day of experiment and during the full duration of the retreat
being pregnant, breastfeading or having given birth less than 6 months ago
Will be excluded from the fMRI task only, participants presenting contraindication to a MRI scan : being claustrophobic, body mass index over 30, people, having a pacemaker or an insuline pump, metallic prothesis, intracranial clip, neurosensory stimulator, in-body defibrillator, cochlear implants, ocular or brain feromagnetic bodies close to nervous structures, neurosurgery stunts, dental brace.