Growing up in a low-income household has been shown to increase risk for, and susceptibility to many illnesses.The purpose of the study is to test an affective intervention for reversing biological risk factors, as related to childhood adversity, in midlife. Participants will be asked to make two lab visits; attend six weekly, 1-hour meditation classes; as well as complete brief online daily surveys for 11 weeks, five biweekly surveys, and two 30-minute surveys prior to each lab visit. During the lab visits, participants will have their psychophysiology monitored for heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and pulse. Participants will also have their blood drawn. All surveys and questionnaires inquire about participants' current demographics, family history, perceptions about life and well-being, physical health, and monetary choices.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
113
Six weeks of formal instruction in Lovingkindness or Mindfulness meditation.
UNC PEP Lab
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
Change in meditation time (Self-reported meditation time recorded daily)
Self-reported meditation time recorded daily.
Time frame: Weeks 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ,10, 11, 12
Leukocyte basal gene expression (evaluated through blood samples)
Gene expression evaluated through blood samples.
Time frame: Week 0, Week 12
Levels of mistrust (Self-report questionnaire measure of hostility using 9-item Cooke-Medley scale)
Self-report questionnaire measure of hostility using 9-item Cooke-Medley scale.
Time frame: Week 0, Week 12
Temporal Discounting (Monetary choice questionnaire to assess impulsive decision-making)
Monetary choice questionnaire to assess impulsive decision-making.
Time frame: Week 0, Week 12
Cardiac vagal tone (Respiration and echocardiogram measured with respiration band and 2-lead electrode placement)
Respiration and echocardiogram measured with respiration band and 2-lead electrode placement, respectively. Three-minute spontaneous breath followed by five minutes of paced breathing intervals.
Time frame: Week 0, Week 12
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