The purpose of this study is to assess dyadic physiological coherence and subjective empathic attunement during meditation practices and their association with opioid-related outcomes.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
60
20 minutes of guided meditation during the laboratory session involving mindfulness of breathing and lovingkindness practice.
20 minute psychoeducational script on the impact of opioid use on the brain.
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, California, United States
RECRUITINGNeurophysiological synchrony
Dyadic Neural Synchrony (DNS) across electrodes and dyads will be computed from EEG oscillations using established inter-brain connectivity metrics. DNS will be quantified as a dyadic coupling parameter computed from time-series features extracted from each participant's EEG activity. Higher DNS values indicate greater therapist-patient neural attunement.
Time frame: During the intervention and for 5 minutes afterwards
Interpersonal Attunement
Interpersonal attunement measured by the Interpersonal Attunement Rating Scale, a 0-10 numeric rating scale to assess sense of connection with the other person (0=no attunement, 10=very high attunement).
Time frame: During Intervention
Opioid Craving
Opioid craving measured by 0-10 numeric rating scale (0=no craving, 10=extreme craving).
Time frame: Pre-Intervention, during Intervention, immediately post-Intervention, and at 1 month follow-up
Opioid Use
Days of opioid use measured by the Timeline Followback Interview and completion of a urine drug toxicology screen.
Time frame: Pre-Intervention, and 1 month Follow-Up
Severity of Pain
Pain rating measured by scores on Brief Pain Inventory, with higher scores indicating higher pain severity (min 0, max 10)
Time frame: Pre-Intervention, during Intervention, immediately post-Intervention, and at 1 month follow-up
Affect
Positive and negative affect measured on a 0-10 numeric rating scale (0=low affect, 10=very high affect).
Time frame: Pre-Intervention, during Intervention, and immediately post-Intervention.
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State Self-Transcendence
Nondual awareness measured by the Nondual Awareness Dimensional Assessment Measure- State (NADA-S), with scores ranging from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating greater self-transcendence
Time frame: Pre-Intervention, during Intervention, immediately post-Intervention.
Metacognitive processes
Metacognitive Processes of Decentering Scale (MPODS), a 3-Item scale with scores ranging from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating greater capacity for meta-awareness, non-reactivity, and disidentification.
Time frame: Pre-Intervention, during Intervention, and immediately post-Intervention.
Cardiac-autonomic synchrony
Cardiac-autonomic synchrony (CAS) will be computed from heart rate variability. CAS will be quantified as a dyadic coupling parameter computed from time-series features extracted from each participant's R-R intervals. Higher CAS values indicate greater therapist-patient autonomic attunement.
Time frame: During the intervention and for 5 minutes afterwards
Facial expression synchrony
Facial Expression Synchrony (FES) will be assessed using automated facial expression analysis derived from computer-vision-based facial landmark and action-unit detection. FES will be quantified as a dyadic coupling parameter computed from time-series features extracted from each participant's facial expressions. Higher FES values indicate greater therapist-patient affective attunement
Time frame: During the intervention and for 5 minutes afterwards