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Ace1
USA
1040 Posts |
 Posted - 06/04/2013 : 08:46:16
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The Relaxation Response Changes Gene ExpressionThe resulting molecular "resilience" may underlie the broader medical and psychiatric resilience observed with practices such as meditation and yoga.
Several practices (yoga, mindfulness, meditation) elicit the relaxation response and produce beneficial antidepressant, antianxiety, and antistress effects. The relaxation response also has potent beneficial physiological effects (e.g., reduction in sympathetic nervous system activity) thought to help improve medical illnesses, such as hypertension. These researchers examined the acute epigenetic effects of practice sessions in both novices and long-experienced practitioners.
Gene-expression profiles were analyzed from peripheral blood cells in 26 long-term practitioners and before and after training in the relaxation response in 26 novices. Samples were obtained three times during the 20-minute practice sessions — at the start, immediately afterwards, and 15 minutes later (before training, novices listened to health information for 20 minutes). Both trained novices and long-term practitioners produced gene-expression changes within this short relaxation period. More genes were affected in experienced practitioners than in novices. There was increased expression of genes involved in energy metabolism, mitochondrial function, insulin secretion, and telomere maintenance and decreased expression of genes involved in the inflammatory response and oxidative stress.
Comment: The authors suggest that relaxation causes multiple gene-expression changes that create "mitochondrial resilience" by stabilizing key cellular processes during the adaptation to oxidative stress and by enhancing cell survival and function. The rapidity of these changes is noteworthy, as is the finding that more changes occur with more practice. Relaxation may have greater or lesser epigenetic effects depending on the individual's unique genetic makeup. These core cellular changes provide a broad substrate that underlies both the "mind" and "body" effects of relaxation.
— Peter Roy-Byrne, MD
Published in Journal Watch Psychiatry June 3, 2013
Citation(s):
Bhasin MK et al. Relaxation response induces temporal transcriptome changes in energy metabolism, insulin secretion and inflammatory pathways. PLoS ONE 2013 May 1; 8:e62817.(http://viajwat.ch/131cJSw)
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pspa123
672 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2013 : 09:39:16
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| Interesting article, especially in that novices were able to obtain measurable results. As I recall from my unfortunate prescription drug days, Dr. Roy-Byrne is a leading expert on benzodiazepines, it is good to see him change or enlarge his focus. |
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Peregrinus
250 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2013 : 15:18:31
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Ace:
How does one measure "gene expression" via a blood test? This sounds like a new form of snake oil. |
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Ace1
USA
1040 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2013 : 16:04:05
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| There is something called SNPs that can tell gene expression. They also have sequenced the entire genome and they have primers around each gene. They can perform a reaction called Pcr that can the produce a gene product measured by western blot. It's complicated but definitely can be done now a days. |
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dgreen97
122 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2013 : 16:06:11
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| didn't understand much of those paragraphs but sounds like relaxation is the way to go |
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Peregrinus
250 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2013 : 16:38:12
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quote:
Originally posted by Ace1
They can perform a reaction called Pcr that can the produce a gene product measured by western blot.
Ace:
A change in gene expression will only become evident after a sufficient number of cells have divided which I would guess requires some time. Small changes would be difficult to measure using chromatography. I remain skeptical (my job). |
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Ace1
USA
1040 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2013 : 17:01:43
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| Dear p, a gene can shut off in a couple of minutes while the gene products can have a half life of minutes to hours (ie insulin). It really is entirely possible. Just look it up independently. |
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Ace1
USA
1040 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2013 : 18:51:08
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| Sorry didn't address this part. Gene expression can have absolutely nothing to do with cell division |
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NextAdventure
USA
57 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2013 : 06:30:46
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Good find Ace
This is huge research as it is the foundation of neuro-plasticity. The part about mitochondrial changes should be of great interest to people with profound fatigue as they are the engines of energy in the body.
If you have not followed the research on telomeres they are predictors of lifespan and other critical health issues. Telomeres unravel with stress and illness shortening lifespan – to have a way to “fix” them is ground breaking.
As a further benefit entering into the parasympathetic response several times a day restructures the neuro pathways of the stress response, improves the immune system and reduces the inflammatory response.
I know several of these authors and the protocols they are working with is entering into profound altered states of parasympathetic dominance. This is not relaxation watching TV or sitting quietly and breathing but a learned skill of switching into the nervous branch called the rest – relax and renew system.
When you become proficient at this you can feel a profound physiological and cognitive switch into this state.
Dr. Bensen says that the minimum is two 20-minute sessions per day. For people who are ill or who have psychiatric or stress illnesses they suggest 10 to 15 minutes hourly to retrain the nervous system from sympathetic dominance to parasympathetic.
The hard part is compliance - most people wont do it and I have a very difficult time stopping my day to sit |
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pspa123
672 Posts |
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art
1903 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2013 : 12:06:05
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quote:
Originally posted by pspa123
Dr. Benson's basic exercise to elicit the relaxation response is startlingly simple -- it's essentially mantra meditation.
http://www.relaxationresponse.org/steps/
I'm one of those block heads who can't meditate. I either fall asleep, or go out of my mind with boredom. I find running...or any extended exercise...has the desired effect..though of course I can't prove it.
Bear in mind that while this is quite an interesting and compelling article on the benefits of relaxation, it's rarely sufficient in itself especially for the worrying, health anxious, hypochondriacal types among us, to reduce/eliminate our psychosomatic pain.
Why? Because when the session's over we go right back to worrying.
Why is worrying so bad? I don't understand the mechanism, but I'd bet my life that for many of us, worry and fear is the "sine qua non" for TMS....that is the essential element in the absence of which something cannot exist.
To the extent meditation reduces our tendency to worry, of course it's an excellent thing. But most need more.
Next Adventure: All good points. Thanks to the powers that be for neuro-plasticity. I'd be dead without it. I plan on telling my story some time soon, about how anxiety and panic literally almost killed me.
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Edited by - art on 06/05/2013 12:14:24 |
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pspa123
672 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2013 : 12:14:24
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| I know people who have taken up meditation who say it has changed their whole outlook on life, not just for the periods while they are meditating. |
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art
1903 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2013 : 12:19:02
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quote:
Originally posted by pspa123
I know people who have taken up meditation who say it has changed their whole outlook on life, not just for the periods while they are meditating.
I do too ps. However, for anxiety ridden hypochondriacs I'm guessing it's pretty rare. Perhaps not impossible. I also know someone who took up meditation and ended up experiencing a psychotic break. (My brother.)
I'm not in any way disputing that meditation can be great. But it's rare that any one thing is going to be the important key to happiness and serenity for most people. |
Edited by - art on 06/05/2013 12:21:24 |
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bryan3000
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2013 : 12:22:18
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Fyi... there are a few great guided meditations related to the Benson-Henry Institute on Youtube. Less than 10 minutes, so they're great for taking breaks during the day and clearing the mind a bit.
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pspa123
672 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2013 : 12:27:39
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| Art, I have difficulty with it too. |
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balto
839 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2013 : 12:41:45
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I don't think meditation will cure our mind of anxiety/tms neither. Just like Art said, we're still the same old person before and after meditation. Unless we also change our life style and go find a cave some where high in the mountain and be a monk and meditate our life away, we won't be cure by using meditation alone.
But I do believe in the positive effect meditation have on our body. It will reverse many of the destructive effect tms/anxiety has on our body and mind.
It will help but it won't cure.
Just a thought.
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No, I don't know everything. I'm just here to share my experience. |
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art
1903 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2013 : 13:40:19
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quote:
Originally posted by pspa123
Art, I have difficulty with it too.
Made me laugh for some reason. I guess because it's nice to know I'm not alone in my misery. It seems like such a freaking simple thing to do :-) |
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jegol71
USA
78 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2013 : 15:38:26
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Meditation, when not used to transcend our skin into higher being, is very good at measuring our tension at the time. Silence, like events that are personally stressful, creates instant self-evaluation. I can also see someone having a psychotic break during a session, because the silence can be smothering. I wonder what the effect of meditation is on paranoid schizophrenics: can the noise they hear become like the noises we all share, and then classified from a detached state?
Howard Schubiner was telling me about a meditation guru who, upon one visit to India, had the melt that has become so desirable and cliche after days of meditating. He returned the next year, obviously excited, and got started. This time he reported feeling like "twisted metal." I can also see how thoughts and feelings about meditation, perhaps meta-meditation, can influence the course of experience. It's probably a very loaded exercise to many who might benefit more from deep breathing (which can also be turned against the nervous respirator). |
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bryan3000
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2013 : 16:04:24
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quote:
Originally posted by art
quote:
Originally posted by pspa123
Art, I have difficulty with it too.
Made me laugh for some reason. I guess because it's nice to know I'm not alone in my misery. It seems like such a freaking simple thing to do :-)
From the studying on the subject I've, we're all not alone in that regard. It's far from simple... and that's why monks dedicate years of their lives to it. The mere fact that we are frustrated with it says a lot about who we are. We see that there has to be a "point" and that we have to "succeed" at meditating. We don't just look at the process as one of learning or understanding where our mind goes. We see it as difficult, when the point of it isn't to be hard or easy... it's just to be done.
I'm not preaching, I'm the exact same way. lol! |
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art
1903 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2013 : 17:19:51
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quote:
Originally posted by bryan3000
quote:
Originally posted by art
quote:
Originally posted by pspa123
Art, I have difficulty with it too.
Made me laugh for some reason. I guess because it's nice to know I'm not alone in my misery. It seems like such a freaking simple thing to do :-)
From the studying on the subject I've, we're all not alone in that regard. It's far from simple... and that's why monks dedicate years of their lives to it. The mere fact that we are frustrated with it says a lot about who we are. We see that there has to be a "point" and that we have to "succeed" at meditating. We don't just look at the process as one of learning or understanding where our mind goes. We see it as difficult, when the point of it isn't to be hard or easy... it's just to be done.
I'm not preaching, I'm the exact same way. lol!
Nice to have you aboard the good ship "can't meditate worth a damn."
You're right Bryan about the rest, and it's a very good point, especially for us anxious, perfectionist types who by our very natures tend to be intensely goal oriented.
Come to think of it, maybe that could be my mantra.
"Am I doing it right?"
"AM I doing it right"
Or even better...
"I better be doing it right."
"I better be doing it right."
"Am I doing it right?" |
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Ace1
USA
1040 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2013 : 17:20:51
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| Despite me posting this article. I fully agree with what balto is saying that this is no cure by itself. I was just trying to lend evidence that relaxation is helpful to health. |
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Cool Article
