Enhancement of Meditation Analgesia by Opioid Antagonist in Experienced Meditators
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19301349 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lisa M May (0000-0003-4299-4587, University of Oregon, corresponding author), Peter Kosek, Fadel Zeidan (0000-0002-4310-1325), Elliot T Berkman (0000-0002-7113-5792) |
| Year | 2018 |
| Volume | 80 |
| Issue | 9 |
| Pages | 807-813 |
| Publication date | 2018-11-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Psychosomatic Medicine (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0033-3174 • E-ISSN: 1534-7796 |
| Publisher | Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1097/psy.0000000000000580 |
| PMID | 29595707 |
| OpenAlex | W2801220158 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 49 |
OBJECTIVE: Studies have consistently shown that long-term meditation practice is associated with reduced pain, but the neural mechanisms by which long-term meditation practice reduces pain remain unclear. This study tested endogenous opioid involvement in meditation analgesia associated with long-term meditation practice. METHODS: Electrical pain was induced with randomized, double-blind, cross-over administration of the opioid antagonist naloxone (0.15-mg/kg bolus dose, then 0.2-mg/kg per hour infusion dose) with 32 healthy, experienced meditation practitioners and a standardized open monitoring meditation. RESULTS: Under saline, pain ratings were significantly lower during meditation (pain intensity: 6.41 ± 1.32; pain unpleasantness: 3.98 ± 2.17) than at baseline (pain intensity: 6.86 ±1.04, t(31) = 2.476, p = .019, Cohen's d = 0.46; pain unpleasantness: 4.96 ±1.75, t(31) = 3.746, p = .001, Cohen's d = 0.68), confirming the presence of meditation analgesia. Comparing saline and naloxone revealed significantly lower pain intensity (t(31) = 3.12, p = .004, d = 0.56), and pain unpleasantness (t(31) = 3.47, p = .002, d = 0.62), during meditation under naloxone (pain intensity: 5.53 ± 1.54; pain unpleasantness: 2.95 ± 1.88) than under saline (pain intensity: 6.41 ± 1.32; pain unpleasantness: 3.98 ± 2.17). Naloxone not only failed to eliminate meditation analgesia but also made meditation analgesia stronger. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term meditation practice does not rely on endogenous opioids to reduce pain. Naloxone's blockade of opioid receptors enhanced meditation analgesia; pain ratings during meditation were significantly lower under naloxone than under saline. Possible biological mechanisms by which naloxone-induced opioid receptor blockade enhances meditation analgesia are discussed
(+)-Naloxone · Anesthesia · Endogenous opioid · Meditation · Morphine · Narcotic antagonist · Opioid · Opioid antagonist · Receptor · Acupuncture Treatment Research Studies · Internal Medicine · Medicine · Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions · Pain Mechanisms and Treatments · Psychology
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0.25 |
| Citation span | 2018 - 2021 (4) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |