Bloomberg News (11/22, Kitamura) reports John Denninger, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, “is leading a five-year study on how the ancient practices affect genes and brain activity in the chronically stressed.” The article notes the significance of the study, saying that while “hundreds of studies have been” done about the mental health benefits of yoga and meditation, “they have tended to rely on blunt tools like participant questionnaires, as well as heart rate and blood pressure monitoring.” The piece says that “only recently have neuro-imaging and genomics technology used in Denninger’s latest studies” given scientists the ability to “measure physiological changes in greater detail.” The government-funded study may push more doctors to look for alternative solutions to stress-induced conditions, including hypertension and depression.
Related Links:
— “Harvard Yoga Scientists Find Proof of Meditation Benefit, “Makiko Kitamura, Bloomberg News, November 21, 2013.