Seminowicz
Pain Imaging Lab
Meditation and Neuroimaging Targets in Rheumatoid Arthritis (MANTRA)
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We hope to determine and optimize the neural mechanisms supporting mindfulness-based pain relief in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Mindfulness-based therapies in RA have yielded modest effects on clinical outcomes and a limited understanding of how mindfulness specifically works in RA, possibly due to variability in the mix of therapeutic ingredients across studies. Mindful breathing (MB) is the most elemental form of mindfulness meditation and is well suited for RA as it trains individuals to self-regulate cognitive and affective appraisals during RA-induced pain flares. Our proposed investigation will study associated neural mechanisms underlying the benefits of specific mindfulness components, including MB, an approach that will enable the refinement and increase the impact of these therapies.
Relevant papers:
The role of positive affect in pain and its treatment.
Mindfulness-Meditation-Based Pain Relief Is Not Mediated by Endogenous Opioids.

Currently recruiting participants for this study. See the "Contact Us" page to get involved.