Select Indian Ragas on Electrophysiological Parameters
PsychologySocial3 moreIn India, music is predominantly used as entertainment. Despite ample vedic literature available on the beneficial effects of ragas in Indian music on human mind and body, scientific evidence for the same is extremely meager. This initial systematic study of 6 ragas, is an attempt to provide scientific evidence and validate the use of Indian classical music & thus present the scientific community with a new complementary therapy / non- pharmacological mode of treatment which could be used in prevention of various non-communicable diseases. In our previous study on prehypertensives and hypertensives, blood pressure (BP) reduced significantly after listening to Indian music [raga 'bhimpalas' (raga that normalizes BP)], daily for 3 months. Heart rate variability (HRV) recorded once on recruitment and end of study failed to show any change. On retrospection, we realised that the effect of only a single raga had been tested and the acute effects had not been elucidated. Specifically, EEG waves & cognitive ERPs were not studied. Hence a study encompassing all the 6 ragas that are known to normalize BP as given in literatures such as Gandharva Veda (Sama Veda) & Raga Chikitsa was planned. Among these, 3 ragas are now being studied & data analysis is in line. This proposal is to study the immediate electrophysiological changes with remaining 3 ragas. Music can be prescribed as a cheap and effective adjuvant in the treatment of hypertension along with other lifestyle modifications. To the best of our knowledge, there is scanty literature testing Indian ragas. Thus there is a great need to address this issue.
Promoting Mother-Baby Bonding Through a Relaxation Routine During Pregnancy
Psychological Stress in PregnancyThe aims of this study are to determine if: during pregnancy, a progressive muscle relaxation and abdominal touch ritual involving a pleasing scent (i.e. a "relaxation ritual") can, acutely, reduce maternal stress and affect the fetus (in terms of movement, changes in heart rate and heart rate variability); a progressive muscle relaxation and abdominal touch ritual involving a pleasing scent (i.e. a "relaxation ritual") during pregnancy can have an effect on mitochondria functioning in the placenta through reducing maternal stress during pregnancy (based on our recent findings (Monk et al, 2016)); the scent will come to function as a conditioned stimulus such that exposure to the scent postpartum will induce greater maternal relaxation, which will have an effect on the mother-infant interaction and infant physiology; prenatal maternal exposure to scent combined with abdominal touch will lead to mothers' increased likelihood of utilizing infant massage with a lotion of the same scent postpartum; the prenatal ritual and the increased likelihood of engaging in infant massage will lead to a maternal perception of greater mother-infant bonding, attachment and parenting efficacy, and improved maternal mood; the prenatal ritual and the increased likelihood of engaging in infant massage will lead to improved performance on the conjugate reinforcement paradigm conditioning task administered to infants at 4 months of age
30 Day Mobile App Programs for Stress Management in Customer Service Representatives
Psychological StressInflammationBurnout and stress at work can make individuals less productive, which can carry over into their personal and at-home lives and negatively impact health. Customer service representatives are under especially high strain as they are exposed to significant interpersonal conflict at work, both with frustrated customers and with pressure from coworkers and supervisors. However, recent research has found that different stress management interventions (e.g., mindfulness meditation training) can increase job satisfaction and work productivity. However, individuals with significant stress might find these training program classes difficult to attend with their busy schedules. Newer interventions have focused on smartphone mobile applications as an effective delivery system for these training programs. Thus, the purpose of this project is to conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing two different stress management smartphone app programs to evaluate effects on job-related outcomes, functional and structural brain outcomes, and biology.
The Efficacy of Mobile Video Counseling for Employees With Emotional Labor
StressPsychologicalThe purpose of this study is to verify the effectiveness of mobile video counseling for workers. Subjects who can participate in the screening evaluation are assigned to one of face-to-face counseling group, mobile counseling group, and self-treatment group. The mobile counseling group and the face-to-face counseling group counseld with a total of 4 times, 50 minutes at a time, once a week, and the self-treatment group provides self-education by providing the stress education kit.
Mindfulness Training in U.S. Army Cohorts
Psychological StressAnxiety3 moreThis project aims to contextualize delivery of mindfulness training to U.S. Army personnel, evaluate its effectiveness on measures of executive functions and psychological well-being, and determine best practices for its delivery.
Art Therapy in Palliative Care: Study of Identification and Understanding of the Mechanisms of Change...
Psychological StressSuffering1 moreThis study evaluates from the patient's perspective which elements of the own artistic creative process are the source of a beneficial change for him/her and how those elements influence in their end of life experience.
Brief Mindfulness Based Intervention to Improve Psychological Wellbeing
StressPsychologicalour aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual brief mindfulness based interventions on psychological wellbeing, resiliency, and anxiety of frontline HCP to cope for (COVID19) stressors
Psychology Mobile Apps for Parents in a Pandemic
StressPsychologicalThe purpose of this study is to determine whether parents of young children (aged 10 and under) think it is feasible (in other words, doable) and acceptable (in other words, satisfactory) to use a mobile app designed to provide personalized education and enrichment for 10 minutes/day for 14 days. The investigators hope to learn if it is reasonable to ask parents to use one of three different apps and if parents are satisfied with their participation in the study. If so, the investigators can continue to study the effect of these apps on parents' stress in future research. The investigators also plan to evaluate the effect of these app-based interventions in lowering levels of stress in parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. By conducting this study, the investigators hope to learn if there are specific app-based interventions that will lead to a reduction in stress in parents, improved parental life satisfaction, and improved parent-child interactions. If the results of this study suggest these apps may be promising at reducing stress among parents, the investigators will continue doing research on these app-based interventions.
Cognitive and Biological Responses in Stress
StressPsychological1 moreThe goal of this pilot part of the study (Step 1) is to identify the optimal population of high and low anxiety and stress individuals who will differentially respond to a laboratory stress task as measured by changes in subjective stress response (affect), cognition, attention, and biological measures (autonomic and metabolite responses). Based on experience with different study populations, the investigator's believe that a healthy, homogenous population (Caucasian, women, premenopausal) with higher levels of state anxiety and perceived stress, and with greater responsiveness to laboratory stress tasks (which can also be used in the probiotic intervention study in Step 2) will provide the highest likelihood of identifying the underlying central mechanisms of stress responsiveness in Step 1 and then for the probiotic intervention in Step 2. For this pilot study, the investigator's will look at baseline measures to determine differences in responses to four subjective (affect/cognition/attention) stress tasks (primary endpoints) and biological (secondary endpoints) measures in a high stress group and a low stress group. If for Step 1 of the study, the investigator's are able to verify the stratification of the participants into high and low stress groups based on questionnaire data and show differences between participants with high and low perceived stress in psychological characteristics, lab stress tasks and potentially in biological responses, this will help to determine the optimal cut off values, and the optimal stress tasks to be conducted in the planned probiotic intervention study of Step 2.
The Immediate Effect of Mindfulness-Based Supportive Therapy on Palliating Suffering in Palliative...
CancerSufferingThe was a parallel group, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of 30-minute mindfulness-based supportive therapy versus supportive listening in reducing suffering among patients with cancer. This study was conducted in the University Malaya Medical Centre, from 1st august 2020 to 31 December 2020.