Meditation aims to guide individuals into a state of deep calm and focused attention, and in recent years, it has shown promising potential in the field of medical treatment. Numerous studies have demonstrated that electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns change during meditation, suggesting the feasibility of using deep learning techniques to monitor meditation states. However, significant inter-subject differences in EEG signals poses challenges to the performance of such monitoring systems. To address this issue, this study proposed a novel model-calibrated multi-source adversarial adaptation network (CMAAN). The model first trained multiple domain-adversarial neural networks in a pairwise manner between various source-domain individuals and the target-domain individual. These networks were then integrated through a calibration process using a small amount of labeled data from the target domain to enhance performance. We evaluated the proposed model on an EEG dataset collected from 18 subjects undergoing methamphetamine rehabilitation. The model achieved a classification accuracy of 73.09%. Additionally, based on the learned model, we analyzed the key EEG frequency bands and brain regions involved in the meditation process. The proposed multi-source domain adaptation framework improves both the performance and robustness of EEG-based meditation monitoring and holds great promise for applications in biomedical informatics and clinical practice.
Humans ; Electroencephalography/methods* ; Meditation ; Calibration ; Neural Networks, Computer ; Brain/physiology* ; Rest/physiology* ; Deep Learning ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of Yu Melody relaxation training (YMRT) combined with Jianpi Jieyu Decoction (JJD) in treating patients with insomnia disorders (ID). METHODS: In this randomized controlled study, 94 ID patients were included from Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from September 2022 to January 2024. They were randomly assigned to the YMRT group (47 cases, YMRT plus JJD) and the control group (47 cases, oral JJD) using a random number table. Both treatment administrations lasted for 4 weeks, with a 2-week follow-up. The primary outcome was change in Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) scores from baseline to 4 weeks of intervention. Secondary outcomes included ISI response at week 4, as well as ISI, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scores at baseline and weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. Additionally, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores were evaluated at baseline and weeks 4 and 6. Adverse events (AEs) were recorded and compared between groups. RESULTS: Five patients in each group did not complete the protocol requirements. The overall dropout rate was 10.64%. The full analysis set included all 47 cases in each group. The ISI score decreased significantly at week 4 from baseline in the YMRT group compared with the control group, with a between-group difference of -3.2 points [95% confidence interval (CI): -5.08 to -1.34; P<0.05]. The ISI response at week 4 in the YMRT group was significantly higher than that in the control group (85.11% vs. 51.06%), with a between-group difference of 34.05% (95% CI: 13.77% to 50.97%; P<0.05). At week 6, the YMRT group demonstrated greater reductions from baseline than the control group, with between-group differences of -2.1 points (-95% CI: -3.49 to -0.64; P<0.05) for PHQ-9 scores, -3.5 points (95% CI: -5.21 to -1.85; P<0.05) for PSQI scores, and -1.9 points (95% CI: -3.47 to -0.28; P<0.05) for GAD-7 scores. Moreover, at weeks 4 and 6, the ISI and PSQI scores in the YMRT group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05); and at week 6, the PHQ-9 score in the YMRT group was significantly lower (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence rates of AEs between the two groups (8.51% vs. 4.26%, P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS YMRT combined with oral JJD could improve sleep quality and alleviate depressive and anxiety symptoms in patients with ID. This combined therapy was effective and safe, and its effect was superior to oral JJD alone. (Registration No. ChiCTR2200063884).
Humans ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Male ; Female ; Relaxation Therapy/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Treatment Outcome ; Combined Modality Therapy

Yoga is a therapeutic practice renowned for its multifaceted benefits across the body's systems. Its positive impact spans the physical, mental and emotional realms, fostering harmony and well-being. Through a combination of postures, breathing techniques and meditation, yoga offers profound effects, enhancing flexibility, strength and balance while simultaneously promoting relaxation and reducing stress. This integrative approach not only cultivates physical resilience but also supports mental clarity, emotional balance and overall vitality, showcasing yoga as a comprehensive and impactful system for holistic health. The review delved into the multifaceted ways in which yoga exerts a positive influence on the body's various systems. It highlights how yoga serves as a beneficial tool in addressing and counteracting the underlying factors associated with different diseases. By examining yoga's effects on these systems and its potential in combating illness, the paper sheds light on the comprehensive therapeutic benefits that yoga offers. Please cite this article as: Pandey S, Pandey AC, Kotecha VR. Yoga-A complementary and traditional medicine for human health. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(2): 93-105.
Yoga ; Humans ; Meditation ; Complementary Therapies ; Medicine, Traditional ; Holistic Health

INTRODUCTION

Burnout is becoming more common among healthcare professionals, notably during the COVID-19 pandemic. It can result in lower performance and effectiveness at work as well as employment withdrawal, all of which affects the standard of healthcare services provided.

In order to ascertain the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation-based interventions (MMBIs) in reducing burnout among healthcare workers, a systematic review and meta-analysis was done.

Two investigators searched records in CENTRAL, PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Preprints, Grey Literature, and cross-referencing to acquire articles using search terms related to “mindfulness meditation”, “healthcare workers”, and “burnout”. Inclusion criteria included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and nonrandomized controlled trials (NRTs) that assessed the effectiveness of MMBIs on burnout as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) among healthcare workers in the hospital setting. Study selection, data extraction, risk of bias assessment were done by the investigators independently. Analysis was done using RevMan 5 software, forest plots were generated, and subgroup analyses were done.

Of 25,453 identified records, 28 studies were included. The studies were rated with low to unclear selection bias and high risk of performance bias. MMBIs were associated with significant reduction on the emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment subscales with pooled mean differences of -2.60 (95% CI = -3.64, -1.55), -0.51 (95% CI = -0.77, -0.26), and 0.82 (95% CI = 0.24, 1.39), respectively. On subgroup analyses, the types of MMBI implemented had no influence in the intervention effect noted on all subscales among RCTs but had significant influence among NRTs. Reduction of burnout was noted to be higher in nurses compared with physicians and mixed healthcare workers. Overall quality of evidence for RCTs was low to moderate and very low to low for NRTs.

The results suggest that MMBIs can reduce the burnout symptoms of healthcare workers. To address the high risk of bias of included studies and improve quality of evidence, future research should be done with high-quality RCTs.

Background: Heartfulness meditation aims to help individuals connect to their inner self to attain peace and a balanced state of mind. Previous studies have been conducted to gain mechanistic insights into the effects of Heartfulness meditation on bodily and cellular functioning as well as in enhancing one’s psychological, emotional and social well-being. However, most of the research is quantitative in approach, and has not been able to capture the intricacies of human lived experiences involved during the process of meditation. This qualitative study aims to understand the lived experiences of Heartfulness practitioners. Method: A thematic analysis strategy was utilized to discover the themes which represented the meaning behind the reported narrative experiences of Heartfulness practitioners. Twenty-five Heartfulness meditation practitioners were recruited at a Heartfulness retreat at the International Heartfulness Centre in Hyderabad, India to gain their insights. Result: The current study found that for Heartfulness practitioners, positive changes become gradually visible with regular practice. The process of Heartfulness meditation was found to directly influence physical, psychological, social, cognitive, as well as spiritual benefits. Conclusion In-depth lived experiences were explored which add personalized human elements to the field of Heartfulness meditative practice. Implications and limitations of the current study were also addressed and suggestions for future research were discussed.
Qualitative Research ; Models, Biopsychosocial ; Meditation

The aim in this literature review was (1) to explore the physiologically and psychologically therapeutic benefits of forest bathing on adults suffering from pre-hypertension or hypertension, and (2) to identify the type, duration, and frequency of an effective forest bathing intervention in the management of pre-hypertension and hypertension, so as to provide directions for future interventions or research. The electronic databases PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsyINFO, and the China Academic Journals (CAJ) offered through the Full-text Database (CNKI) were searched for relevant studies published from the inception of the databases to April 2019. Of the 364 articles that were identified, 14 met the criteria for inclusion in this review. The synthesis of the findings in the included studies revealed that forest bathing interventions were effective at reducing blood pressure, lowering pulse rate, increasing the power of heart rate variability (HRV), improving cardiac-pulmonary parameters, and metabolic function, inducing a positive mood, reducing anxiety levels, and improving the quality of life of pre-hypertensive or hypertensive participants. Forest walking and forest therapy programs were the two most effective forest bathing interventions. Studies reported that practicing a single forest walking or forest therapy program can produce short-term physiological and psychological benefits. It is concluded that forest bathing, particularly forest walking and therapy, has physiologically and psychologically relaxing effects on middle-aged and elderly people with pre-hypertension and hypertension.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Forests ; Humans ; Hypertension ; prevention & control ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prehypertension ; prevention & control ; Relaxation Therapy ; statistics & numerical data ; Young Adult

Public health crises, such as the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) since Dec. 2019, are widely acknowledged as severe traumatic events that impose threats not only because of physical concerns but also because of the psychological distress of infected patients. We designed an internet-based integrated intervention and evaluated its efficacy on depression and anxiety symptoms in patients infected by SARS-CoV-2.
Adult ; Anxiety ; therapy ; Betacoronavirus ; Cell Phone ; China ; Coronavirus Infections ; psychology ; Depression ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Internet ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mindfulness ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; psychology ; Prospective Studies ; Psychological Distress ; Relaxation Therapy ; Self Care ; methods

A heart simulator, UT-Heart, is a finite element model of the human heart that can reproduce all the fundamental activities of the working heart, including propagation of excitation, contraction, and relaxation and generation of blood pressure and blood flow, based on the molecular aspects of the cardiac electrophysiology and excitation-contraction coupling. In this paper, we present a brief review of the practical use of UT-Heart. As an example, we focus on its application for predicting the effect of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and evaluating the proarrhythmic risk of drugs. Patient-specific, multiscale heart simulation successfully predicted the response to CRT by reproducing the complex pathophysiology of the heart. A proarrhythmic risk assessment system combining in vitro channel assays and in silico simulation of cardiac electrophysiology using UT-Heart successfully predicted druginduced arrhythmogenic risk. The assessment system was found to be reliable and efficient. We also developed a comprehensive hazard map on the various combinations of ion channel inhibitors. This in silico electrocardiogram database (now freely available at http://ut-heart.com/) can facilitate proarrhythmic risk assessment without the need to perform computationally expensive heart simulation. Based on these results, we conclude that the heart simulator, UT-Heart, could be a useful tool in clinical medicine and drug discovery.
Blood Pressure ; Cardiac Electrophysiology ; Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy ; Cardiotoxicity ; Clinical Medicine ; Computer Simulation ; Drug Discovery ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; Electrocardiography ; Heart ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Ion Channels ; Models, Cardiovascular ; Relaxation ; Risk Assessment

PURPOSE: The feasibility and differential effects of two music therapy methods (interventions with preferred music vs. classical relaxation music) were done to examine the effects on agitation and anxiety in patients weaning off mechanical ventilation. METHODS: This pilot study was conducted using a crossover design. Six patients listened to preferred music choices and classical relaxation music. Anxiety scores were measured using the Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and visual analog scale (VAS). RESULTS: Patients showed a significant decrease in agitation and anxiety after both the preferred and classical relaxation music interventions. The difference in the effects of preferred music and that of classical relaxation music was not significant. As for feasibility, patients exhibited a change in agitated behaviors after the music interventions by not trying to take off medical devices and quietly listening to the music, and by smiling and moving lips along with the lyrics while listening. CONCLUSION: Music interventions which centered on either patients' preferences or classical relaxation music to enhance relaxation, helped reduce agitation and anxiety during the mechanical ventilation weaning process.
Anxiety ; Cross-Over Studies ; Dihydroergotamine ; Humans ; Lip ; Methods ; Music Therapy ; Music ; Pilot Projects ; Relaxation ; Respiration, Artificial ; Smiling ; Ventilation ; Visual Analog Scale ; Weaning

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of mindfulness meditation training for improving anxiety, depression and sleep disorders in perimenopausal women. METHODS: Intervention by menopause meditation training was delivered in 121 perimenopausal women with anxiety, depression or sleep disorders in Baiyun District, Guangzhou. Before and after the intervention, the Self-rating Anxiety Scale, Self-rating Depression Scale and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index were used for assessment of changes in the conditions of the women. RESULTS: After menopausal meditation training, the perimenopausal women showed significant improvement in the mean scores of Self-rating Anxiety Scale (48.26 ± 6.47; =3.865, < 0.01), Selfrating Depression Scale (50.27 ± 6.54; =4.541, < 0.01) and Pittsburgh Sleep Questionnaire (10.64 ± 4.38; =5.596, < 0.01). The symptom remission rates differed significantly among the women with different self-practice frequencies ( < 0.01). The remission rates of anxiety, depression and sleep disorder increased significantly with the frequency of self-exercise ( < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Mindfulness meditation training can effectively alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and depression and improve the quality of sleep in perimenopausal women, and the frequency of the exercise is positively correlated with the improvements. Mindfulness meditation training can be an effective intervention for improving the mental health of perimenopausal women.
Anxiety ; Depression ; Female ; Humans ; Meditation ; Mindfulness ; Perimenopause ; Sleep