Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2025

A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
Published on: July 10, 2017
Transcendental Meditation practitioners show reduced expression of the Conserved Transcriptional Response to
Kenneth G Walton1,2, Supaya Wenuganen3, Steven W Cole4,5
1Institute for Prevention Research, Fairfield, IA, 52556, USA.
Background And Objectives:
A recent exploratory study of transcriptional effects of long-term practice of Transcendental Meditation (TM) technologies found evidence for altered expression of genes associated with health and disease. In the present secondary analysis of those data, we test the more specific hypothesis that this sample of long-term practitioners shows a significant reduction in markers of the "Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity" (CTRA), an RNA profile characterized by up-regulated inflammation and down-regulated Type I interferon (IFN) activity.
Materials And Methods:
Data come from a previously published study providing genome-wide transcriptional profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy, 38-year practitioners of TM technologies and matched controls (n = 12, mean age 65). The current analysis specifically tests for differential expression of a previously established CTRA indicator gene score, with cross-validation by promoter-based bioinformatic analysis of CTRA-typical differences in transcription factor activity and monocyte subset cellular origins.
Results:
Compared to controls, the TM group showed lower expression of a pre-specified set of CTRA indicator genes. These effects were accompanied by genome-wide indications of down-regulated pro-inflammatory transcription factor activity (NF-κB, AP-1), up-regulated activity of Interferon Response Factors (IRF) and reduced transcriptional activity of classical monocytes. Conclusions: A sample of long-term practitioners of TM showed reduced CTRA gene expression in PBMC compared to matched controls, supporting the likely value of further research to evaluate causality and specificity of this potential mechanism of health benefits in meditators.
More Related Videos
11:12Modulation of the Neurophysiological Response to Fearful and Stressful Stimuli Through Repetitive Religious Chanting
Published on: November 4, 2021
10:45A Community-based Stress Management Program: Using Wearable Devices to Assess Whole Body Physiological Responses in Non-laboratory Settings
Published on: January 22, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques III
The Role of Exercise in Stress Management
Regular physical activity is essential for reducing stress and promoting cardiovascular health. Exercise strengthens the heart, enhances blood flow, keeps blood vessels flexible, and helps lower blood pressure, all of which reduce the body's stress response. Research shows that adults who exercise regularly have nearly half the...
The Scientific Method
Altered States of Awareness
The ingestion of substances like stimulants or hallucinogens leads to chemical alterations in the brain...
Psychological Responses to Stress
Physiological Foundation of Stress
Role of the Sympathetic Nervous System
Adrenaline triggers the...