Effects of Compassion Training on Physiological Processes Relevant to Health and Emotional Well-Being

Charles L. Raison, M.D. Barry and Janet Lang Associate Professor Of Integrative Mental Health University of Arizona Tucson, AZ

The Trier Social Stress Test

Psychosocial Stress Activates Inflammation: Effect of Depression

Medically Health Men WITHOUT Major Depression (n = 13) Medically Health Men WITH Major Depression (n = 14)
Control (n = 13) 6 6 Major Depression (n = 14)

*+
+

Plasma IL-6, pg/ ml

Plasma IL-6, pg/ ml

5 4 3 2 1 0 -15 0 15

+ + + +

5 4 3 2 1 0 45 -15 60 75 0 15 (min) TSST 90 30

30

STRESS

Time

*Between group comparison, p < 0.05 group comparison, p < 0.05 *Between +Within group comparison vs. 0 min group comparison vs. 0 min time pt, p < 0.05 +Within time pt, p < 0.05

Pace et al., Am J Psychiatry, 2006.

*-the majority of the depressed patients in this sample also endorsed significant early life stress as measured by the CTQ

Attitude in Response to Predicts Future Depressive Symptoms: Role of Inflammation

Aschbacher et al. BBI 2012; 26: 346-52

Enemies are really good for us as we can learn a lot from them and build our inner strength. H.H. The Dalai Lama

Essence of CBCT
1.LEARN TO SEE THE WORLD AS IT REALLY IS, WHICH MEANS:

a. Reduce your attachment to people, places and things you desire b. Reduce your anger/hatred/frustration toward people places and things that you find aversive c. Stop trying to ignore everything that you neither desire or dislike
2. WHEN YOU BEGIN TO SEE THE WORLD AS IT REALLY IS:

a. Practice trying to make yourself feel deep empathy and compassion for everyone, regardless of whether your natural tendency is to like them, dislike them or not to care about them one way or the other

Increased Practice of CBCT Reduced IL-6 and POMS Responses to the TSST

2.0 1.5

POMS - Total Mood Score (post-stressor)

rp = 0.46, p<0.01

30 25 20 15 10 5 0 -5 -10 -15 -20 1 2 3 4 5

rp = 0.39, p<0.05

Log MAXIMAL I L-6 Post-stressor

1.0 0.5 0 -0.5 -1.0 -1.5 -2.0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Average meditation sessions per week

Average meditation sessions per week

Pace et al., PNE 2008;34:87-98

6 Weeks
High Practice Time Group Post-training TSST

Randomized to Compassion Meditation

intervention

TSST

Low Practice Time Group Post-training TSST

6 Weeks
High Practice Time Group Pre-training TSST

Randomized to Compassion Meditation

intervention
Low Practice Time Group Pre-training TSST

TSST
Pace et al. PNE 2009;34:87-98; Pace et al. PNE 2010;35:310-315.

TSST, Trier Social Stress Test

Practice of Compassion Meditation Improves Stress Responses I

TSST prior to meditation training
0.5 log plasma IL-6, pg/ml 0 -0.5 -1.0 -1.5 18 plasma cortisol, g/ml low practice high practice log plasma IL-6, pg/ml

TSST after meditation training

0.5 0 -0.5 -1.0 -1.5 18 plasma cortisol, g/ml

IL-6

15
TSST

30

45

60

75

90

15
TSST

30

45

60

75

90

Time (min)

Time (min)

16 14 12 10 8 0 0 15
TSST

16 14 12 10 8 0 0 15
TSST

Cortisol

30

45

60

75

90

30

45

60

75

90

Time (min)

Time (min)

Pace TW et al. PNE 2009;34:87-98; Pace TW et al. PNE 2010;35:310-315.

Practice of Compassion Meditation Improves Stress Responses II

TSST prior to meditation training
25 POMS - total mood distribution score

TSST after meditation training

25 POMS - total mood distribution score 20 15 10 5 0 -5 0 15 30 45 60 75 90

POMS Total Distress

20 15 10 5 0 -5 0 15 30 45 60 75 90

TSST

Time (min)

TSST

Time (min)

Pace TW et al. PNE 2009;34:87-98; Pace TW et al. PNE 2010;35:310-315.

HOW?

Relationships Between Autonomic and Inflammatory Responses to Stress

Raison et al. Unpublished data

Effect of Compassion Meditation on HRV Responses to TSST

Raison et el. Unpublished data

Reading the Mind in the Eyes

Gender task: Emotion task:

CBCT Enhanced Empathic Accuracy and Increased Activity in Relevant Brain Regions

Mascaro et al. Submitted

Does CBCT Engagement Encourage Interoceptive Awareness?

Raison et al., unpublished

Taking CBCT to the Streets

Youth in foster care have high rates of early life trauma and neglect Many youth in foster care are further traumatized by abusive placements and/or prolonged placements and/or repeated relocations Rates of economic and academic success are significantly reduced in this Population compared with US norms In Georgia, approximately 50% of individuals who age out of foster care At 18 are homeless within 2 years.

Engagement with CBCT Reduced Systemic Inflammation in Adolescents in Foster Care

(rs = 0.58, p = 0.002)

Pace et al. Psychoneuroendocrinol 2012; epub

 Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi Thaddeus W. Pace Matthias Mehl Brooke Dodson-Lavelle Brendan Ozawa de-Silva Teri Sivilli Allison Williams Robert Paul Andrew H. Miller B.J. Walker Megan Robbins

Tom Comstock Daniel Adame Steve P. Cole Sheethal Reddy Linda Craighead W. Edward Craighead Andrea Danese Michael Issa Fang Hu Bryan Price Erica Lipizzi Kisha Frank