Physiological Effects of Mind and Body Practices

Mind-body practices originated in ancient cultures to enhance physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. Interest in their use in treatment stems from increasing awareness of their therapeutic potential and from the need for approaches that are cost-effective and have lower risks for adverse effects compared to pharmacological and other conventional interventions [1–3]. Rigorous research is needed to identify effective mind-body techniques and their mechanisms of action, if they are to be integrated into mainstream medicine [4]. The quality of evidence for mind-body practices varies widely. Scales for rating the quality of research are based on pharmacological studies. Very often the research design applicable to conventional medicine does not apply to mind-body practices. The diversity and complexity of interventions further confound efforts at conventional meta-analysis. Current studies are developing better control interventions and implementing more rigorous methods [2]. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) [5] states that " Developing insight into biological, physiological effects and mechanisms of action of mind and body interventions is critically important in developing translational research tools to design and execute maximally informative clinical research. " For evaluating mind-body research, modifications of the original CONSORT statement have been proposed and are being evaluated [6]. Studies of mind-body practices suggest numerous mechanisms of action at multiple levels, including gene expression at the cellular level; interactions among central brain regions with neuroplastic changes; and top-down and bottom-up feedback loops between the brain and the body, particularly via the nervous system, interoceptive communication, and circulating neurohormones [7–10]. Prominent among proposed mechanisms are the following: (a) repatterning of primary interoceptive and higher order homeostatic mechanisms ; (b) improved central regulation of autonomic, psy-chologic, neurologic, immunologic, cardiorespiratory, and gastrointestinal functions; (c) reorganization within cor-tical and subcortical structures, interconnectivity adjustments among central regulatory networks, neurotransmitter changes, improved emotion regulation by higher centers, better interhemispheric balance, and enhanced cognitive function; and (d) modulation of epigenetic factors, such as growth factors or hormones, as well as extensive up-and downregulation of genes [11–13]. The manuscripts in this special issue include both research studies and reviews. For example, effects of mind and body practices on specific higher brain functions such as creativity are explored and with objective markers (pro-NGF levels). A study of 1297 adolescents documents the impact of mind and body practices on academic performance and car-diometabolic risk factors. In young musicians the effects of Qigong are reported to be an enhancement of proprioception …