1. Heart Rate Variability is Enhanced in Individuals with Migraine & Tension Headaches during Mindfulness Meditation after Cognitive Stress – A Randomized Experiment
M A Azam, MSc1, P Ritvo PhD2, V Mohabir BSc1, J Katz, PhD 1
1Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario
2School of Kinesiology & Health Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario
Background
Methods
Current research suggests associations between headaches (migraine, tension) and the autonomic nervous system (ANS) are due to stress-related imbalances in the activity of the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches. Mindfulness meditation has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing distress related to chronic pain conditions, and in enhancing heart rate variability—a vagal-mediated marker of ANS balance.
Undergraduate students with migraine/tension headache conditions (n=36) and headache-free students (n=39) were recruited for an experiment involving HRV measurement during baseline, cognitive stress-induction, and after randomization to post-stress mindfulness meditation or eyes closed rest (control) conditions. Brief “mindfulness of breathing” instructions (pre-recorded) were provided by a clinical psychologist for the meditation condition, and an audio lecture on mindfulness was provided in the control rest condition. HRV data was obtained using an electrocardiogram recording and calculated as the absolute power in the high frequency bandwidth (ms2). Statistical analyses were conducted using a 3-way ANOVA to test the effects of group (headache vs headache-free), phase (baseline, stress, & post-stress) and condition (mindfulness vs. rest) on HRV.
Results
ANOVA revealed a significant 3-way interaction. Planned simple effects indicated: 1) HRV increased from stress to mindfulness for headache and headache-free groups, 2) greater HRV for headache and headache-free groups during mindfulness compared to eyes closed rest, 3) lower HRV in headache group in comparison to headache-free during post-stress rest.
Purpose
This study examines HRV during cognitive stress and mindfulness meditation in individuals with migraine and tension headaches.
Conclusion
Results suggest mindfulness practice can help enhance parasympathetic regulation in individuals with headache conditions, and headache conditions may be associated with delayed post-stress recovery. .
Figure 1. Green lines = headache-free, blue lines = headache group. Log-transformed high frequency heart rate variability (ms2) in Headache and Headache-Free groups during phases of rest, stress, and post-stress conditions mindfulness and rest.
References
Gass Jjet al. (2013) Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 38(4):257–63.
Force, (1996). European Heart Journal. 17:
Inhale Exhale
M A Azam is supported an Ontario Graduate Scholarship. J Katz is supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Canada Research Chair in Health Psychology