Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego, Biomedical Sciences Building, Mail Code 0629, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 - 0629 USA.
2 papers in the library · 6 citations · publishing 2025
A 6-week mindful self-compassion training for 22 medical trainees (17 students, 5 residents) led to significant improvements in mindfulness, interconnectedness, perceived stress, life enjoyment, and compassion. However, no significant changes in burnout, self-compassion, or emotional intelligence occurred at any follow-up point. The findings suggest that accessible interventions can enhance mindfulness and stress management among medical trainees, but further research with larger samples is needed.
During a week-long meditation retreat, twins showed changes in gene expression, metabolites, and cytokines in blood plasma that varied with the timing of assessment. Twin pairs began the retreat with similar molecular and brain-activity profiles, diverged at the midpoint, and converged again by the end. Even when in separate rooms, twin pairs exhibited significant correlations in brain-wave (spectral power) patterns, and heart rate dynamics aligned more closely in twin pairs than in unmatched pairs. These findings suggest that meditation may influence biological markers and that genetic background contributes to these responses.