The Clinical journal of pain
February 1, 2024
Myrella Paschali, Asimina Lazaridou, Jason Sadora et al.
25 citations
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 randomized controlled trials and other studies found that mindfulness-based interventions (such as mindfulness meditation, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and acceptance and commitment therapy) have a large beneficial effect on reducing pain intensity in adults with chronic low back pain. The authors caution that findings should be interpreted carefully due to high variability in study methods, small sample sizes, inclusion of studies with high risk of bias, and reliance on pre-post treatment differences without assessing long-term maintenance. More large-scale randomized trials are needed for reliable effect estimates.
The journal of pain
October 1, 2022
Robert H Dworkin, Brian T Anderson, Nick Andrews et al.
22 citations
Psychedelic substances have been used historically for spiritual and mystical experiences, and recent interest focuses on their potential to treat chronic pain. Clinical trials support psychedelics' effectiveness for psychiatric conditions, but studies on chronic pain—such as cancer pain, phantom limb pain, migraine, and cluster headache—are few and mostly uncontrolled. Risks are relatively rare with careful patient screening and supervision. Key challenges include identifying mechanisms of action, selecting appropriate pain conditions, designing rigorous trials with proper control groups, minimizing unblinding bias, and accounting for patient mindset and setting. Evidence-based recommendations are needed for future research to yield informative results.
Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews
November 1, 2023
Sophia Linguiti, Jacob W Vogel, Valerie J Sydnor et al.
15 citations
A systematic review of 91 fMRI studies on acute psychedelic effects found substantial methodological heterogeneity. Only 51 unique samples were used across the 91 papers, and 54% of studies did not meet current standards for correcting Type I errors or controlling motion artifacts. Psilocybin and LSD consistently modulated connectivity along the sensorimotor-association cortical axis. Ketamine consistently increased activation in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. The review calls for future adoption of pre-registration, standardized processing and statistical testing, and data sharing to improve rigor.
Frontiers in psychology
January 1, 2025
Diane Joss, Joseph Rosansky, Paula Gardiner et al.
1 citation
Among people with opioid use disorder receiving buprenorphine, those who also took part in a 24-week online mindfulness-based intervention showed a specific chain of symptom improvement linked to their history of adverse childhood experiences (ACE). Higher ACE severity was associated with greater reductions in self-critical rumination by week 8, which then predicted reduced pain catastrophizing by week 16, and less pain interference by week 24. This pathway was not seen in a matched recovery support control group. Both groups experienced significant reductions in depression, anxiety, and other symptoms, but only in the mindfulness group did ACE severity predict changes in self-critical rumination, suggesting this may be a key target for treatment.