Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Share by Email
Print
Short-term meditation training may be a useful approach in managing central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) according to findings published in the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology.
Researchers conducted a pilot study to assess the impact of meditation on CSC. It included 40 patients with acute or non-resolving CSC who were randomly assigned to either a meditation training group or a routine care control group. The primary outcome measure was time to the resolution of CSC assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT-A) and fluorescein angiography. The secondary outcome measures included changes in State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) score and blood pressure. The followup period for the study was at least 4 months for all participants.
Both groups had similar demographic patterns, swept-source OCT-A parameters, and STAI scores at baseline. However, the study revealed differences in CSC resolution times between the 2 groups. In the meditation group, the time to disease resolution was 9.4±4.22 weeks compared with 19.5±2.79 (P <.001) in the control group. Overall, CSC failed to resolve in 8% of the short-term meditation group, compared with 60% of patients in the routine care group at 4 months. The meditation group also exhibited a reduction in stress levels, evidenced by STAI scores, as well as a statistically significant improvement in blood pressure.
“Stress and hypertension are known to be important risk factors for CSC,” according to the investigators. “Decrease in stress and blood pressure may be one of the reasons for early resolution of CSC.”
Study limitations include a low number of overall participants, and the high number of participants who were excluded from the analysis (n=8) for failure to complete the required meditation training.
Reference
Nongrem G, Surve A, Venkatesh P, et al. Effect of short‑term meditation training in central serous chorioretinopathy. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2021;69(12):3559-3563. doi:10.4103/ijo.IJO_3499_20
