***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: Objective : The underlying changes in biological processes that are associated with reported changes in mental and physical health in response to meditation have not been systematic ally explored . We performed a r and omized , controlled study on the effects on brain and immune function of a well‐known and widely used 8‐week clinical training program in mindfulness meditation applied in a work environment with healthy employees . Methods : We measured brain electrical activity before and immediately after , and then 4 months after an 8‐week training program in mindfulness meditation .  Twenty‐five subjects were tested in the meditation group . A wait‐list control group ( N = 16 ) was tested at the same points in time as the meditators . At the end of the 8‐week period , subjects in both groups were vaccinated with influenza vaccine . Results : We report for the first time significant increases in left‐sided anterior activation , a pattern previously associated with positive affect , in the meditators compared with the nonmeditators . We also found significant increases in antibody titers to influenza vaccine among subjects in the meditation compared with those in the wait‐list control group . Finally , the magnitude of increase in left‐sided activation predicted the magnitude of antibody titer rise to the vaccine . Conclusions : These findings demonstrate that a short program in mindfulness meditation produces demonstrable effects on brain and immune function . These findings suggest that meditation may change brain and immune function in positive ways and underscore the need for additional research Using a quasiexperimental design , in an intensive outpatient chemical dependency treatment program , this research compared a psychoeducational addiction treatment group with an intervention that combined progressive relaxation and visualization in a group setting . The progressive relaxation and visualization treatment consisted of six hour-long sessions that replaced psychoeducation treatment groups over the space of a 3-week period . The visualization group and the psychoeducation treatment groups were compared via pretest and posttest instruments to examine the impact of treatments on levels of emotional arousal , self-efficacy , and coping re sources . The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory ( STAI ) , the Situational Confidence Question naire ( SCQ ) , and the Coping Re sources Inventory ( CRI ) were used as part of the st and ardized measures . A total of 76 participants were involved in this study , which was conducted over an 8-month period . ( As they entered treatment , participants were assigned to groups in a fashion that would maintain equivalency of group size . ) Statistical tests determined that the nonr and omly assigned treatment groups were not significantly different from each other at the outset of the treatment interventions , t-tests and multivariate analysis of variance and covariance ( MANOVA/MANCOVA ) were used to examine the results of the study . The t-tests revealed that there were significant pretest/posttest differences ( p < .05 ) for both groups on almost all the dependent measures . MANCOVA , using pretest levels of the dependent measures as the covariate , did not reveal significant differences between the two groups ( i.e. , both groups showed equal levels of improvement on the posttest measures ) . Also , there were outcome differences for individuals who achieved greater degrees of relaxation and increased involvement in visualization session . In conclusion , both psychoeducation and visualization treatments were equally effective in producing positive effects . Although there is little empirical research that evaluates the effectiveness of psychoeducation treatment provided by chemical dependency treatment programs , these findings support that psychoeducation treatment is producing positive treatment effects . Further research is needed to assess the incremental benefit of using visualization as an adjunct to psychoeducation treatment BACKGROUND : Night eating syndrome ( NES ) is characterized by a lack of appetite in the morning , consumption of 50 % or more of daily food intake after 6:00 p.m. , and difficulty falling and /or staying asleep . It has been associated with stress and with poor results at attempts to lose weight . OBJECTIVE : The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relaxation intervention ( Abbreviated Progressive Muscle Relaxation Therapy , APRT ) that has been shown to significantly reduce stress levels in normal , healthy adults would also benefit an NES sample . RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES : A total of 20 adults with NES were r and omly assigned to either a relaxation training ( APRT ) or a Control ( quietly sitting for the same amount of time ) group , and all subjects attended two laboratory sessions 1 week apart . Pre- and postsession indices of stress , anxiety , relaxation , and salivary cortisol were obtained , as well as Day 1 and Day 8 indices of mood . Food diaries and hunger ratings were also obtained . RESULTS : The results indicated that 20 min of a muscle relaxation exercise significantly reduced stress , anxiety , and salivary cortisol immediately postsession . After practicing these exercises daily for a week , subjects exhibited lowered stress , anxiety , fatigue , anger , and depression on Day 8 . APRT was also associated with significantly higher a.m. and lower p.m. ratings of hunger , and a trend of both more breakfast and less night-time eating . DISCUSSION : These data support the role of stress and anxiety in NES and suggest that practicing relaxation may be an important component of treatment for this condition BACKGROUND Lost productivity from attending work when unwell , or " presenteeism " , is a largely hidden cost of mental disorders in the workplace . Sensitive measures are needed for clinical and policy applications , however there is no consensus on the optimal self-report measure to use . This paper examines the sensitivity of four alternative measures of presenteeism to depression and anxiety in an Australian employed cohort . METHODS A prospect i ve single-group study in ten call centres examined the association of presenteeism ( presenteeism days , inefficiency days , Work Limitations Question naire , Stanford Presenteeism Scale )  with Patient Health Question naire  depression and anxiety syndromes . RESULTS At baseline , all presenteeism measures were sensitive to differences between those with ( N=69 ) and without ( N=363 ) depression/anxiety . Only the Work Limitations Question naire consistently showed worse productivity as depression severity increased , and sensitivity to remission and onset of depression/anxiety over the 6-month follow-up ( N=231 ) . There was some evidence of individual depressive symptoms having a differential association with different types of job dem and s. LIMITATIONS The study findings may not generalise to other occupational setting s with different job dem and s. We were unable to compare responders with non-responders at baseline due to anonymity . CONCLUSIONS In this community sample the Work Limitations Question naire offered additional sensitivity to depression severity , change over time , and individual symptoms . The comprehensive assessment of work performance offers significant advantages in demonstrating both the individual and economic burden of common mental disorders , and the potential gains from early intervention and treatment The purpose of this project was to investigate the psychological and physical effects of training of body awareness and slow stretching on persons with chronic toxic encephalopathy ( CTE ) . In the present study , a method of self-regulation , a body-mind training , is presented . The body-mind training used was a guided relaxation technique combined with meditative stretching . The techniques are introduced and the psychological and physiological effects of the training is presented . Eight subjects with CTE , 48.5 years , were trained for 8 weeks . Outcome measures were percentage alpha brain waves ( alpha% ) , electromyography ( EMG ) on the frontalis muscle , state-trait anxiety ( STAI ) , creativity ( RAT ) , and mood measured as anxiousness , humour and mental fatigue . The mean alpha% increased 52 % during the training period ( P < 0.01 ) , and the EMG decreased 31 % ( P < 0.001 . State anxiety decreased 22 % during the training period ( P < 0.01 ) , but no changes were observed in trait anxiety and in the creativity score . The level of anxiousness and fatigue before a training session decreased during the training period . In conclusion , the body-mind training result ed in an improved ability for physical and mental relaxation as indicated from the lower EMG , the higher alpha% and the decrease in state anxiety OBJECTIVES : Psychological treatments are considered to be useful in the irritable bowel syndrome ( IBS ) , although the evidence is based on small , often flawed trials . Although cognitive behavior therapy ( CBT ) and relaxation therapy have both been promising , we hypothesized that CBT would be superior to relaxation and st and ard care alone in IBS patients . The objective of this study was to test this assumption by comparing the effects of cognitive behavior therapy with relaxation therapy and routine clinical care alone in individuals with IBS . METHODS : Patients ( n = 105 ) with Rome I criteria for IBS were recruited from advertisement ( n = 51 ) and outpatient clinics ( n = 54 ) ; those patients with resistant IBS were not included . A r and omized controlled trial with three arms ( st and ard care for all groups plus either CBT or relaxation ) for 8 wk was conducted , which applied blinded outcome assessment s using vali date d measures with 1 yr of follow-up . The primary outcome for this study was bowel symptom severity . RESULTS : Of 105 patients at the commencement of treatment , the mean bowel symptom frequency score for the whole sample was 21.1 and at the end of treatment had fallen to 18.1 ; this persisted at the 52-wk follow-up , with a significant linear trend for scores to change over time ( F= 39.57 p < 0.001 ) . However , there were no significant differences among the three treatment conditions . Significant changes over time were found for physical functioning ( F= 4.37 , p < 0.001 ) , pain ( F= 3.12 , p < 0.05 ) , general health ( F= 2.71 , p < 0.05 ) , vitality ( F= 2.94 , p < 0.05 ) , and the social functioning scales on the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 ( F= 4.08 , p < 0.05 ) ; however , all three arms showed similar improvement . There were significant reductions in anxiety , depression , and locus of control scales , but no significant differences among the treatment groups were detected . CONCLUSION : Cognitive behavior and relaxation therapy seem not to be superior to st and ard care alone in IBS Poppen ( Behavior Relaxation Training and Assessment , 1988 ) has developed an observational method of assessing the degree to which individuals show a relaxation response . Although promising , this method , the Behavioral Rating Scale ( BRS ) , has yet to be thoroughly investigated . Subjects in this study were r and omly assigned to a progressive relaxation training group or an attention-control group .  Following a training period , subjects participated in a laboratory session in which self-report measures of relaxation were obtained , physiological measures were monitored , and behavioral observations were made using the BRS . Results supported the use of the BRS as a valid , observable measure of an individual 's relaxation response . Discriminant validity was demonstrated by between-group differences on the BRS and construct validity was shown by significant correlations between changes on the BRS and changes on self-report and physiological measures . It is argued that , though alternative explanations are feasible , this study 's results support the use of the BRS as an effective assessment tool when measuring an individual 's response to progressive muscle relaxation Cognitive therapy ( CT ) and applied relaxation ( AR ) as treatments of generalized anxiety disorder ( GAD ) were compared in a sample of 45 patients of a community mental health center , r and omly allocated to condition . Patients were assessed before and after a 12-session treatment , and at one and six months follow-ups . There was a 20 % drop out from CT and 15 % from AR ( NS ) , with some drop outs being considerably improved . Both completers and intention-to-treat analyses revealed that both treatments were effective ( ESs of composite and specific measures ranging from 0.53 to 1.14 ) . At one-month follow-up AR tended to do better than CT , with CT catching up with AR at six months . Recovery rates and proportions of patients showing reliable change were comparable to other studies on AR and CT , with 55 % of CT and 53.3 % of AR patients recovered on the STAI-trait at six-month follow-up . These results confirm that both CT and AR are effective treatments for GAD , and also that there is still room for improvement Background The aim of this open trial was to examine the influence of acute bright light exposure on anxiety in older and young adults . Methods This study was ancillary to a complex 5-day laboratory experiment testing phase-responses to light at all times of the day . On 3 consecutive days , participants were exposed to bright light ( 3,000 lux ) for 3 hours . The Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory ( Form Y1 ) was administered 5 minutes before and 20 minutes after each treatment . Mean state anxiety before and after treatment were analyzed by age , sex , and time ANOVA . To avoid floor effects , only participants with baseline STAI levels of ≥ 25 were included . Results A significant anxiolytic effect of bright light was found for the mean data , as well as for each of the three days . No significant main effect of age , sex , or interaction of these factors with STAI change were found . Conclusion The results show consistent and significant ( albeit modest ) anxiolytic effects  following acute bright light exposure in low anxiety adults . Further r and omized , controlled trials in clinical ly anxious individuals are needed The present study examined the effects of progressive relaxation training and EMG biofeedback on acute glucose disposal in diabetic subjects , as measured by glucose tolerance and three other measures of diabetic metabolic control . Twenty subjects with non-insulin-using Type II diabetes took part in progressive relaxation training and EMG biofeedback in a pre-post treatment versus wait-list experimental design . Treatment effects were assessed on glucose tolerance along with three measures of diabetic control : fasting blood glucose , two-hour postpr and ial blood glucose , and fructosamine . Stress reduction and relax 
    Output:
    
Efficacy was higher for meditation , among volunteers and for longer treatments .
Conclusion The results show consistent and significant efficacy of relaxation training in reducing anxiety .
This meta- analysis extends the existing literature through facilitation of a better underst and ing of the variability and clinical significance of anxiety improvement subsequent to relaxation training