Effect of meditation on psychological distress and brain functioning: A randomized controlled study.
Travis F, Valosek L, Konrad A, Link J, Salerno J, Scheller R, Nidich S. · Brain and cognition · 2018 · Randomized controlled trial
Original publication · Original publication
Recorded summary
In 96 school-district staff, Transcendental Meditation improved mood and distress relative to waitlist over four months. An EEG subset of 79 participants also showed changes in the study's Brain Integration Scale.
Recorded limitations
The EEG composite is a study-specific measure, not proof of globally improved brain function. A waitlist does not isolate practice-specific effects from support and expectancy.
Evidence and provenance
Chapter Trust Factor uses a minimum of three distinct qualifying studies. Publication records retain their own evidence and assessment.
Study design and assessment
- design
- Randomized controlled trial
- assessment
- category
- peer-reviewed
- peer Reviewed
- true
- basis
- Reported design checked against the primary publication abstract. Blinding terminology reflects the source report, not an independent risk-of-bias rating.
- sources
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29936408/ · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2018.03.011
- assessed At
- 2026-10-26
- registered Masking Basis
- false
- trust Factor
- score
- 2
- scope
- Paper
- status
- assessed
- randomized Controlled Trial
- true
- blinding
- not-confirmed
- peer Reviewed
- true
- basis
- Reported design checked against the primary publication abstract. Blinding terminology reflects the source report, not an independent risk-of-bias rating.
- sources
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29936408/ · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2018.03.011
- review Scope
- Existing publication-specific assessments and bibliographic indexing; no blanket full-text appraisal.
- assessed At
- 2026-10-27
- jadad
- status
- unassessed
- score
- Not recorded
- evidence
- intervention
- Mantram repetition programme
- comparator
- Waitlist
- evidence Type
- Clinical or experimental outcomes
- source URLs
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29936408/ · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2018.03.011
- checked At
- 2026-10-26
- review Scope
- Primary publication abstract and bibliographic identity checked; comprehensive full-text risk-of-bias and Jadad assessment pending.
- discovery Sources
https://daytab.com/study/phcv423h · https://europepmc.org/article/MED/29936408
- selection Policy
- Success-focused discovery selection, with material limitations retained; not an exhaustive systematic review.
Topics and recorded topic scores
- key
- language:i
- title
- Mantra meditation: cognition, creativity, mental health and cardiovascular outcomes
- collection
- language
- trust Score
- 2
Citation snapshot and identifiers
- id
- pmid-29936408
- doi
- 10.1016/j.bandc.2018.03.011
- pmid
- 29936408
- citation Snapshot
- count
- 24
- source
- Europe PMC
- retrieved At
- 2026-10-26
- url
- https://europepmc.org/article/MED/29936408
- citations By Collection
- language
- 24
Complete approved library record
- id
- pmid-29936408
- publication Key
- doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2018.03.011
- aliases
- None recorded
- title
- Effect of meditation on psychological distress and brain functioning: A randomized controlled study.
- journal
- Brain and cognition
- neurotransmitters
- None recorded
- year
- 2018
- authors
- Travis F, Valosek L, Konrad A, Link J, Salerno J, Scheller R, Nidich S.
- design
- Randomized controlled trial
- identity Conflict
- Not recorded
- doi
- 10.1016/j.bandc.2018.03.011
- pmid
- 29936408
- urls
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29936408/ · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2018.03.011
- collections
language
- categories
Clinical & self-report
- targets
- None recorded
- priority
- 1
- quotes
- None recorded
- summary
- In 96 school-district staff, Transcendental Meditation improved mood and distress relative to waitlist over four months. An EEG subset of 79 participants also showed changes in the study's Brain Integration Scale.
- limitation
- The EEG composite is a study-specific measure, not proof of globally improved brain function. A waitlist does not isolate practice-specific effects from support and expectancy.
- citation Count
- 24
- citation Snapshot
- count
- 24
- source
- Europe PMC
- retrieved At
- 2026-10-26
- url
- https://europepmc.org/article/MED/29936408
- study Design Assessment
- category
- peer-reviewed
- peer Reviewed
- true
- basis
- Reported design checked against the primary publication abstract. Blinding terminology reflects the source report, not an independent risk-of-bias rating.
- sources
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29936408/ · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2018.03.011
- assessed At
- 2026-10-26
- registered Masking Basis
- false
- paper Trust Assessment
- score
- 2
- scope
- Paper
- status
- assessed
- randomized Controlled Trial
- true
- blinding
- not-confirmed
- peer Reviewed
- true
- basis
- Reported design checked against the primary publication abstract. Blinding terminology reflects the source report, not an independent risk-of-bias rating.
- sources
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29936408/ · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2018.03.011
- review Scope
- Existing publication-specific assessments and bibliographic indexing; no blanket full-text appraisal.
- assessed At
- 2026-10-27
- citations By Collection
- language
- 24
- topics
- key
- language:i
- title
- Mantra meditation: cognition, creativity, mental health and cardiovascular outcomes
- collection
- language
- trust Score
- 2
- journal Key
- brainandcognition
- journal Label
- Brain and cognition
- chapter Entries
- title
- Effect of meditation on psychological distress and brain functioning: A randomized controlled study.
- journal
- Brain and cognition
- year
- 2018
- authors
- Travis F, Valosek L, Konrad A, Link J, Salerno J, Scheller R, Nidich S.
- design
- Randomized controlled trial
- urls
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29936408/ · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2018.03.011
- doi
- 10.1016/j.bandc.2018.03.011
- pmid
- 29936408
- targets
- None recorded
- categories
Clinical & self-report
- citation Count
- 24
- citation Snapshot
- count
- 24
- source
- Europe PMC
- retrieved At
- 2026-10-26
- url
- https://europepmc.org/article/MED/29936408
- study Design Assessment
- category
- peer-reviewed
- peer Reviewed
- true
- basis
- Reported design checked against the primary publication abstract. Blinding terminology reflects the source report, not an independent risk-of-bias rating.
- sources
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29936408/ · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2018.03.011
- assessed At
- 2026-10-26
- registered Masking Basis
- false
- evidence
- intervention
- Mantram repetition programme
- comparator
- Waitlist
- evidence Type
- Clinical or experimental outcomes
- source URLs
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29936408/ · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2018.03.011
- checked At
- 2026-10-26
- review Scope
- Primary publication abstract and bibliographic identity checked; comprehensive full-text risk-of-bias and Jadad assessment pending.
- discovery Sources
https://daytab.com/study/phcv423h · https://europepmc.org/article/MED/29936408
- selection Policy
- Success-focused discovery selection, with material limitations retained; not an exhaustive systematic review.
- id
- language-i-pmid-29936408
- record Id
- pmid-29936408
- quotes
- None recorded
- source Pages
- None recorded
- summary
- In 96 school-district staff, Transcendental Meditation improved mood and distress relative to waitlist over four months. An EEG subset of 79 participants also showed changes in the study's Brain Integration Scale.
- limitation
- The EEG composite is a study-specific measure, not proof of globally improved brain function. A waitlist does not isolate practice-specific effects from support and expectancy.
- paper Trust Assessment
- score
- 2
- scope
- Paper
- status
- assessed
- randomized Controlled Trial
- true
- blinding
- not-confirmed
- peer Reviewed
- true
- basis
- Reported design checked against the primary publication abstract. Blinding terminology reflects the source report, not an independent risk-of-bias rating.
- sources
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29936408/ · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2018.03.011
- review Scope
- Existing publication-specific assessments and bibliographic indexing; no blanket full-text appraisal.
- assessed At
- 2026-10-27
- publication Key
- doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2018.03.011
- collection
- language
- chapter Number
- 1
- topic Id
- i
- topic Title
- Mantra meditation: cognition, creativity, mental health and cardiovascular outcomes
- trust Score
- 2
- evidence
- intervention
- Mantram repetition programme
- comparator
- Waitlist
- evidence Type
- Clinical or experimental outcomes
- source URLs
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29936408/ · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2018.03.011
- checked At
- 2026-10-26
- review Scope
- Primary publication abstract and bibliographic identity checked; comprehensive full-text risk-of-bias and Jadad assessment pending.
- discovery Sources
https://daytab.com/study/phcv423h · https://europepmc.org/article/MED/29936408
- selection Policy
- Success-focused discovery selection, with material limitations retained; not an exhaustive systematic review.
- jadad
- status
- unassessed
- score
- Not recorded
- condition Evidence
- id
- stress
- evidence
- field
- curated primary-source summary
- text
- In 96 school-district staff, Transcendental Meditation improved mood and distress relative to waitlist over four months. An EEG subset of 79 participants also showed changes in the study's Brain Integration Scale.
- matched Text
- stress
- conditions
stress
- topic Trust Scores
2
- full Text
- status
- not-indexed
- retrieval Available
- false