Changes in the expression of inflammatory and epigenetic-modulatory genes after an intensive meditation retreat.
Álvarez-López MJ, Conklin QA, Cosín-Tomás M, Shields GS, King BG, Zanesco AP, Kaliman P, Saron CD. · Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology · 2022 · Nonrandomized controlled transcriptomic study
Original publication · Original publication · Original publication
Recorded summary
A three-week retreat study comparing 28 experienced meditators with 34 community-based practitioners reported changes in TNF and chromatin-related blood gene-expression patterns.
Recorded limitations
Retreat participation was not randomised. Lifestyle, setting and participant selection remain plausible explanations; molecular changes do not demonstrate improved disease outcomes.
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
- Nonrandomized controlled transcriptomic study
- 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/35818436/ · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100152 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9270205/
- assessed At
- 2026-10-26
- registered Masking Basis
- false
- trust Factor
- score
- 1
- scope
- Paper
- status
- assessed
- randomized Controlled Trial
- false
- 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/35818436/ · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100152 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9270205/
- review Scope
- Existing publication-specific assessments and bibliographic indexing; no blanket full-text appraisal.
- assessed At
- 2026-10-27
- jadad
- status
- not-applicable
- score
- Not recorded
- evidence
- intervention
- Three-week meditation retreat
- comparator
- Experienced practitioners remaining in the community
- evidence Type
- Gene expression
- source URLs
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35818436/ · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100152 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9270205/
- 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://europepmc.org/article/MED/35818436
- selection Policy
- Success-focused discovery selection, with material limitations retained; not an exhaustive systematic review.
- measurement
- Blood gene expression, including inflammatory and chromatin-related signals
- measured Genes
TNF
- sample
- 28 retreat participants and 34 community controls
Topics and recorded topic scores
- key
- language:mindfulness-rna
- title
- Mindfulness interventions and gene expression
- collection
- language
- trust Score
- 2
Citation snapshot and identifiers
- id
- pmid-35818436
- doi
- 10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100152
- pmid
- 35818436
- citation Snapshot
- count
- 15
- source
- Europe PMC
- retrieved At
- 2026-10-26
- url
- https://europepmc.org/article/MED/35818436
- citations By Collection
- language
- 15
Complete approved library record
- id
- pmid-35818436
- publication Key
- doi:10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100152
- aliases
- None recorded
- title
- Changes in the expression of inflammatory and epigenetic-modulatory genes after an intensive meditation retreat.
- journal
- Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology
- neurotransmitters
- None recorded
- year
- 2022
- authors
- Álvarez-López MJ, Conklin QA, Cosín-Tomás M, Shields GS, King BG, Zanesco AP, Kaliman P, Saron CD.
- design
- Nonrandomized controlled transcriptomic study
- identity Conflict
- Not recorded
- doi
- 10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100152
- pmid
- 35818436
- urls
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35818436/ · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100152 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9270205/
- collections
language
- categories
Gene expression
- targets
TNF
- priority
- 0
- quotes
- None recorded
- summary
- A three-week retreat study comparing 28 experienced meditators with 34 community-based practitioners reported changes in TNF and chromatin-related blood gene-expression patterns.
- limitation
- Retreat participation was not randomised. Lifestyle, setting and participant selection remain plausible explanations; molecular changes do not demonstrate improved disease outcomes.
- citation Count
- 15
- citation Snapshot
- count
- 15
- source
- Europe PMC
- retrieved At
- 2026-10-26
- url
- https://europepmc.org/article/MED/35818436
- 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/35818436/ · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100152 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9270205/
- assessed At
- 2026-10-26
- registered Masking Basis
- false
- paper Trust Assessment
- score
- 1
- scope
- Paper
- status
- assessed
- randomized Controlled Trial
- false
- 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/35818436/ · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100152 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9270205/
- review Scope
- Existing publication-specific assessments and bibliographic indexing; no blanket full-text appraisal.
- assessed At
- 2026-10-27
- citations By Collection
- language
- 15
- topics
- key
- language:mindfulness-rna
- title
- Mindfulness interventions and gene expression
- collection
- language
- trust Score
- 2
- journal Key
- comprehensivepsychoneuroendocrinology
- journal Label
- Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology
- chapter Entries
- title
- Changes in the expression of inflammatory and epigenetic-modulatory genes after an intensive meditation retreat.
- journal
- Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology
- year
- 2022
- authors
- Álvarez-López MJ, Conklin QA, Cosín-Tomás M, Shields GS, King BG, Zanesco AP, Kaliman P, Saron CD.
- design
- Nonrandomized controlled transcriptomic study
- urls
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35818436/ · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100152 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9270205/
- doi
- 10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100152
- pmid
- 35818436
- targets
TNF
- categories
Gene expression
- citation Count
- 15
- citation Snapshot
- count
- 15
- source
- Europe PMC
- retrieved At
- 2026-10-26
- url
- https://europepmc.org/article/MED/35818436
- 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/35818436/ · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100152 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9270205/
- assessed At
- 2026-10-26
- registered Masking Basis
- false
- evidence
- intervention
- Three-week meditation retreat
- comparator
- Experienced practitioners remaining in the community
- evidence Type
- Gene expression
- source URLs
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35818436/ · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100152 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9270205/
- 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://europepmc.org/article/MED/35818436
- selection Policy
- Success-focused discovery selection, with material limitations retained; not an exhaustive systematic review.
- measurement
- Blood gene expression, including inflammatory and chromatin-related signals
- measured Genes
TNF
- sample
- 28 retreat participants and 34 community controls
- id
- language-mindfulness-rna-pmid-35818436
- record Id
- pmid-35818436
- quotes
- None recorded
- source Pages
- None recorded
- summary
- A three-week retreat study comparing 28 experienced meditators with 34 community-based practitioners reported changes in TNF and chromatin-related blood gene-expression patterns.
- limitation
- Retreat participation was not randomised. Lifestyle, setting and participant selection remain plausible explanations; molecular changes do not demonstrate improved disease outcomes.
- paper Trust Assessment
- score
- 1
- scope
- Paper
- status
- assessed
- randomized Controlled Trial
- false
- 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/35818436/ · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100152 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9270205/
- 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.cpnec.2022.100152
- collection
- language
- chapter Number
- 4
- topic Id
- mindfulness-rna
- topic Title
- Mindfulness interventions and gene expression
- trust Score
- 2
- evidence
- intervention
- Three-week meditation retreat
- comparator
- Experienced practitioners remaining in the community
- evidence Type
- Gene expression
- source URLs
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35818436/ · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100152 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9270205/
- 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://europepmc.org/article/MED/35818436
- selection Policy
- Success-focused discovery selection, with material limitations retained; not an exhaustive systematic review.
- measurement
- Blood gene expression, including inflammatory and chromatin-related signals
- measured Genes
TNF
- sample
- 28 retreat participants and 34 community controls
- jadad
- status
- not-applicable
- score
- Not recorded
- condition Evidence
- None recorded
- conditions
- None recorded
- topic Trust Scores
2
- full Text
- status
- not-indexed
- retrieval Available
- false