Psychological assessments, allostatic load and gene expression analyses in a randomized controlled trial comparing meditation, yoga, and stress education
Denninger JW, Joss D, Romero PM, Khalsa SBS, Hoge EA, Bhasin M, Lazar SW, Dusek JA, Macklin E, Libermann T, Fricchione GL, Benson H. · Frontiers in Psychology · 2025 · Randomized controlled trial; registered double-blind (participants and outcome assessors)
Original publication · Original publication · Original publication
Recorded summary
The three-arm trial found no significant between-group effects on psychological, genomic or allostatic-load outcomes. Most psychological measures improved within each group. Circulating IL-6 increased slightly within the meditation group at follow-up, remaining in the normal range.
Recorded limitations
Within-group improvement does not establish a treatment advantage. Participants were stressed but otherwise healthy; results may differ in clinical populations.
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; registered double-blind (participants and outcome assessors)
- assessment
- basis
- The linked trial register specifies double masking of participants and outcome assessors. The article does not describe the masking procedure; this classification reflects the registered design.
- sources
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12463968/ · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41020112/ · https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1653242 · https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01308970
- assessed At
- 2026-10-23
- registered Masking Basis
- true
- category
- double-blind-rct
- peer Reviewed
- true
- trust Factor
- score
- 3
- scope
- Paper
- status
- assessed
- randomized Controlled Trial
- true
- blinding
- double
- peer Reviewed
- true
- basis
- The linked trial register specifies double masking of participants and outcome assessors. The article does not describe the masking procedure; this classification reflects the registered design.
- sources
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41020112/ · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12463968/ · https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1653242 · https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01308970
- 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
- Meditation or yoga
- comparator
- Stress education
- sample
- 211 chronically stressed adults: 73 meditation, 68 yoga, 70 control
- measurement
- Blood gene-expression measures and allostatic-load biomarkers
- timing
- 8 weeks; measurements at weeks 0, 9 and 26
- trial Id
- NCT01308970
- measured Genes
- None recorded
- pathways
- None recorded
- evidence Type
- RNA expression
- source URLs
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12463968/ · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41020112/ · https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1653242
- checked At
- 2026-10-23
- review Scope
- Publication abstract and selected full-text methods; Jadad assessment pending
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-41020112
- doi
- 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1653242
- pmid
- 41020112
- citation Snapshot
- count
- 3
- source
- Crossref
- retrieved At
- 2026-10-23
- url
- https://api.crossref.org/works/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1653242
- citations By Collection
- language
- 3
Complete approved library record
- id
- pmid-41020112
- publication Key
- Not recorded
- aliases
- None recorded
- title
- Psychological assessments, allostatic load and gene expression analyses in a randomized controlled trial comparing meditation, yoga, and stress education
- journal
- Frontiers in Psychology
- publisher Family
- frontiers
- publisher Family Label
- Frontiers
- neurotransmitters
- None recorded
- year
- 2025
- authors
- Denninger JW, Joss D, Romero PM, Khalsa SBS, Hoge EA, Bhasin M, Lazar SW, Dusek JA, Macklin E, Libermann T, Fricchione GL, Benson H.
- design
- Randomized controlled trial; registered double-blind (participants and outcome assessors)
- kind
- Journal article
- identity Conflict
- Not recorded
- doi
- 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1653242
- pmid
- 41020112
- urls
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1653242 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12463968/ · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41020112/
- collections
language
- categories
Gene expression
- targets
- None recorded
- priority
- 0
- quotes
- None recorded
- summary
- The three-arm trial found no significant between-group effects on psychological, genomic or allostatic-load outcomes. Most psychological measures improved within each group. Circulating IL-6 increased slightly within the meditation group at follow-up, remaining in the normal range.
- limitation
- Within-group improvement does not establish a treatment advantage. Participants were stressed but otherwise healthy; results may differ in clinical populations.
- citation Count
- 3
- citation Snapshot
- count
- 3
- source
- Crossref
- retrieved At
- 2026-10-23
- url
- https://api.crossref.org/works/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1653242
- study Design Assessment
- basis
- The linked trial register specifies double masking of participants and outcome assessors. The article does not describe the masking procedure; this classification reflects the registered design.
- sources
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12463968/ · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41020112/ · https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1653242 · https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01308970
- assessed At
- 2026-10-23
- registered Masking Basis
- true
- category
- double-blind-rct
- peer Reviewed
- true
- paper Trust Assessment
- score
- 3
- scope
- Paper
- status
- assessed
- randomized Controlled Trial
- true
- blinding
- double
- peer Reviewed
- true
- basis
- The linked trial register specifies double masking of participants and outcome assessors. The article does not describe the masking procedure; this classification reflects the registered design.
- sources
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41020112/ · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12463968/ · https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1653242 · https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01308970
- review Scope
- Existing publication-specific assessments and bibliographic indexing; no blanket full-text appraisal.
- assessed At
- 2026-10-27
- citations By Collection
- language
- 3
- topics
- key
- language:mindfulness-rna
- title
- Mindfulness interventions and gene expression
- collection
- language
- trust Score
- 2
- journal Key
- frontiersinpsychology
- journal Label
- Frontiers in Psychology
- chapter Entries
- id
- language-mindfulness-rna-pmid-41020112
- record Id
- pmid-41020112
- title
- Psychological assessments, allostatic load and gene expression analyses in a randomized controlled trial comparing meditation, yoga, and stress education
- journal
- Frontiers in Psychology
- year
- 2025
- authors
- Denninger JW, Joss D, Romero PM, Khalsa SBS, Hoge EA, Bhasin M, Lazar SW, Dusek JA, Macklin E, Libermann T, Fricchione GL, Benson H.
- design
- Randomized controlled trial; registered double-blind (participants and outcome assessors)
- urls
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1653242 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12463968/ · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41020112/
- quotes
- None recorded
- summary
- The three-arm trial found no significant between-group effects on psychological, genomic or allostatic-load outcomes. Most psychological measures improved within each group. Circulating IL-6 increased slightly within the meditation group at follow-up, remaining in the normal range.
- limitation
- Within-group improvement does not establish a treatment advantage. Participants were stressed but otherwise healthy; results may differ in clinical populations.
- citation Count
- 3
- citation Snapshot
- count
- 3
- source
- Crossref
- retrieved At
- 2026-10-23
- url
- https://api.crossref.org/works/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1653242
- study Design Assessment
- basis
- The linked trial register specifies double masking of participants and outcome assessors. The article does not describe the masking procedure; this classification reflects the registered design.
- sources
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12463968/ · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41020112/ · https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1653242 · https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01308970
- assessed At
- 2026-10-23
- registered Masking Basis
- true
- category
- double-blind-rct
- peer Reviewed
- true
- source Pages
- None recorded
- targets
- None recorded
- categories
Gene expression
- doi
- 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1653242
- pmid
- 41020112
- evidence
- intervention
- Meditation or yoga
- comparator
- Stress education
- sample
- 211 chronically stressed adults: 73 meditation, 68 yoga, 70 control
- measurement
- Blood gene-expression measures and allostatic-load biomarkers
- timing
- 8 weeks; measurements at weeks 0, 9 and 26
- trial Id
- NCT01308970
- measured Genes
- None recorded
- pathways
- None recorded
- evidence Type
- RNA expression
- source URLs
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12463968/ · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41020112/ · https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1653242
- checked At
- 2026-10-23
- review Scope
- Publication abstract and selected full-text methods; Jadad assessment pending
- paper Trust Assessment
- score
- 3
- scope
- Paper
- status
- assessed
- randomized Controlled Trial
- true
- blinding
- double
- peer Reviewed
- true
- basis
- The linked trial register specifies double masking of participants and outcome assessors. The article does not describe the masking procedure; this classification reflects the registered design.
- sources
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41020112/ · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12463968/ · https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1653242 · https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01308970
- review Scope
- Existing publication-specific assessments and bibliographic indexing; no blanket full-text appraisal.
- assessed At
- 2026-10-27
- collection
- language
- chapter Number
- 4
- topic Id
- mindfulness-rna
- topic Title
- Mindfulness interventions and gene expression
- trust Score
- 2
- evidence
- intervention
- Meditation or yoga
- comparator
- Stress education
- sample
- 211 chronically stressed adults: 73 meditation, 68 yoga, 70 control
- measurement
- Blood gene-expression measures and allostatic-load biomarkers
- timing
- 8 weeks; measurements at weeks 0, 9 and 26
- trial Id
- NCT01308970
- measured Genes
- None recorded
- pathways
- None recorded
- evidence Type
- RNA expression
- source URLs
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12463968/ · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41020112/ · https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1653242
- checked At
- 2026-10-23
- review Scope
- Publication abstract and selected full-text methods; Jadad assessment pending
- jadad
- status
- unassessed
- score
- Not recorded
- condition Evidence
- id
- stress
- evidence
- field
- title
- text
- Psychological assessments, allostatic load and gene expression analyses in a randomized controlled trial comparing meditation, yoga, and stress education
- matched Text
- stress
- conditions
stress
- topic Trust Scores
2
- full Text
- status
- open-license
- retrieval Available
- true
- url
- https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/PMC12463968/fullTextXML
- pmcid
- PMC12463968
- rights
- license
- https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
- statement
Copyright © 2025 Denninger, Joss, Romero, Khalsa, Hoge, Bhasin, Lazar, Dusek, Macklin, Libermann, Fricchione and Benson. 2025 Denninger, Joss, Romero, Khalsa, Hoge, Bhasin, Lazar, Dusek, Macklin, Libermann, Fricchione and Benson https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
- sha256
- 4b125e42c079ffb3fd100b85ba769eec35809caaeb1e302f3976fbbc456cc78d
- checked At
- 2026-10-24