MeditationNCT04632875
Online Trial of Meditation and Behavior
A study testing Loving-Kindness Meditation and Relaxation Meditation in people with Meditation, run by Georgetown University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study investigates how different types of meditation may affect behaviors and emotions. The study is conducted entirely online and involves listening to 4-weeks of a guided meditation training. The meditation involves either Loving-Kindness or Relaxation techniques. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 55 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Meditation
- What is being tested?
- Loving-Kindness Meditation and Relaxation Meditation
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 75 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 4 Dec 2020to 10 Jun 2021
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 55 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Is a medically healthy individual
- Lives in the United States
- Has reliable internet access and the ability to join a Zoom video chat
Who cannot join
- Has experience with meditation or other mind-body practices
- Has a neurological disease
- Has a current psychiatric disorder
- Is on medication that affects the central nervous system (e.g. psychotropic drugs)
- Has recurrent or chronic pain
- Is pregnant or planning to become pregnant
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Georgetown University
Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20007
About this study
Official title: Identifying Neural Correlates of Altruism
This study investigates how different types of meditation may affect behaviors and emotions. The study is conducted entirely online and involves listening to 4-weeks of a guided meditation training. The meditation involves either Loving-Kindness or Relaxation techniques. The purpose of the study is to assess changes in behaviors and emotions using standard questionnaires, reports of real-world behavior, and online behavioral tasks. The overarching goal is to help clarify how mind-body practices may improve some aspects of well-being.
- Conditions
- Meditation
- Being tested
- Loving-Kindness Meditation, Relaxation Meditation
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Loving-Kindness MeditationBehavioural
Also called Metta Meditation
Approximately 15-minute sessions are administered 6 days per week
Relaxation MeditationBehavioural
Also called Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Approximately 15-minute sessions are administered 6 days per week
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Loving-Kindness Meditation | Experimental | 4-week guided Loving-Kindness Meditation training (administered online). Receives: Behavioral: Loving-Kindness Meditation |
| Relaxation Meditation | Experimental | 4-week guided Relaxation Meditation training (administered online). Receives: Behavioral: Relaxation Meditation |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Social functioning
Participants will complete a questionnaire about their real-world social behaviors. An aggregate score will be computed; higher scores will indicate better social functioning.
Measured: 4-5 weeks
Affective responses
Participants will perform a wall-sit test and responses will be measured using a 0-100 Visual Analog Scale of intensity.
Measured: 4-5 weeks
Secondary outcomes (1)
Psychological well-being related to COVID-19
Participants will complete a questionnaire related to the psychological impact of COVID-19 social distancing. Higher scores will indicate worse psychological impact of COVID-19.
Measured: 4-5 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted17 Nov 2020
- Study start4 Dec 2020
- Primary completion10 Jun 2021
- Study completion10 Jun 2021
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for MeditationStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Georgetown UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 75 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Georgetown University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Abigail A Marsh, PhD, Principal investigator, Georgetown University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04632875
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2010-180-2
- Status last verified
- Nov 2020
- First submitted
- 10 Nov 2020
- Last updated
- 14 Jun 2021
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Young O, O'Connell K, Nero N, Somers MC, Freeburg PA, Dutton MA, Marsh AA. Assessing the effect of Loving-Kindness Meditation on pain and social well-being using a randomized controlled trial design. PLoS One. 2026 Sep 16;21(9):e0357888. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0357888. eCollection 2026.
PubMed 42748179
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 14 Jun 2021. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Identifying Neural Correlates of Altruism
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04632875
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2010-180-2
- Conditions
- Meditation
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 75 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Georgetown UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 4 Dec 2020 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 10 Jun 2021 (actual)
- Study completion
- 10 Jun 2021 (actual)
- First posted
- 17 Nov 2020 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study investigates how different types of meditation may affect behaviors and emotions. The study is conducted entirely online and involves listening to 4-weeks of a guided meditation training. The meditation involves either Loving-Kindness or Relaxation techniques. The purpose of the study is to assess changes in behaviors and emotions using standard questionnaires, reports of real-world behavior, and online behavioral tasks. The overarching goal is to help clarify how mind-body practices may improve some aspects of well-being.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Loving-Kindness Meditation | Experimental | Behavioral: Loving-Kindness Meditation4-week guided Loving-Kindness Meditation training (administered online). |
| Relaxation Meditation | Experimental | Behavioral: Relaxation Meditation4-week guided Relaxation Meditation training (administered online). |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 55 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Is a medically healthy individual
- Lives in the United States
- Has reliable internet access and the ability to join a Zoom video chat
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Has experience with meditation or other mind-body practices
- Has a neurological disease
- Has a current psychiatric disorder
- Is on medication that affects the central nervous system (e.g. psychotropic drugs)
- Has recurrent or chronic pain
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Loving-Kindness MeditationAlso: Metta MeditationApproximately 15-minute sessions are administered 6 days per week | Behavioural | Loving-Kindness Meditation |
| Relaxation MeditationAlso: Progressive Muscle RelaxationApproximately 15-minute sessions are administered 6 days per week | Behavioural | Relaxation Meditation |
Primary outcome
Social functioning
Time frame: 4-5 weeks
Participants will complete a questionnaire about their real-world social behaviors. An aggregate score will be computed; higher scores will indicate better social functioning.
Affective responses
Time frame: 4-5 weeks
Participants will perform a wall-sit test and responses will be measured using a 0-100 Visual Analog Scale of intensity.
1 secondary outcome
Psychological well-being related to COVID-19
Time frame: 4-5 weeks
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 14 Jun 2021.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 42748179Young O, O'Connell K, Nero N, Somers MC, Freeburg PA, Dutton MA, Marsh AA. Assessing the effect of Loving-Kindness Meditation on pain and social well-being using a randomized controlled trial design. PLoS One. 2026 Sep 16;21(9):e0357888. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0357888. eCollection 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Abigail A Marsh, PhD principal investigator
Georgetown University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Loving-Kindness Meditation and Relaxation Meditation in people with Meditation, run by Georgetown University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Jun 2021. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Social functioning (time frame: 4-5 weeks). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04632875, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 14 Jun 2021.