Remote Blood Collection for Telomere Length Measurement: Assessing the Impact of Sample Characteristics and Handling on DNA Quality and Assay Outcomes.

Background: Telomere length (TL) is a valuable marker of aging and stress that reflects both genetic and environmental influences. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) TL measurement is a powerful and cost-effective assay, especially in population studies with limited quantities of source material. Nevertheless, collecting and transporting high-quality blood samples can be logistically challenging, and research suggests that several preanalytical and analytical factors can influence the reliability and precision of the qPCR assay.

Changes in peripheral oxytocin and vasopressin during a silent month-long Insight meditation retreat.

Background: Given its putative roles in mediating prosocial behavior, attachment bonds, and stress physiology, oxytocin modulation has been hypothesized to be a biological correlate of the salubrious effects of meditation practice. Here we investigated the effects of a month-long silent meditation retreat on changes in oxytocin, and the related hormone and vasopressin, in relation to psychosocial changes in attachment style, anxiety, personality measures, and feelings of social connectedness with fellow meditators.

Methods: Plasma oxytocin and vasopressin and self-report questionnaires were measured in retreat participants ( = 28) at the beginning of, and 3 weeks into, a residential meditation retreat.

Residential meditation retreats: their role in contemplative practice and significance for psychological research.

Contemporary investigations of mindfulness and meditation have predominately emphasized the short-term effects of brief inductions or standardized, multi-week interventions in people with little to no prior meditation experience. Considerably less is known about the effects of continued or intensive meditation practice as proficiency and expertise are acquired over time. In this article, we describe the form and function of residential retreats, an understudied class of meditation intervention that holds promise for bridging this gap in the empirical literature.

Meditation, stress processes, and telomere biology.

Both theoretical and empirical work support the notion that meditation training can improve telomere regulation, which may ultimately contribute to healthy aging. Yet, the psychological and biological mechanisms underlying these changes remain underspecified, as do the contexts and boundary conditions in which these changes occur. Here we summarize studies investigating the effects of various meditation-based interventions on telomere biology, making suggestions for future research.

Insight meditation and telomere biology: The effects of intensive retreat and the moderating role of personality.

A growing body of evidence suggests that meditation training may have a range of salubrious effects, including improved telomere regulation. Telomeres and the enzyme telomerase interact with a variety of molecular components to regulate cell-cycle signaling cascades, and are implicated in pathways linking psychological stress to disease. We investigated the effects of intensive meditation practice on these biomarkers by measuring changes in telomere length (TL), telomerase activity (TA), and telomere-related gene (TRG) expression during a 1-month residential Insight meditation retreat.

Titi Monkeys as a Novel Non-Human Primate Model for the Neurobiology of Pair Bonding .

It is now widely recognized that social bonds are critical to human health and well-being. One of the most important social bonds is the attachment relationship between two adults, known as the . The pair bond involves many characteristics that are inextricably linked to quality of health, including providing a secure psychological base and acting as a social buffer against stress.