Background: Meditation is gaining recognition as a tool to impact health and well-being. Samyama ... more Background: Meditation is gaining recognition as a tool to impact health and well-being. Samyama is an 8-day intensive residential meditation experience conducted by Isha Foundation requiring several months of extensive preparation and vegan diet. The health effects of Samyama have not been previously studied. The objective was to assess physical and emotional well-being before and after Samyama participation by evaluating psychological surveys and objective health biomarkers.Methods: This was an observational study of 632 adults before and after the Isha Samyama retreat. All participants were invited to complete surveys. Controls included household significant others. Surveys were completed at baseline (T1), just before Samyama (T2), immediately after Samyama (T3), and 3 months later (T4) to assess anxiety, depression, mindfulness, joy, vitality, and resilience through validated psychometric scales. Voluntary blood sampling for biomarker analysis was done to assess hemoglobin (Hb),...
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an intensive 8-day Samyama me... more Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an intensive 8-day Samyama meditation program on the brain functional connectivity using resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI).Methods: Thirteen Samyama program participants (meditators) and 4 controls underwent fMRI brain scans before and after the 8-day residential meditation program. Subjects underwent fMRI with a blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) contrast at rest and during focused breathing. Changes in network connectivity before and after Samyama program were evaluated. In addition, validated psychological metrics were correlated with changes in functional connectivity.Results: Meditators showed significantly increased network connectivity between the salience network (SN) and default mode network (DMN) after the Samyama program (p < 0.01). Increased connectivity within the SN correlated with an improvement in self-reported mindfulness scores (p < 0.01).Conclusion: Samyama, an intensive silent meditat...
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2020
Background. Anxiety and depression are common in the modern world, and there is growing demand fo... more Background. Anxiety and depression are common in the modern world, and there is growing demand for alternative therapies such as meditation. Meditation can decrease perceived stress and increase general well-being, although the physiological mechanism is not well-characterized. Endocannabinoids (eCBs), lipid mediators associated with enhanced mood and reduced anxiety/depression, have not been previously studied as biomarkers of meditation effects. Our aim was to assess biomarkers (eCBs and brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF]) and psychological parameters after a meditation retreat. Methods. This was an observational pilot study of adults before and after the 4-day Isha Yoga Bhava Spandana Program retreat. Participants completed online surveys (before and after retreat, and 1 month later) to assess anxiety, depression, focus, well-being, and happiness through validated psychological scales. Voluntary blood sampling for biomarker studies was done before and within a day after the...
Journal of Clinical Case Reports and Studies, 2021
Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct Syndrome (EVAS) is a known, but rare entity. It represents a common ... more Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct Syndrome (EVAS) is a known, but rare entity. It represents a common cause of congenital sensorineural hearing loss, diagnosed more often in children with a slight female predominance. Herein, we report a case of bilateral Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct Syndrome [EVAS] in a 26-year-old male. As it is a subtle finding on imaging, the interpreting radiologist must be aware of this entity to make the diagnosis. The diagnostic CT and MRI images of this patient are given along with curved CT and MRI reconstructions along the plane of the Vestibular Aqueduct [VA] extending to the endolymphatic sac [ES]. The CT reconstructions demonstrate the bony anatomy in great detail and the bilateral dilated VA. These help in excluding diseases like otospongiosis and inner ear anomalies. The curved MRI reconstruction CISS images through the VA demonstrate the entire endolymph channel. The reconstructed MRI Images clearly demonstrate a patent endolymph channel without any foca...
International Journal of Clinical Case Reports and Reviews, 2021
Craniofacial fibrous dysplasia [CF-FD] with orbital complications is a known but rare entity. Thi... more Craniofacial fibrous dysplasia [CF-FD] with orbital complications is a known but rare entity. This is a multi-modality imaging Case Report of extensive CF-FD in a 31-year-old male with right eye pain, swelling, and redness, along with histopathology correlation. In this patient, the CT scan demonstrates the classic ground glass bony appearance in great detail and helps with the diagnosis of FD, while excluding other bony pathology. The patient’s corroborative MRI brain with and without contrast and MRI brain perfusion images are presented to further characterize this pathology along with its orbital and ocular complications. Given the significant mass-effect on the ocular structures, the patient underwent orbital surgery with removal of as much of the lesion as possible. On macroscopic pathology evaluation, the affected bone was rubbery and gritty when sectioned. Microscopically, remnant fragments of woven bone of various size and shapes were seen with lack of an osteoblast rim. The...
Background: Meditation is gaining recognition as a tool to impact health and well-being. Samyama ... more Background: Meditation is gaining recognition as a tool to impact health and well-being. Samyama is an 8-day intensive residential meditation experience conducted by Isha Foundation requiring several months of extensive preparation and vegan diet. The health effects of Samyama have not been previously studied. The objective was to assess physical and emotional well-being before and after Samyama participation by evaluating psychological surveys and objective health biomarkers.Methods: This was an observational study of 632 adults before and after the Isha Samyama retreat. All participants were invited to complete surveys. Controls included household significant others. Surveys were completed at baseline (T1), just before Samyama (T2), immediately after Samyama (T3), and 3 months later (T4) to assess anxiety, depression, mindfulness, joy, vitality, and resilience through validated psychometric scales. Voluntary blood sampling for biomarker analysis was done to assess hemoglobin (Hb),...
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an intensive 8-day Samyama me... more Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an intensive 8-day Samyama meditation program on the brain functional connectivity using resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI).Methods: Thirteen Samyama program participants (meditators) and 4 controls underwent fMRI brain scans before and after the 8-day residential meditation program. Subjects underwent fMRI with a blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) contrast at rest and during focused breathing. Changes in network connectivity before and after Samyama program were evaluated. In addition, validated psychological metrics were correlated with changes in functional connectivity.Results: Meditators showed significantly increased network connectivity between the salience network (SN) and default mode network (DMN) after the Samyama program (p < 0.01). Increased connectivity within the SN correlated with an improvement in self-reported mindfulness scores (p < 0.01).Conclusion: Samyama, an intensive silent meditat...
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2020
Background. Anxiety and depression are common in the modern world, and there is growing demand fo... more Background. Anxiety and depression are common in the modern world, and there is growing demand for alternative therapies such as meditation. Meditation can decrease perceived stress and increase general well-being, although the physiological mechanism is not well-characterized. Endocannabinoids (eCBs), lipid mediators associated with enhanced mood and reduced anxiety/depression, have not been previously studied as biomarkers of meditation effects. Our aim was to assess biomarkers (eCBs and brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF]) and psychological parameters after a meditation retreat. Methods. This was an observational pilot study of adults before and after the 4-day Isha Yoga Bhava Spandana Program retreat. Participants completed online surveys (before and after retreat, and 1 month later) to assess anxiety, depression, focus, well-being, and happiness through validated psychological scales. Voluntary blood sampling for biomarker studies was done before and within a day after the...
Journal of Clinical Case Reports and Studies, 2021
Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct Syndrome (EVAS) is a known, but rare entity. It represents a common ... more Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct Syndrome (EVAS) is a known, but rare entity. It represents a common cause of congenital sensorineural hearing loss, diagnosed more often in children with a slight female predominance. Herein, we report a case of bilateral Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct Syndrome [EVAS] in a 26-year-old male. As it is a subtle finding on imaging, the interpreting radiologist must be aware of this entity to make the diagnosis. The diagnostic CT and MRI images of this patient are given along with curved CT and MRI reconstructions along the plane of the Vestibular Aqueduct [VA] extending to the endolymphatic sac [ES]. The CT reconstructions demonstrate the bony anatomy in great detail and the bilateral dilated VA. These help in excluding diseases like otospongiosis and inner ear anomalies. The curved MRI reconstruction CISS images through the VA demonstrate the entire endolymph channel. The reconstructed MRI Images clearly demonstrate a patent endolymph channel without any foca...
International Journal of Clinical Case Reports and Reviews, 2021
Craniofacial fibrous dysplasia [CF-FD] with orbital complications is a known but rare entity. Thi... more Craniofacial fibrous dysplasia [CF-FD] with orbital complications is a known but rare entity. This is a multi-modality imaging Case Report of extensive CF-FD in a 31-year-old male with right eye pain, swelling, and redness, along with histopathology correlation. In this patient, the CT scan demonstrates the classic ground glass bony appearance in great detail and helps with the diagnosis of FD, while excluding other bony pathology. The patient’s corroborative MRI brain with and without contrast and MRI brain perfusion images are presented to further characterize this pathology along with its orbital and ocular complications. Given the significant mass-effect on the ocular structures, the patient underwent orbital surgery with removal of as much of the lesion as possible. On macroscopic pathology evaluation, the affected bone was rubbery and gritty when sectioned. Microscopically, remnant fragments of woven bone of various size and shapes were seen with lack of an osteoblast rim. The...
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Papers by Chithra Ram