Advanced search

Search results      


Cranial State of Mind - Does cranial osteopathy influence the patient's state of consciousness?

Journal: Unpublished MSc thesis Wiener Schule für Osteopathie, Date: 2006/01, Pages: 115, type of study: controlled clinical trial

Free full text   (https://www.osteopathicresearch.org/s/orw/item/3045)

Keywords:

altered state of consciousness [2]
consciousness [8]
cranial osteopathy [62]
heart rate variability testing [1]
WSO [433]
controlled clinical trial [283]

Abstract:

Objectives: Many patients - while or after a treatment with cranial osteopathy - report changes in awareness, perception or emotions. The project's aims were to find out, whether the described effect is measurable and whether there is a difference between an osteopathic technique and unspecific non-osteopathic touch. Then the phenomenon was related to the existing body of consciousness research. Design An experimental design with three groups was used. Group E was treated by an osteopath using a cranial technique, group C1 was treated by a non-osteopath, using a sham technique, group C2 was lying still with eyes closed. During the experiment subjects' heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) were measured to observe possible physiological concomitants of a shift in consciousness. After the experiment subjects filled out the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory (PCI) and the Dimensions of Attention Questionnaire (DAQ) to quantify their state of consciousness and attention. Participants 46 healthy subjects were measured once by an osteopath or a non-osteopath. Main Outcome Measures The dimensions measured by the PCI are positive affect (joy, sexual excitement, love), negative affect (anger, sadness, fear), altered experience (altered body image, altered time sense, altered perception, altered meaning), visual imagery (amount, vividness), attention, (direction, absorption), self awareness, altered state of awareness, internal dialogue, rationality, volitional control, memory, arousal. The DAQ more specifically measures 12 dimensions of attention. The HRV-system's measurements for heart rate (HR), low frequency domain (LF) and high frequency domain (HF) were analysed, then the variable LF-to-HF-ratio was computed. Results An analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan's multiple range test were used to detect significant differences between groups. Differences were found in the PCI's dimensions altered state of awareness (p<0,01), altered experience, perception, time sense, positive affect, joy, and internal dialogue (p<0,05). No significant differences could be detected in the DAQ results and the decrease of the LF-to-HF-ratio. The decrease in HR during the experiment was significantly higher in group E. No significant difference could be found in the decrease of the LF-to-HF-ratio. Conclusions The results indicate that the applied cranial technique induced an altered state of consciousness (ASC) associated with positive affect in the subjects. This ASC and the concomitant decrease in HR were significantly stronger than in groups C1 and C2. The results seem to back osteopathy's claim of being a holistic approach and bear several implications for patient handling while and after an osteopathic treatment. Further research is suggested in this new area, e.g. on long-term effects of the described ASC.


Search results      

 
 
 






  • ImpressumLegal noticeDatenschutz


ostlib.de/data_jnveqstgurbzmyakwxhf



Supported by

OSTLIB recommends