Headband Meditation May Relieve Pain and Improve Function After Cushing’s Surgery

Patients with Cushing’s syndrome who are recovering from surgery and wear a headband that tracks brain activity while they meditate might experience less pain and better physical functioning compared to patients not using the headband. device, suggests a study presented Monday at ENDO 2024, the Endocrine Society’s annual event. meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.

The headband, called MUSE-2, uses electroencephalogram (EEG) sensors to measure brain activity and provides audio biofeedback while a person meditates.

Cushing’s syndrome is a rare endocrine disorder caused by chronic exposure to excessive levels of cortisol, a hormone naturally produced by the adrenal gland. Symptoms include muscle weakness and difficulty with memory and concentration. In women, increased growth of facial and body hair may be observed, and periods may become irregular or stop altogether. Treatments for this disorder are available, but Cushing’s syndrome can be fatal if left untreated.

Treatment may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or the use of cortisol-inhibiting medications. Patients undergoing surgery suffer from glucocorticoid withdrawal syndrome (GWS) after curative surgery. Symptoms of GWS include fatigue, weakness, muscle pain, joint pain, mood changes, and trouble sleeping. Patients often report that recovering from Cushing’s syndrome is temporarily more difficult than living with Cushing’s syndrome.

The researchers wanted to study meditation in patients recovering from curative surgery for Cushing’s disease because meditation has been reported to improve postsurgical recovery in patients with other conditions, said researcher Jasmine Saini, MBBS from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “With little knowledge about interventions that can help patients with glucocorticoid withdrawal syndrome, our group is the first to explore meditation to improve postsurgical recovery,” she said.

The study included two groups of patients recovering from surgery. The intervention group of 27 patients was offered a MUSE headband with instructions to meditate at least 10 minutes a day for three months. The control group of 81 patients did not use the headband. Three months postoperatively, patients using MUSE headbands reported significant improvements in physical functioning and body pain compared to the control group.

Despite the small sample size and short follow-up, the results demonstrating improvement in the areas of bodily pain and physical functioning in the MUSE cohort are promising. We are motivated to study the impact of biofeedback meditation on quality of life in a longer follow-up. With our preliminary results, we hope that this device can be used to relieve symptoms of glucocorticoid withdrawal. »

Jasmine Saini, MBBS Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.

The research was supported by Olin Family Gift, Recordati and the Mayo Clinic. The MUSE-2 devices were offered by the MUSE company.