Hypertension-related illnesses are a leading cause of disability and death in the United States, where 46% of adults have hypertension and only half have it controlled. It is critical to reduce hypertension, and either new classes of interventions are required, or we need to develop enhanced approaches to improve medical regimen adherence. The Mindfulness-Based Blood Pressure Reduction program (MB-BP) is showing novel mechanisms and early evidence of efficacy, but the neural correlates are unknown. The objectives of this study were to identify structural neural correlates of MB-BP using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI) and assess potential correlations with key clinical outcomes. In a subset of participants from a larger randomized controlled trial, MB-BP participants exhibited increased interoception and decreased depressive symptoms compared to controls. Analyses of DTI data revealed significant group differences in several white matter neural tracts associated with the limbic system and/or hypertension. Specific changes in neural structural connectivity were significantly associated with measures of blood pressure, depression anxiety and symptoms, mindfulness, and emotional regulation. It is concluded that MB-BP has extensive and substantial effects on brain structural connectivity which could mediate beneficial changes in depression, interoceptive awareness, blood pressure, and related measures in individuals with hypertension.

中文翻译：

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基于正念的血压降低 (MB-BP) 计划对抑郁症和神经结构连接的影响

在美国，与高血压相关的疾病是导致残疾和死亡的主要原因，美国 46% 的成年人患有高血压，只有一半得到控制。降低高血压至关重要，要么需要新的干预措施，要么我们需要开发增强的方法来提高医疗方案的依从性。基于正念的血压降低计划 (MB-BP) 显示出新的机制和早期疗效证据，但神经相关性尚不清楚。本研究的目的是使用弥散张量磁共振成像 (DTI) 确定 MB-BP 的结构神经相关性，并评估与关键临床结果的潜在相关性。在来自大型随机对照试验的一部分参与者中，与对照组相比，MB-BP 参与者表现出增加的内感受和减少的抑郁症状。DTI 数据的分析揭示了与边缘系统和/或高血压相关的几个白质神经束的显着组差异。神经结构连接的特定变化与血压、抑郁焦虑和症状、正念和情绪调节的测量显着相关。结论是，MB-BP 对脑结构连接具有广泛而实质性的影响，可以介导高血压患者的抑郁、内感受觉、血压和相关措施的有益变化。DTI 数据的分析揭示了与边缘系统和/或高血压相关的几个白质神经束的显着组差异。神经结构连接的特定变化与血压、抑郁焦虑和症状、正念和情绪调节的测量显着相关。结论是，MB-BP 对脑结构连接具有广泛而实质性的影响，可以介导高血压患者的抑郁、内感受觉、血压和相关措施的有益变化。DTI 数据的分析揭示了与边缘系统和/或高血压相关的几个白质神经束的显着组差异。神经结构连接的特定变化与血压、抑郁焦虑和症状、正念和情绪调节的测量显着相关。结论是，MB-BP 对脑结构连接具有广泛而实质性的影响，可以介导高血压患者的抑郁、内感受觉、血压和相关措施的有益变化。