The Biological Benefits of Mindfulness Practices in MND / ALS

The 1% Chance explores themes of hope, wellness and discovery in the context of MND / ALS. The author is not a healthcare professional. This article is for informational purposes only and does not construe medical advice. Please consult a healthcare professional about your own healthcare needs

Transcript:

Well, hi there! Welcome to The 1% Chance Mini-pod, exploring themes of hope and wellness in the context of MND. I'm Graham Dargie, I was diagnosed with MND in 2023 and the voice you're hearing is my synthetic, AI generated voice.

Now, Mindfulness meditation practices have grown in popularity in recent years and meditation has become a big part of my own wellness routine. I first tried centring prayer, a form of meditation rooted in the Christian monastic tradition, around a year ago. The technique is very simple: choose a word that represents your intention to consent to God's presence; sit comfortably with your back straight and close your eyes; when your thoughts engage you, gently return to your chosen word.

I wasn't a meditator at the time but we’ve all heard about the benefits of meditation for lowering stress so, I gave it a try, alone in the house, sitting in silence. As my mind drifted, I quietly said my word to bring my attention back to centre. I persisted, doing this again and again, remembering that a wandering mind isn’t a sign of failure it’s just a natural part of the process. The practice of continually, gently coming back to centre is the goal.

The next time I tried centring prayer, I sat down in a fairly agitated state, aware of fasciculations fluttering and tapping insistently around my body. The sensation can be distracting, but by ten minutes into the session, I noticed the fasciculations had reduced significantly. I’ve had this experience again countless times since, witnessing fasciculations diminish within 10 to 15 minutes of starting the meditation.

After that first session, I was keen to find how sitting still could make such a tangible difference to my symptoms…

First, a bit about neurotransmitters for context…

In MND / ALS, elevated levels of glutamate, the body’s primary excitatory neurotransmitter, contribute to neuronal hyperexcitibility, which is one of the factors that drives disease progression.

Research by Sears and Hewett states, ‘An optimally functional brain requires both excitatory and inhibitory inputs that are regulated and balanced. A perturbation in the excitatory/inhibitory balance…leads to dysfunctional signalling, which can result in impaired cognitive and motor function, if not frank neuronal injury. - At the cellular level, transmission of glutamate and GABA, the principle excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in the central nervous system, control excitatory/inhibitory balance‘.

So, Glutamate is a neurotransmitter which stimulates nerve cells, helping to transmit signals through the body. GABA is a neurotransmitter which calms nerve cells. When the Glutamate, GABA balance is off, neuronal injury can occur. You may know that Riluzole, the only drug licensed for use in MND in the UK, acts by regulating glutamate levels.

Now, Back to meditation…

Research by Guglietti et al shows that meditative practices increase GABA levels, quote ‘findings indicate meditation processes are linked to GABAergic cortical inhibition’, end quote.

In simple terms, glutamate and GABA have a homeostatic relationship; GABA up equals glutamate down. We can say that meditation, by increasing GABA levels, helps to lower levels of glutamate, which explains the reduction in my fasciculations during meditation.

Centring prayer works for me but if you’re not a spiritual or religious person, there are other practical things you can do. ‘The relaxation response’ is a technique developed by American cardiologist Dr Herbert Benson in the 1970s. It was given its name for its ability to counteract the physiological effects of the fight-or-flight stress response. - Interestingly, it bears a remarkable similarity to centring prayer. - Participants are required to sit in a quiet environment, relax all of their muscles, breathe naturally, use a word or phrase to gently move away from passing thoughts, and repeat.

Doing this for just 20 minutes per day has been shown to have measurable effects on blood pressure, - chronic headaches, - heart rhythm irregularities, PMS, anxiety, and depression. Practising the relaxation response is said to break the cycle of stress and allow your body to enter a state of homeostasis, where it can begin to prioritise healing - something that isn’t possible while our stress response is engaged.

Practicing meditation techniques not only has benefits in real time, it can also help us in non-meditative moments. This skill gradually overflows into our day-to-day lives and soon, you find yourself more able to notice and come away from unwanted thoughts more quickly than you did before - which can help us break old, unhelpful patterns and habits.

Practicing meditation helps me to feel calmer, stay in the present, take my focus away from loss, keep my eye on the things I can do, feel more connected to God and I’ve seen its effect on my symptoms. It's a powerful package, and has become a vital part of my daily routine in the face of my diagnosis.

Thanks for listening.

I stand with you.

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