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Biomedical subjects

R K Wallace

Publications and source records attributed to R K Wallace.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Physiological effects of transcendental meditation.

Oxygen consumption, heart rate, skin resistance, and electroenceph-alograph measurements were recorded before, during, and after subjects practiced a technique called transcendental meditation. There were significant changes between the control period and the meditation period in all measurements. During meditation, oxygen consumption and heart rate decreased, skin resistance increased, and the electroencephalogram showed specific changes in certain frequencies. These results seem to distinguish the state produced by transcendental meditation from commonly encountered states of consciousness and suggest that it may have practical applications.

Consciousness↗

Electrophysiologic characteristics of respiratory suspension periods occurring during the practice of the Transcendental Meditation Program.

In a study designed to identify the electrophysiologic characteristics of the Transcendental Meditation Program, 52 periods of spontaneous respiratory suspension (RS) were observed in 18 subjects during the practice of this program. These periods were correlated with some but not all the subjective experiences of pure consciousness. Nineteen RS periods (belonging to 11 subjects) free from any artifact were selected for EEG analysis. The mean total EEG coherence over all frequencies and over nine derivations for TM subjects showed a significant increase during the RS periods as compared to pre- and post-RS control periods. There was no significant change in mean total EEG coherence in a control group of 30 subjects voluntarily holding their breath. The heart rate showed a significant decrease during the RS periods in both the experimental and control groups, whereas there was no significant change in EEG alpha power in either group. These findings extend those of previous studies and help characterize the physiologic correlates of the state of pure consciousness during the TM program.

Adult↗

Long-term endocrinologic changes in subjects practicing the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program.

The Transcendental Meditation (TM) and a more advanced program, the TM-Sidhi program, have been reported to produce a number of acute and long-term metabolic and electrophysiologic changes. To investigate the possibility that the practice of these techniques may be associated with long-term endocrinologic changes, we prospectively evaluated 11 male subjects before and over a 3-year period after starting the TM-Sidhi program. A progressive decrease in serum TSH, growth hormone, and prolactin levels occurred over the 3 years while no consistent change in cortisol, T4, or T3 levels was observed. These results suggest that the long-term practice of the TM and TM-Sidhi program may have effects on neuroendocrine function. Further studies using 24-hr monitoring with frequent blood sampling will, however, be needed to fully assess the significance of the simultaneous decline of the anterior pituitary hormones with maintenance of levels of hormones from peripheral endocrine glands.

Adult↗

Injuries in women's gymnastics. The state of the art.

This article takes a three-stage approach to the topic of injuries in women's gymnastics. In the first stage, we review the literature and summarize our current knowledge of injury rates, injuries in specific events, and anatomical location of injuries. In the second, we critically evaluate the relative contributions of these studies in terms of their generalizability, methods, and conceptual approaches. Finally, we present possible directions for future research in the area of women's gymnastic injuries.

Athletic Injuries↗