Randomized controlled trial investigating potential effects of relaxation on mitochondrial function in immune cells: A pilot experiment

Sarah Karrasch; Rezan Nehir Mavioğlu; Lynn Matits; Anja Maria Gumpp; Matthias Mack; Alexander Behnke; Visal Tumani; Alexander Karabatsiakis; Walter Bongartz; Iris-Tatjana Kolassa

doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108656

Randomized controlled trial investigating potential effects of relaxation on mitochondrial function in immune cells: A pilot experiment

Biol Psychol. 2023 Oct:183:108656. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108656. Epub 2023 Aug 5.

Affiliations

¹ Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany. Electronic address: sarah.karrasch@uni-ulm.de.
² Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
³ Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany; Division of Sports and Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Medicine, Ulm University Hospital, Leimgrubenweg 14, D-89075 Ulm, Germany.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, Ulm University, Leimgrubenweg 12, D-89075 Ulm, Germany.
⁵ Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany; Institute of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology-II, University of Innsbruck, Universitätsstrasse 57, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
⁶ Klingenberg Institute of Clinical Hypnosis, Färberstr. 3a, D-78467 Konstanz, Germany.
⁷ Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany. Electronic address: iris.kolassa@uni-ulm.de.

PMID: 37544424
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108656

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of a relaxation response induced by hypnosis on the mitochondrial energy production of immune cells compared to an everyday relaxing situation. Chronically stressed individuals (88% women) with at least moderate suggestibility were randomized to a hypnosis (20 min relaxation hypnosis; n = 20) or a control condition (20 min documentary; n = 22). Before and after intervention, peripheral blood was collected. The primary outcomes were mitochondrial respiration and density in immune cells measured by high-resolution respirometry and citrate synthase activity assays. As secondary outcome, perceived stress, anxiety, and depressive mood were assessed. The intervention led to no significant Group × Time effects on mitochondrial bioenergetic parameters but a significant Time effect (η_p² = .09 -.10). Thus, there were no differences in the experimental conditions concerning the measured parameters of mitochondrial bioenergetics. Exploratory subanalyses indicated that stress, anxiety, and depressive mood were linked to lower mitochondrial respiration. Individuals with higher anxiety had less decrease in routine respiration over time than those with lower anxiety (η_p² = .09). This study explores the effects of relaxation in the form of hypnosis compared to watching a video on the energy metabolism of immune cells. Relaxation, whether in targeted (hypnosis) or untargeted (documentary) form, affected mitochondrial respiration. Further research should focus on the long-term effects of relaxation on bioenergetics. The trial was retrospectively registered on 07/12/2021, DRKS00027356, https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00027356.

Keywords: Anxiety; Bioenergetic metabolism; Chronic mental stress; Depressive mood; Hypnosis; Mitochondria; Relaxation response.