Mindfulness and self-hypnosis to ease chronic pain in older adults
Official title: Mechanisms of Mindfulness Meditation and Self-Hypnosis for Pain in Older Adults with Chronic Pain
Funded at University of Washington · NIH-11378908 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether mindfulness meditation and self-hypnosis can reduce chronic pain and change brain activity in people aged 60 and older.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | September 26, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $42,565 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AG079832-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11378908 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults aged 60 or older with ongoing chronic pain who can attend visits at the University of Washington and complete MRI/EEG and experimental pain testing.
✕Less likely to help
People under 60, those without chronic pain, or individuals who cannot undergo MRI/EEG or tolerate brief experimental pain testing are unlikely to benefit from participation.
What this research studies
If you join, you would practice mindfulness meditation or self-hypnosis while researchers measure your pain and brain responses. The team will enroll Americans aged 60 and older with chronic pain and use controlled lab pain tasks (thermal for nerve-like pain and mechanical for musculoskeletal pain) to mimic real-world pain. They will record brain activity with fMRI and EEG to see how these practices affect prefrontal and pain-control circuits. The study will also examine which patient characteristics predict who benefits most from each approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these non-drug approaches could offer safer pain relief for older adults and help match people to the therapy most likely to help them.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research shows mindfulness and hypnosis can alter brain activity and reduce pain in adults, but applying both methods with fMRI and EEG specifically in older adults is less well tested.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Washington
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jensen, Mark P — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Jensen, Mark P
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Mindfulness and Self-Hypnosis for Pain in Older Adults
This grant tests non-drug ways like mindfulness and self-hypnosis to help people over 60 manage chronic pain.
-
Mindfulness and psilocybin for chronic back pain
A clinical study will explore how mindfulness training combined with a guided psilocybin experience may reduce pain for adults with chronic low back pain.
-
Mobile mindfulness app to help spinal cord injury patients manage chronic pain
A widely available mindfulness app is being tested to help people with spinal cord injury reduce chronic pain and improve mood and daily functioning.
-
Mindfulness and Self-Hypnosis for Pain in Older Adults
A non-drug program using mindfulness meditation and self-hypnosis is being studied to help Americans aged 60 and up manage chronic pain.
-
Mindfulness combined with open-label placebo for chronic pain
This project tests whether adding an open-label placebo to a mindfulness program helps adults with chronic pain reduce pain and improve daily functioning.
-
Virtual Reality Mindfulness Training for Veterans with SCI and Chronic Pain
A mindfulness program delivered through virtual reality is being explored to help veterans with spinal cord injury live with less pain and better daily functioning.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.