Selected Research Results

Synthetic Glycans Can Change the Composition and Function of the Gut Microbial Community
Complex glycans synthesized in the laboratory can modify the abundance and functioning of human gut bacteria and may be useful for targeted bacterial manipulation, according to a study partly supported by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. The study, from Washington University in St. Louis, Ohio State University, and collaborating institutions, was published in a recent issue of Nature Chemical Biology.

October 2024

Analysis Finds Differences in Chronic Pain Treatment by Type of Health Insurance
An analysis of medical claims data suggests that adults experiencing new episodes of chronic pain may have differential access to all treatment options based on the type of health insurance they have. Recently published in The Journal of Pain, the study was conducted by researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

September 2024

National Survey Data Provide New Insights on Use of Prescription Opioids in the U.S. Adult Population
An analysis of national survey data on new prescription opioid use suggests that opioids are sometimes being used as a first-line or early resort treatment for pain, contrary to best practices. The study was conducted by researchers from the Mayo Clinic and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and was recently published in The Journal of Pain. 

September 2024

Mindfulness Meditation and Placebo Modulate Different Brain Patterns To Reduce Pain
According to a new study, not only does mindfulness meditation reduce pain more than a placebo, but it also uses different neural patterns when reducing pain, indicating that it is not acting through the placebo effect. Published in Biological Psychiatry, the study was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and conducted by researchers from the University of California San Diego and Dartmouth College. 

August 2024

Telehealth Mindfulness-Based Interventions Were Helpful for Veterans With Chronic Pain in a Large Real-World Study
In a study of veterans with moderate-to-severe chronic pain, 8-week virtual group or self-paced mindfulness-based interventions were more helpful than usual care in improving pain-related function. This study, which was part of the Pain Management Collaboratory (PMC), a large-scale effort to assess nondrug treatments for pain in the military and veterans’ health care systems, was supported by the PMC Coordinating Center, which is funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. 

August 2024

In a Large Multicenter Trial, Chelation Therapy Did Not Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Events in Patients With Diabetes and a History of Heart Attack
Chelation therapy does not reduce the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes who have had a myocardial infarction even though it effectively reduces blood lead levels, according to a multicenter clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The results, which did not replicate those of an earlier trial, were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

August 2024

Socioeconomic Factors Associated With Not Receiving Treatment for Chronic Severe Back Pain
A new study of adults in the United States with chronic severe back pain showed that nearly 21 percent did not receive treatment for at least 3 months and that socioeconomic factors played a role. The cross-sectional study, which was recently published in The Journal of Pain, was conducted by researchers from the Université de Montréal and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. 

July 2024

Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Improves the Performance of a Noninvasive Brain-Computer Interface
In a new study from Carnegie Mellon University, volunteers’ ability to type letters with their minds using a noninvasive brain-computer interface increased in response to ultrasound stimulation of a brain area associated with visual motion processing. This research, which was partly funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and is part of the National Institutes of Health Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies^® (BRAIN) Initiative, was published in the journal Nature Communications.

June 2024

Service Dog Partnerships May Benefit Military Members and Veterans With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
A new study suggests that partnering with a trained psychiatric service dog helps lower the severity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, anxiety, and depression in adults with military-related PTSD. The study, which was recently published in JAMA Network Open, was led by scientists from the University of Arizona, Indiana University School of Medicine, and Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health partially funded the research.

June 2024

A Mobile App-Based Mindfulness Intervention for Psychological Distress in Intensive Care Unit Survivors
A new clinical trial tested various ways of delivering a mobile app–based mindfulness intervention for individuals who had symptoms of depression after being treated in an intensive care unit (ICU) for a critical illness. The study showed that the best version of the intervention in terms of effects on psychological distress symptoms, adherence, and feasibility was a version that was fully app based. The study, recently published in JAMA Internal Medicine, was led by scientists at Duke University, Oregon Health & Science University, and University of Colorado (Aurora) and was partially funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

May 2024