The Claim

In adults with chronic stroke, 12 weeks of mindfulness-based stress reduction or physical exercise combined with computerized cognitive training reduces plasma cortisol levels compared to baseline, with no statistically significant difference in reduction between the two intervention groups.

Source: Effects of Mindfulness and Exercise on Growth Factors, Inflammation, and Stress Markers in Chronic Stroke: The MindFit Project Randomized Clinical Trial

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
75score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

Quantitative
1 study reviewed
In plain English

In adults with chronic stroke, 12 weeks of mindfulness-based stress reduction or physical exercise combined with computerized cognitive training lowers plasma cortisol levels compared to before the intervention, and both approaches lower cortisol to a similar extent.

See the scientific wording

In adults with chronic stroke, 12 weeks of either mindfulness-based stress reduction or physical exercise combined with computerized cognitive training reduces plasma cortisol levels compared to baseline, but this reduction is not significantly different between groups, suggesting both interventions may independently dampen stress physiology.

Why this might work

When a person experiences less psychological stress, the brain reduces signals that tell the body to produce stress hormones. This causes the adrenal glands to release less cortisol into the blood, lowering overall stress hormone levels.

Verified mechanismbased on 1 study

What the research says

1 study
  1. Study: Effects of Mindfulness and Exercise on Growth Factors, Inflammation, and Stress Markers in Chronic Stroke: The MindFit Project Randomized Clinical Trial

    For people who had a stroke a long time ago, doing mindfulness exercises or regular physical activity for 12 weeks both lowered their stress hormone levels, and neither was better than the other. The study confirms this.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

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Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.