Clinical Study to test the Spirituality and Healing Myth

[hannahpriyanka]

Dear Sir/Ma'am

I write to you on behalf of the Integrative Medicine Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, SRM University, Kattankulathur, Chennai.

We are pursuing a correlative study on the role of spirituality in modulating immune parameters in Indian women with breast cancer for which we require samples from spiritual and non-spiritual cancer patients and healthy volunteers. We wish to enquire if we may find healthy non-spiritual women from your forum willing to participate in our study.

Volunteers need only donate a sample of their blood (not more than 6ml) and fill in a survey (see attachment), answer a few questions regarding their spirituality. Volunteers may belong to any age group (above 18 years), and blood samples will be drawn by qualified personnel at any place of your choice in strictest accordance with standard medical practice.

The purpose of the study is to explore whether spirituality in Indian women with breast cancer affects the disease, especially via modulation of neuroendocrine-immune parameters. Your contribution to the study will be invaluable in proving, or disproving the supposed physiological effects of a spiritual bent of mind.

We would be obliged if you could spread this message among the members of your association; those interested may contact us through phone or email as given below.

Thanking you,

Regards
Hannah Priyanka
Research Fellow
Integrative Medicine Laboratory
Department of Biotechnology
School of Bioengineering
SRM University
Kattankulathur – 603203
Tamil Nadu
Phone No. : +91 9841883355
Email ID: hannahpriyanka@gmail.com

[Kanad Kanhere]

I have posted this thread in our FB groups for wider audience.

Is there any link where we can read more about it and check the results once they are out?
Thanks

[hannahpriyanka]

Thank you for your kind help. I will upload the study design document in another hour for better clarity.

[hannahpriyanka]

I apologise for the delay; attached is a copy of the study design. Please do share it on your FB groups. I will be happy to answer any further questions about the same, and once the study is complete and results are published, I will upload or email a soft copy.
Thankyou

[natselrox]

Which markers are you going to look for in the blood?

I have a few other reservations about this but will wait for the results. Looking forward to it.

[hannahpriyanka]

Our study includes a psychometric scoring on the patient's, or healthy control's religious inclination along with norepinephrine levels, circulating estrogen levels, antioxidant activity, lymphocyte proliferation, and cytokine production in order to assess the alleged effect of spirituality in the progression of the disease/ general health of controls and immunological function.

we'd be obliged you would be willing to contribute to the study by giving your blood sample; if inclined please do contact us on sohachhaya@integrativemedicinelab.com, and give us your contact information so we can get in touch with you.

Also, do spread the word!
Thankyou

[Captain Mandrake]

(23-Jun-2013, 08:44 PM)hannahpriyanka Wrote: Our study includes a psychometric scoring on the patient's, or healthy control's religious inclination along with norepinephrine levels, circulating estrogen levels, antioxidant activity, lymphocyte proliferation, and cytokine production in order to assess the alleged effect of spirituality in the progression of the disease/ general health of controls and immunological function.

we'd be obliged you would be willing to contribute to the study by giving your blood sample; if inclined please do contact us on sohachhaya@integrativemedicinelab.com, and give us your contact information so we can get in touch with you.

Also, do spread the word!
Thankyou

Who funds these kind of research? I see that you work in someplace called an Integrative Medicine Laboratory. What does this lab do? What is its mandate?

[hannahpriyanka]

Our lab, the Integrative Medicine Laboratory is situated in SRM University, Kattankulathur campus, although we are funded directly by the Departments of Biotechnology, and Science and Technology, Govt. of India and the World Noni Research Foundation. We work on projects integrating the neural, immune and endocrine system.