Division of Sleep Medicine @ Harvard Medical School
Faculty Profile
Sat Bir Khalsa, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Associate Neuroscientist, Division of Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Address
Sleep Disorders Program @BIBrigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street
Boston, MA 02115
USA
Inter-office Mail Address
BWH Sleep Disorders Program,c/o Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center,
Stoneman 8, 330 Brookline Avenue,
Boston, MA 02215
Phone 617-732-7994
Fax 240-269-6205
Email khalsa@hms.harvard.edu
Society Memberships
Sleep Research SocietyAssociation for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback
International Association of Yoga Therapists
Research Unit(s)
Sleep Disorders Program, Division of Sleep Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Research Interests
The major focus of my research interest lies in the field of Mind-Body Medicine. Specifically, I am interested in the evaluation of the clinical effectiveness and basic psychophysiological mechanisms underlying the practice of yoga and meditation techniques. These behavioral techniques include specific manipulations of respiratory frequency and tidal volume, maintenance of body postures and stretching exercises, and meditation, which involves relaxed control of attention in a manner that precludes ruminative thought.
I am currently conducting research studies on the treatment of primary insomnia with yoga and meditation techniques which involve both subjective and objective polysomnographic evaluation of sleep quality in randomized controlled trials as well as concurrent evaluation of psychophysiological measures including cortisol, catecholamines, melatonin and heart rate variability. I am also interested in the potential effectiveness of these techniques in insomnia secondary to other conditions such as depression, anxiety and fibromyalgia and in other sleep disorders.
I am currently conducting research studies on the treatment of primary insomnia with yoga and meditation techniques which involve both subjective and objective polysomnographic evaluation of sleep quality in randomized controlled trials as well as concurrent evaluation of psychophysiological measures including cortisol, catecholamines, melatonin and heart rate variability. I am also interested in the potential effectiveness of these techniques in insomnia secondary to other conditions such as depression, anxiety and fibromyalgia and in other sleep disorders.
Trainees
Aretoula Fullam, PhD, 2005-2006
Research Funding
NIH/NCCAM Neuroendocrine Mechanisms In Yoga Treatment for Insomnia, PI: Sat Bir Khalsa, Randomized controlled trial evaluating changes in measures of arousal including cortisol, catecholamines, sympathovagal balance to a yoga treatment in primary insomnia
Teaching
Mind Body Medicine, elective course Harvard Medical School
Selected Publications
Khalsa SB. Treatment of chronic insomnia with yoga: a preliminary study with sleep-wake diaries.
Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2004 Dec;29(4):269-78. [PMID: 15707256]
Khalsa SB. Yoga as a therapeutic intervention: a bibliometric analysis of published research studies.
Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2004 Jul;48(3):269-85. Review. [PMID: 15648399]
Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2004 Dec;29(4):269-78. [PMID: 15707256]
Khalsa SB. Yoga as a therapeutic intervention: a bibliometric analysis of published research studies.
Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2004 Jul;48(3):269-85. Review. [PMID: 15648399]
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