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Fedeli D, Ciullo G, Demichelis G, Medina Carrion JP, Bruzzone MG, Ciusani E, Erbetta A, Ferraro S, Grisoli M, Guastafierro E, D'Amico D, Raggi A, Nigri A, Grazzi L. Longitudinal neurofunctional changes in medication overuse headache patients after mindfulness practice in a randomized controlled trial (the MIND-CM study). J Headache Pain 2024; 25:97. [PMID: 38858629 PMCID: PMC11165872 DOI: 10.1186/s10194-024-01803-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mindfulness practice has gained interest in the management of Chronic Migraine associated with Medication Overuse Headache (CM-MOH). Mindfulness is characterized by present-moment self-awareness and relies on attention control and emotion regulation, improving headache-related pain management. Mindfulness modulates the Default Mode Network (DMN), Salience Network (SN), and Fronto-Parietal Network (FPN) functional connectivity. However, the neural mechanisms underlying headache-related pain management with mindfulness are still unclear. In this study, we tested neurofunctional changes after mindfulness practice added to pharmacological treatment as usual in CM-MOH patients. METHODS The present study is a longitudinal phase-III single-blind Randomized Controlled Trial (MIND-CM study; NCT03671681). Patients had a diagnosis of CM-MOH, no history of neurological and severe psychiatric comorbidities, and were attending our specialty headache centre. Patients were divided in Treatment as Usual (TaU) and mindfulness added to TaU (TaU + MIND) groups. Patients underwent a neuroimaging and clinical assessment before the treatment and after one year. Longitudinal comparisons of DMN, SN, and FPN connectivity were performed between groups and correlated with clinical changes. Vertex-wise analysis was performed to assess cortical thickness changes. RESULTS 177 CM-MOH patients were randomized to either TaU group or TaU + MIND group. Thirty-four patients, divided in 17 TaU and 17 TaU + MIND, completed the neuroimaging follow-up. At the follow-up, both groups showed an improvement in most clinical variables, whereas only TaU + MIND patients showed a significant headache frequency reduction (p = 0.028). After one year, TaU + MIND patients showed greater SN functional connectivity with the left posterior insula (p-FWE = 0.007) and sensorimotor cortex (p-FWE = 0.026). In TaU + MIND patients only, greater SN-insular connectivity was associated with improved depression scores (r = -0.51, p = 0.038). A longitudinal increase in cortical thickness was observed in the insular cluster in these patients (p = 0.015). Increased anterior cingulate cortex thickness was also reported in TaU + MIND group (p-FWE = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Increased SN-insular connectivity might modulate chronic pain perception and the management of negative emotions. Enhanced SN-sensorimotor connectivity could reflect improved body-awareness of painful sensations. Expanded cingulate cortex thickness might sustain improved cognitive processing of nociceptive information. Our findings unveil the therapeutic potential of mindfulness and the underlying neural mechanisms in CM-MOH patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION Name of Registry; MIND-CM study; Registration Number ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT0367168; Registration Date: 14/09/2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Fedeli
- Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, Milano, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Ciullo
- Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, Milano, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Volturno 39, Parma, 43125, Italy
| | - Greta Demichelis
- Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, Milano, Italy
| | - Jean Paul Medina Carrion
- Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, Milano, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Bruzzone
- Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, Milano, Italy
| | - Emilio Ciusani
- Department of Diagnostic and Technology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Erbetta
- Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, Milano, Italy
| | - Stefania Ferraro
- Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, Milano, Italy
- School of Life Science and Technology, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Marina Grisoli
- Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, Milano, Italy
| | - Erika Guastafierro
- Neurology, Public Health and Disability Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy
| | - Domenico D'Amico
- Neuroalgology Unit and Headache Center, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy
| | - Alberto Raggi
- Neurology, Public Health and Disability Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy
| | - Anna Nigri
- Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, Milano, Italy.
| | - Licia Grazzi
- Neuroalgology Unit and Headache Center, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy
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Brotto LA, Altas M. Mindfulness and Management of Low Desire and Vulvovaginal Pain. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am 2024; 51:273-284. [PMID: 38777483 DOI: 10.1016/j.ogc.2024.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Mindfulness is defined as present-moment, nonjudgmental awareness. By reducing self-criticism, and depression, and increasing self-compassion, attention, and interoceptive awareness, mindfulness has been found across a variety of systematic reviews and meta-analyses to significantly improve sexual desire, sexual pain, and sex-related distress. It helps individuals connect with their bodies, fostering a deeper understanding of sensations and desires while reducing the focus on negative, judgmental, and catastrophic sex-related and pain-related thoughts. By teaching individuals to focus on bare sensations, mindfulness has also been found to significantly reduce vulvovaginal pain intensity with improvements retained a year later.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lori A Brotto
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, 6th Floor, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 1M9, Canada.
| | - Melanie Altas
- BC Centre for Vulvar Health, 2775 Laurel Street, 6th Floor, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 1M9, Canada
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Neri B, Callara AL, Vanello N, Menicucci D, Zaccaro A, Piarulli A, Laurino M, Norbu N, Kechok J, Sherab N, Gemignani A. Report from a Tibetan Monastery: EEG neural correlates of concentrative and analytical meditation. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1348317. [PMID: 38756494 PMCID: PMC11098278 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1348317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The positive effects of meditation on human wellbeing are indisputable, ranging from emotion regulation improvement to stress reduction and present-moment awareness enhancement. Changes in brain activity regulate and support these phenomena. However, the heterogeneity of meditation practices and their cultural background, as well as their poor categorization limit the generalization of results to all types of meditation. Here, we took advantage of a collaboration with the very singular and precious community of the Monks and Geshes of the Tibetan University of Sera-Jey in India to study the neural correlates of the two main types of meditation recognized in Tibetan Buddhism, namely concentrative and analytical meditation. Twenty-three meditators with different levels of expertise underwent to an ecological (i.e., within the monastery) EEG acquisition consisting of an analytical and/or concentrative meditation session at "their best," and with the only constraint of performing a 5-min-long baseline at the beginning of the session. Time-varying power-spectral-density estimates of each session were compared against the baseline (i.e., within session) and between conditions (i.e., analytical vs. concentrative). Our results showed that concentrative meditation elicited more numerous and marked changes in the EEG power compared to analytical meditation, and mainly in the form of an increase in the theta, alpha and beta frequency ranges. Moreover, the full immersion in the Monastery life allowed to share the results and discuss their interpretation with the best scholars of the Monastic University, ensuring the identification of the most expert meditators, as well as to highlight better the differences between the different types of meditation practiced by each of them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Neri
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Informazione, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alejandro Luis Callara
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Informazione, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Research Center “E. Piaggio”, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Nicola Vanello
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Informazione, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Research Center “E. Piaggio”, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Danilo Menicucci
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Zaccaro
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Andrea Piarulli
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Ngawang Norbu
- Sera Jey Monastic University for Advanced Buddhist Studies & Practice, Bylakuppe, Mysore, India
| | - Jampa Kechok
- Sera Jey Monastic University for Advanced Buddhist Studies & Practice, Bylakuppe, Mysore, India
| | - Ngawang Sherab
- Sera Jey Monastic University for Advanced Buddhist Studies & Practice, Bylakuppe, Mysore, India
| | - Angelo Gemignani
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Moujaes F, Rieser NM, Phillips C, de Matos NMP, Brügger M, Dürler P, Smigielski L, Stämpfli P, Seifritz E, Vollenweider FX, Anticevic A, Preller KH. Comparing Neural Correlates of Consciousness: From Psychedelics to Hypnosis and Meditation. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2024; 9:533-543. [PMID: 37459910 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2023.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pharmacological and nonpharmacological methods of inducing altered states of consciousness (ASCs) are becoming increasingly relevant in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. While comparisons between them are often drawn, to date no study has directly compared their neural correlates. METHODS To address this knowledge gap, we directly compared 2 pharmacological methods (psilocybin 0.2 mg/kg orally [n = 23] and lysergic acid diethylamide [LSD] 100 μg orally [n = 25]) and 2 nonpharmacological methods (hypnosis [n = 30] and meditation [n = 29]) using resting-state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging and assessed the predictive value of the data using a machine learning approach. RESULTS We found that 1) no network reached significance in all 4 ASC methods; 2) pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions of inducing ASCs showed distinct connectivity patterns that were predictive at the individual level; 3) hypnosis and meditation showed differences in functional connectivity when compared directly and also drove distinct differences when jointly compared with the pharmacological ASC interventions; and 4) psilocybin and LSD showed no differences in functional connectivity when directly compared with each other, but they did show distinct behavioral-neural relationships. CONCLUSIONS Overall, these results extend our understanding of the mechanisms of action of ASCs and highlight the importance of exploring how these effects can be leveraged in the treatment of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flora Moujaes
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Nathalie M Rieser
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Christophe Phillips
- GIGA Cyclotron Research Centre in vivo imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Nuno M P de Matos
- Clinic of Cranio-Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery, Center of Dental Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mike Brügger
- Clinic of Cranio-Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery, Center of Dental Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patricia Dürler
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lukasz Smigielski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Stämpfli
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland; MR Center, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Erich Seifritz
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Franz X Vollenweider
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alan Anticevic
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Katrin H Preller
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland
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Sibilia J, Berna F, Bloch JG, Scherlinger M. Mind-body practices in chronic inflammatory arthritis. Joint Bone Spine 2024; 91:105645. [PMID: 37769800 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbspin.2023.105645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Mind-body practices are complementary approaches recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO). While these practices are very diverse, they all focus on the interaction between mind and body. These include mindful meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, sophrology, hypnosis and various relaxation techniques. There is growing interest in incorporating these strategies in the management of chronic rheumatic diseases including rheumatoid arthritis. The aim of this review is to describe the main mind-body practices and analyze the existing evidence in chronic rheumatic diseases. In rheumatoid arthritis, the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, yoga, Tai Chi and relaxation may improve patient-reported outcomes, but the benefit on inflammation and structural progression is unclear. In spondyloarthritis, very few studies are available but similar evidence exist. Further evaluations of these practices in chronic rheumatic diseases are needed since their risk/benefit ratio appears excellent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Sibilia
- Service de Rhumatologie, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; UMR INSERM 1109, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Fabrice Berna
- Service de Psychiatrie, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jean-Gérard Bloch
- Service de Rhumatologie, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Marc Scherlinger
- Service de Rhumatologie, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; UMR INSERM 1109, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
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6
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Joss D, Teicher MH, Lazar SW. Beneficial effects of mindfulness-based intervention on hippocampal volumes and episodic memory for childhood adversity survivors. JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS REPORTS 2024; 16:100769. [PMID: 38737193 PMCID: PMC11086948 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadr.2024.100769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) has detrimental impacts on neural development, especially hippocampal morphometry. Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBI) has been shown to induce adaptive hippocampal changes especially at the subiculum. The present study aims to investigate the effects of MBI on subiculum volumes among ACE survivors, as well as the effects on episodic memory as a probe into hippocampal functionality. Methods We analyzed anatomical MRI data and performance indices from an episodic memory task called the Mnemonic Similarity Task (MST) collected from a randomized controlled longitudinal study that compared an 8-week MBI (N = 20) to an active control condition of Stress Management Education (SME) (N = 19). FreeSurfer 6.0 was used for automated hippocampal subfield segmentation and volumetric estimation. Results Significant group differences were observed with the volumetric changes of the right whole hippocampus and right subiculum. Only the MBI group showed improved pattern separation capability from MST, which was associated with stress reduction and right subiculum volumetric changes. Limitations Modest sample size. MST task was performed outside of MRI. Conclusions These findings suggest beneficial effects of MBI for hippocampal volumes and episodic memory, while highlighting the importance of the subiculum for MBI-induced neural and cognitive changes. The subiculum's known role in inhibitory control was interpreted as a potential mechanism for it to exhibit MBI-induced volumetric changes, which sheds light on the potential neural underpinnings of mindfulness meditation for reducing stress reactivity among ACE survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane Joss
- Developmental Biopsychiatry Research Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Martin H. Teicher
- Developmental Biopsychiatry Research Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Sara W. Lazar
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
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7
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Zarka D, Cevallos C, Ruiz P, Petieau M, Cebolla AM, Bengoetxea A, Cheron G. Electroencephalography microstates highlight specific mindfulness traits. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:1753-1769. [PMID: 38221503 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the spontaneous dynamics of large-scale brain networks underlying mindfulness as a dispositional trait, through resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) microstates analysis. Eighteen participants had attended a standardized mindfulness-based stress reduction training (MBSR), and 18 matched waitlist individuals (CTRL) were recorded at rest while they were passively exposed to auditory stimuli. Participants' mindfulness traits were assessed with the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). To further explore the relationship between microstate dynamics at rest and mindfulness traits, participants were also asked to rate their experience according to five phenomenal dimensions. After training, MBSR participants showed a highly significant increase in FFMQ score, as well as higher observing and non-reactivity FFMQ sub-scores than CTRL participants. Microstate analysis revealed four classes of microstates (A-D) in global clustering across all subjects. The MBSR group showed lower duration, occurrence and coverage of microstate C than the control group. Moreover, these microstate C parameters were negatively correlated to non-reactivity sub-scores of FFMQ across participants, whereas the microstate A occurrence was negatively correlated to FFMQ total score. Further analysis of participants' self-reports suggested that MBSR participants showed a better sensory-affective integration of auditory interferences. In line with previous studies, our results suggest that temporal dynamics of microstate C underlie specifically the non-reactivity trait of mindfulness. These findings encourage further research into microstates in the evaluation and monitoring of the impact of mindfulness-based interventions on the mental health and well-being of individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Zarka
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Research Unit in Sciences of Osteopathy, Faculty of Human Motor Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Research Unit in Sciences of Osteopathy, Faculty of Human Motor Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - C Cevallos
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Research Unit in Sciences of Osteopathy, Faculty of Human Motor Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Facultad de Ingeniería Mecánica, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, Ecuador
| | - P Ruiz
- Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Facultad de Ingeniería Mecánica, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, Ecuador
| | - M Petieau
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Research Unit in Sciences of Osteopathy, Faculty of Human Motor Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - A M Cebolla
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Research Unit in Sciences of Osteopathy, Faculty of Human Motor Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - A Bengoetxea
- Research Unit in Sciences of Osteopathy, Faculty of Human Motor Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Athenea Neuroclinics, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - G Cheron
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Research Unit in Sciences of Osteopathy, Faculty of Human Motor Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Electrophysiology, Université de Mons, Mons, Belgium
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8
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Perez-Diaz O, Góngora D, González-Mora JL, Rubia K, Barrós-Loscertales A, Hernández SE. Enhanced amygdala-anterior cingulate white matter structural connectivity in Sahaja Yoga Meditators. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301283. [PMID: 38547155 PMCID: PMC10977753 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To study the white matter connections between anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula and amygdala as key regions of the frontal-limbic network that have been related to meditation. DESIGN Twenty experienced practitioners of Sahaja Yoga Meditation and twenty nonmeditators matched on age, gender and education level, were scanned using Diffusion Weighted Imaging, using a 3T scanner, and their white matter connectivity was compared using diffusion tensor imaging analyses. RESULTS There were five white matter fiber paths in which meditators showed a larger number of tracts, two of them connecting the same area in both hemispheres: the left and right amygdalae and the left and right anterior insula; and the other three connecting left anterior cingulate with the right anterior insula, the right amygdala and the left amygdala. On the other hand, non-meditators showed larger number of tracts in two paths connecting the left anterior insula with the left amygdala, and the left anterior insula with the left anterior cingulate. CONCLUSIONS The study shows that long-term practice of Sahaja Yoga Meditation is associated with larger white matter tracts strengthening interhemispheric connections between limbic regions and connections between cingulo-amygdalar and cingulo-insular brain regions related to top-down attentional and emotional processes as well as between top-down control functions that could potentially be related to the witness state perceived through the state of mental silence promoted with this meditation. On the other hand, reduced connectivity strength in left anterior insula in the meditation group could be associated to reduced emotional processing affecting top-down processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Perez-Diaz
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Daylín Góngora
- Department of Microeconomics and Public Economics, Maastricht University School of Business and Economics & Maastricht University - Center of Neuroeconomics, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - José L González-Mora
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Katya Rubia
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alfonso Barrós-Loscertales
- Departamento de Psicología Básica, Clínica y Psicobiología, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón de la Plana, Castellón, Spain
| | - Sergio Elías Hernández
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
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Plini ERG, Melnychuk MC, Dockree PM. Meditation Experience is Associated with Increased Structural Integrity of the Pineal Gland and greater total Grey Matter maintenance. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.03.04.24303649. [PMID: 38496551 PMCID: PMC10942509 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.04.24303649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Growing evidence demonstrates that meditation practice supports cognitive functions including attention and interoceptive processing, and is associated with structural changes across cortical networks including prefrontal regions, and the insula. However, the extent of subcortical morphometric changes linked to meditation practice is less appreciated. A noteworthy candidate is the Pineal Gland, a key producer of melatonin, which regulates circadian rhythms that augment sleep-wake patterns, and may also provide neuroprotective benefits to offset cognitive decline. Increased melatonin levels as well as increased fMRI BOLD signal in the Pineal Gland has been observed in mediators vs. controls. However, it is not known if long-term meditators exhibit structural change in the Pineal Gland linked to lifetime duration of practice. In the current study we performed Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis to investigate: 1) whether long-term meditators (LTMs) (n=14) exhibited greater Pineal Gland integrity compared to a control group (n=969), 2) a potential association between the estimated lifetime hours of meditation (ELHOM) and Pineal Gland integrity, and 3) whether LTMs show greater Grey Matter (GM) maintenance (BrainPAD) that is associated with Pineal Gland integrity. The results revealed greater Pineal Gland integrity and lower BrainPAD scores (younger brain age) in LTMs compared to controls. Exploratory analysis revealed a positive association between ELHOM and greater signal intensity in the Pineal Gland but not with GM maintenance as measured by BrainPAD score. However, greater Pineal integrity and lower BrainPAD scores were correlated in LTMs. The potential mechanisms by which meditation influences Pineal Gland function, hormonal metabolism, and GM maintenance are discussed - in particular melatonin's roles in sleep, immune response, inflammation modulation, and stem cell and neural regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuele RG Plini
- Department of Psychology, Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Llyod Building, 42A Pearse St, 8PVX+GJ Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Paul M Dockree
- Department of Psychology, Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Llyod Building, 42A Pearse St, 8PVX+GJ Dublin, Ireland
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10
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Zhang Y, Yang W, Xu W, Pan KY. Association between psychosocial working conditions and well-being before retirement: a community-based study. PSYCHOL HEALTH MED 2024; 29:574-588. [PMID: 37899630 DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2023.2274316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
Psychosocial working conditions have been linked to mental health outcomes, but their association with well-being is poorly studied. We aimed to investigate the association between psychosocial working conditions and well-being before retirement, and to explore the role of gender and leisure activities in the association. From the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen, 598 community dwellers aged 60-65 years were included in the cross-sectional study. Lifelong occupational history was obtained through an interview. Job demands and job control in the longest-held occupation were graded with job exposure matrices. Psychosocial working conditions were classified into high strain (high demands, low control), low strain (low demands, high control), passive job (low demands, low control), and active job (high demands, high control). Well-being was assessed with the 10-item version of positive and negative affect schedule, and scored using confirmatory factor analysis. Engagement in leisure activities was categorized as low, moderate, and high. Data were analyzed using linear regression. Both high job control and high job demands were dose-dependently associated with higher well-being. Overall, compared to active jobs, passive jobs were associated with lower well-being (β -0.19, 95% CI -0.35 to -0.02, P = 0.028). Passive (β -0.28, 95% CI -0.51 to -0.04, P = 0.020) and high strain (β -0.31, 95% CI -0.52 to -0.10, P = 0.004) jobs were associated with lower well-being in men, but not in women. The association between passive jobs and well-being was attenuated by high leisure activities, while the association between high strain and well-being was magnified by low leisure activities. In conclusion, negative psychosocial working conditions are associated with poor well-being, especially in men. Leisure activities may modulate the association. Our study highlights that promoting favorable working conditions can be a target to improve well-being among employees and active participation in leisure activities is encouraged to cope with work-related stress for better well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchen Zhang
- King's Business School, King's College London, London, UK
- Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Health Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Wenzhe Yang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Weili Xu
- Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Health Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Kuan-Yu Pan
- Unit of Occupational Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden
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11
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Sim S, Maldonado IL, Castelnau P, Barantin L, El-Hage W, Andersson F, Cottier JP. Neural correlates of mindfulness meditation and hypnosis on magnetic resonance imaging: similarities and differences. A scoping review. J Neuroradiol 2024; 51:131-144. [PMID: 37981196 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurad.2023.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mindfulness meditation (MM) and hypnosis practices are gaining interest in mental health, but their physiological mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study aimed to synthesize the functional, morphometric and metabolic changes associated with each practice using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to identify their similarities and differences. METHODS MRI studies investigating MM and hypnosis in mental health, specifically stress, anxiety, and depression, were systematically screened following PRISMA guidelines from four research databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, PsycINFO) between 2010 and 2022. RESULTS In total, 97 references met the inclusion criteria (84 for MM and 13 for hypnosis). This review showed common and divergent points regarding the regions involved and associated brain connectivity during MM practice and hypnosis. The primary commonality between mindfulness and hypnosis was decreased default mode network intrinsic activity and increased central executive network - salience network connectivity. Increased connectivity between the default mode network and the salience network was observed in meditative practice and mindfulness predisposition, but not in hypnosis. CONCLUSIONS While MRI studies provide a better understanding of the neural basis of hypnosis and meditation, this review underscores the need for more rigorous studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sindy Sim
- CHRU de Tours, service de radiologie, Tours, France
| | | | - Pierre Castelnau
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France; Service de Neuropédiatrie et Handicaps, Hôpital Clocheville, CHRU, Tours, France; CUMIC, Collège Universitaire des Médecines Intégratives et Complémentaires, Nantes, France
| | | | - Wissam El-Hage
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France; CHRU de Tours, Clinique Psychiatrique Universitaire, Tours, France
| | | | - Jean-Philippe Cottier
- CHRU de Tours, service de radiologie, Tours, France; UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France; CUMIC, Collège Universitaire des Médecines Intégratives et Complémentaires, Nantes, France.
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12
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Moulaei K, Sharifi H, Bahaadinbeigy K, Dinari F. Efficacy of virtual reality-based training programs and games on the improvement of cognitive disorders in patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:116. [PMID: 38342912 PMCID: PMC10860230 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05563-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cognitive impairments present challenges for patients, impacting memory, attention, and problem-solving abilities. Virtual reality (VR) offers innovative ways to enhance cognitive function and well-being. This study explores the effects of VR-based training programs and games on improving cognitive disorders. METHODS PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were systematically searched until May 20, 2023. Two researchers selected and extracted data based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, resolving disagreements through consultation with two other authors. Inclusion criteria required studies of individuals with any cognitive disorder engaged in at least one VR-based training session, reporting cognitive impairment data via scales like the MMSE. Only English-published RCTs were considered, while exclusion criteria included materials not primarily focused on the intersection of VR and cognitive disorders. The risk of bias in the included studies was assessed using the MMAT tool. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots and Egger's test. The collected data were utilized to calculate the standardized mean differences (Hedges's g) between the treatment and control groups. The heterogeneity variance was estimated using the Q test and I2 statistic. The analysis was conducted using Stata version 17.0. RESULTS Ten studies were included in the analysis out of a total of 3,157 retrieved articles. VR had a statistically significant improvement in cognitive impairments among patients (Hedges's g = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.15, 0.68; p_value = 0.05). games (Hedges's g = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.30, 0.39; p_value = 0.20) had a more significant impact on cognitive impairment improvement compared to cognitive training programs (Hedges's g = 0.29, 95% CI: -0.11, 0.69; p_value = 0.24). The type of VR intervention was a significant moderator of the heterogeneity between studies. CONCLUSION VR-based interventions have demonstrated promise in enhancing cognitive function and addressing cognitive impairment, highlighting their potential as valuable tools in improving care for individuals with cognitive disorders. The findings underscore the relevance of incorporating virtual reality into therapeutic approaches for cognitive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khadijeh Moulaei
- Department of Health Information Technology, Faculty of Paramedical, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
| | - Hamid Sharifi
- HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Kambiz Bahaadinbeigy
- Medical Informatics Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Dinari
- Medical Informatics Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
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13
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Malipeddi S, Mehrotra S, John JP, Kutty BM. Practice and proficiency of Isha Yoga for better mental health outcomes: insights from a COVID-19 survey. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1280859. [PMID: 38371236 PMCID: PMC10869487 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1280859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unparalleled suffering on a global scale, affecting both physical and mental well-being. In such challenging times, it becomes crucial to identify interventions that can alleviate negative mental health outcomes, such as stress, while promoting positive mental health outcomes, like well-being. We report the effectiveness of a mind-body practise, Isha Yoga, in promoting well-being. Methods We conducted an online survey, during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Yoga practitioners (n = 1,352) from the Isha Yoga tradition in Karnataka, India. We evaluated stress and well-being attributes using conventional psychometric questionnaires. Subsequently, we requested the Isha Yoga practitioners to share another survey with their friends and family members, assessing similar outcomes. From the respondents of this shared survey (n = 221), we identified individuals who currently did not engage in any form of Yoga or meditation, constituting the non-Yoga control group (n = 110). To enhance the reliability and validity of our study and minimize the limitations commonly associated with online surveys, we adhered to the CHERRIES guidelines for reporting survey studies. Results Isha Yoga practitioners had significantly lower levels of stress (p < 0.001, gHedges = 0.94) and mental distress (p < 0.001, gHedges = 0.75) while reporting significantly higher levels of well-being (p < 0.001, gHedges = 0.78) and affective balance (p < 0.001, gHedges = 0.80) compared to the control group. Furthermore, expertise-related improvements were observed in these outcomes, and a dose-response relationship was found between regularity of Isha Yoga practice and outcome changes. A minimum 3-4 days of weekly practice showed significant differences with the control group. In addition, we investigated the effect of Isha Yoga on stress and well-being among the healthcare workers (HCWs) in our sample and observed better mental health outcomes. Discussion These findings collectively underscore the benefits of Mind and Body practices like Isha Yoga on various aspects of mental health and well-being, emphasizing its potential as an effective and holistic approach for promoting a healthy lifestyle among diverse populations, including healthcare workers, even in difficult circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saketh Malipeddi
- Centre for Consciousness Studies, Department of Neurophysiology, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Seema Mehrotra
- Department of Clinical Psychology, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - John P. John
- Multi-modal Brain Image Analysis Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Bindu M. Kutty
- Centre for Consciousness Studies, Department of Neurophysiology, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
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14
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Ye X, Li Y, Zheng Q, Liu Y, Yan S, Lian Q, Lin Y, Chen X, Chen L, Liu T. The Effect of Mindfulness on Death Escape Acceptance in Young People: Emotion Regulation as a Mediator. OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING 2024:302228241228730. [PMID: 38243735 DOI: 10.1177/00302228241228730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Few studies have examined young people's attitudes toward death escape acceptance and its relationship to mindfulness. This study addressed this issue and examined the mediating role of emotion regulation. In Study 1, 61 undergraduate students aged 19-22 years participated in a mindfulness intervention program, and the results showed that increasing young people's levels of mindfulness could improve their attitudes toward death escape acceptance. The Study 2, which recruited 440 young people aged 18-26 years to complete a cross-sectional survey, replicated the main effect and showed that young people's difficulty in emotion regulation fully mediated the coping effect of mindfulness. These findings suggest that individuals with high levels of mindfulness may have low levels of difficulty in emotion regulation and in turn promote healthy attitudes toward death escape acceptance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Ye
- School of Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yang Li
- Mental Health Education Center, Huizhou Health Sciences Polytechnic, Huizhou, China
- Faculty of Educational Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Qiuyue Zheng
- School of Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yang Liu
- School of Psychology, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Shizhen Yan
- School of Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Qiaoping Lian
- Psychological Center, Minjiang University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yicong Lin
- The Third Hospital of Anxi County, Quanzhou, China
| | - Xiayan Chen
- School of Psychological Center, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liangliang Chen
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Fujian Children's Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Tao Liu
- School of Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
- School of Management, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
- School of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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15
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Hastings WL, Willbrand EH, Elliott MV, Johnson SL, Weiner KS. Emotion-related impulsivity is related to orbitofrontal cortical sulcation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.14.574481. [PMID: 38293163 PMCID: PMC10827079 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.14.574481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Background Emotion-related impulsivity (ERI) describes the trait-like tendency toward poor self-control when experiencing strong emotions. ERI has been shown to be elevated across psychiatric disorders and predictive of the onset and worsening of psychiatric syndromes. Recent work has correlated ERI scores with the neuroanatomy of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Informed by a growing body of research indicating that the morphology of cortical folds (sulci) can produce insights into behavioral outcomes, the present study modeled the association between ERI and the sulcal morphology of OFC at a finer scale than previously conducted. Methods Analyses were conducted in a transdiagnostic sample of 118 individuals with a broad range of psychiatric syndromes. We first manually defined over 2000 sulci across the 118 participants. We then implemented a model-based LASSO regression to relate OFC sulcal morphology to ERI and test whether effects were specific to ERI as compared to non-emotion-related impulsivity. Results The LASSO regression revealed bilateral associations of ERI with the depth of eight OFC sulci. These effects were specific to ERI and were not observed in non-emotion-related impulsivity. In addition, we identified a new transverse component of the olfactory sulcus in every hemisphere that is dissociable from the longitudinal component based on anatomical features and correlation with behavior, which could serve as a new transdiagnostic biomarker. Conclusions The results of this data-driven investigation provide greater neuroanatomical and neurodevelopmental specificity on how OFC is related to ERI. As such, findings link neuroanatomical characteristics to a trait that is highly predictive of psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- William L. Hastings
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, US
| | - Ethan H. Willbrand
- Medical Scientist Training Program, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Matthew V. Elliott
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, US
| | - Sheri L. Johnson
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, US
| | - Kevin S. Weiner
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, US
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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16
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Lee SW, Kim S, Lee S, Seo HS, Cha H, Chang Y, Lee SJ. Neural mechanisms of acceptance-commitment therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: a resting-state and task-based fMRI study. Psychol Med 2024; 54:374-384. [PMID: 37427558 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723001769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is growing evidence for the use of acceptance-commitment therapy (ACT) for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, few fully implemented ACT have been conducted on the neural mechanisms underlying its effect on OCD. Thus, this study aimed to elucidate the neural correlates of ACT in patients with OCD using task-based and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). METHODS Patients with OCD were randomly assigned to the ACT (n = 21) or the wait-list control group (n = 21). An 8-week group-format ACT program was provided to the ACT group. All participants underwent an fMRI scan and psychological measurements before and after 8 weeks. RESULTS Patients with OCD showed significantly increased activation in the bilateral insula and superior temporal gyri (STG), induced by the thought-action fusion task after ACT intervention. Further psycho-physiological interaction analyses with these regions as seeds revealed that the left insular-left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) connectivity was strengthened in the ACT group after treatment. Increased resting-state functional connectivity was also found in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), precuneus, and lingual gyrus after ACT intervention Most of these regions showed significant correlations with ACT process measures while only the right insula was correlated with the obsessive-compulsive symptom measure. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the therapeutic effect of ACT on OCD may involve the salience and interoception processes (i.e. insula), multisensory integration (i.e. STG), language (i.e. IFG), and self-referential processes (i.e. PCC and precuneus). These areas or their interactions could be important for understanding how ACT works psychologically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang Won Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital, Daegu, Korea
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
| | - Seungho Kim
- Department of Medical & Biological Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
| | - Sangyeol Lee
- Department of Medical & Biological Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
| | - Ho Seok Seo
- Department of Psychiatry, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Korea
| | - Hyunsil Cha
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering Research, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
| | - Yongmin Chang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
- Department of Radiology, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Korea
| | - Seung Jae Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
- Department of Psychiatry, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Korea
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17
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Voltmer K, Hondrich F, von Salisch M. Daily breath-based mindfulness exercises in a randomized controlled trial improve primary school children's performance in arithmetic. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22169. [PMID: 38092836 PMCID: PMC10719295 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49354-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been shown to improve children's academic achievements. Because MBIs include different exercises (possibly with differential effects), the teacher-led Breathing Break Intervention (BBI) was developed which focuses exclusively on breathing exercises and body awareness. The short daily breathing practices of BBI were evaluated in terms of their effects on children's performance in mathematics. In a randomized controlled trial, N = 140 third and fourth graders (49% female) either received BBI (IG, n = 81) or participated in an active control group (ACG, n = 59). Students took a standardized arithmetic test and teachers rated their mathematics performance before (T1) and after (T2) the nine weeks of BBI, and in a follow-up five months later (T3). A mixed multilevel model with a quadratic term of time indicated a significant interaction effect between group and time on the arithmetic test after controlling for working memory updating and parental educational attainment. IG children did not show a steeper linear increase but differed significantly from ACG children in their trajectory of arithmetic performance. At T3, IG children outperformed ACG children. A multilevel ordinal logistic regression of teachers' ratings of students' mathematics performance revealed no significant differences between IG and ACG. Results suggest that daily breathing exercises in primary school classrooms contribute to enhancing children's performance in arithmetic.Preregistration: The study was preregistered at aspredicted.org (#44925).
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Voltmer
- Institute for Sustainability Education and Psychology, Leuphana University Luneburg, Universitätsallee 1, 21335, Lueneburg, Germany
| | - Finja Hondrich
- Institute for Sustainability Education and Psychology, Leuphana University Luneburg, Universitätsallee 1, 21335, Lueneburg, Germany
| | - Maria von Salisch
- Institute for Sustainability Education and Psychology, Leuphana University Luneburg, Universitätsallee 1, 21335, Lueneburg, Germany.
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18
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Teixeira-Santos AC, Gomes L, Pereira DR, Ribeiro F, Silva-Fernandes A, Federspiel C, Steinmetz JP, Leist AK. The MEDITAGING study: protocol of a two-armed randomized controlled study to compare the effects of the mindfulness-based stress reduction program against a health promotion program in older migrants in Luxembourg. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:2470. [PMID: 38082350 PMCID: PMC10714656 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-17387-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Migration is a phenomenon worldwide, with older migrants, particularly those with fewer socioeconomic resources, having an increased risk of developing adverse cognitive and health outcomes and social isolation. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to validate interventions that promote healthy aging in this population. Previous studies have shown a positive impact of mindfulness based-stress reduction (MBSR) on outcomes such as cognition and sleep. However, only a few studies verified its potential in older adults, especially with vulnerable populations such as migrants. This article presents the protocol of the MEDITAGING study, which is the first to investigate the MBSR effects in migrants aged ≥55 in comparison to a health promotion program. METHODS MEDITAGING is a two-arm randomized, double-blinded, controlled study, which will include older Portuguese-speaking migrants (n = 90). Participants are randomized to the MBSR or a health promotion program. Both interventions are conducted in groups over a total of 8 weeks, incorporating weekly meetings, an additional 4-hour class, and extra at-home tasks. The health promotion program has the same structure as the MBSR but comprises different activities related to dementia prevention, healthy habits, cognitive stimulation, sleeping, nutrition, watercolor painting, and physical activity. The assessment of executive functioning, physiological stress measures, self-reported questionnaires, and qualitative interviews are conducted at baseline, after 8 weeks (post-intervention), and at a follow-up session (from one to 3 months thereafter). Analyzes will be conducted using a modified intention-to-treat approach (all participants with at least 3 days of participation in the group-sessions and one post-intervention observation). DISCUSSION This study will test effects of a mindfulness-based intervention against an active control condition in older adult migrants, which few studies have addressed. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05615337 (date of registration: 27 September 2022; date of record verification: 14 November 2022).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C Teixeira-Santos
- Department of Social Sciences, Institute for Research on Socio-Economic Inequality, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
| | - Leandro Gomes
- Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Program in Human Sciences, State University of Amazonas PPGICH/UEA, Manaus, Brazil
- NAURBE Group - Cities, Popular Cultures and Heritage, Federal University of Amazonas - Postgraduate Program in Social Anthropology, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Diana R Pereira
- Human Cognition Laboratory - CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Fabiana Ribeiro
- Department of Social Sciences, Institute for Research on Socio-Economic Inequality, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Anabela Silva-Fernandes
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | | | | | - Anja K Leist
- Department of Social Sciences, Institute for Research on Socio-Economic Inequality, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
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Turer OU, Ozcan M, Alkaya B, Demirbilek F, Alpay N, Daglioglu G, Seydaoglu G, Haytac MC. The effect of mindfulness meditation on dental anxiety during implant surgery: a randomized controlled clinical trial. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21686. [PMID: 38066232 PMCID: PMC10709419 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49092-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Dental implant surgery is almost always associated with patient anxiety. Anxiety during dental surgical procedures triggers an increase in sympathetic activity. Mindfulness meditation (MM) is often associated with high levels of relaxation in the form of increased parasympathetic tone and decreased sympathetic activity. However, the effect of MM on dental anxiety is not clear. The current study aimed to show the effects of a MM as a sedative technique during dental implant surgery by examining the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), bispectral index (BIS), cortisol levels (CL), systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR) and saturation (SpO2) parameters. HR, SBP, DBP, SpO2, BIS score and CLs were compared at the baseline, immediately before-, during-, and immediately after surgery between the test and control groups. We found that the MM resulted in significant decrease in BIS together with positive effects on hemodynamic parameters (decrease of HR, SBP, DBP and increase of SpO2), psychological findings (improvement on STAI-S scores) and biochemical outcomes (decreased CL). In conclusion, the results demonstrate that MM appeared to be a reliable strategy for managing stress during dental implant operation with benefits in psychological, physiological and biochemical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Onur Ucak Turer
- Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
| | - Mustafa Ozcan
- Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Bahar Alkaya
- Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Furkan Demirbilek
- Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Nilgun Alpay
- Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Faculty of Dentistry, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Gulcin Daglioglu
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Gulsah Seydaoglu
- Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - M Cenk Haytac
- Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey
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Rahrig H, Ma L, Brown KW, Martelli AM, West SJ, Lasko EN, Chester DS. Inside the mindful moment: The effects of brief mindfulness practice on large-scale network organization and intimate partner aggression. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 23:1581-1597. [PMID: 37880570 PMCID: PMC10842035 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-023-01136-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Mindfulness can produce neuroplastic changes that support adaptive cognitive and emotional functioning. Recently interest in single-exercise mindfulness instruction has grown considerably because of the advent of mobile health technology. Accordingly, the current study sought to extend neural models of mindfulness by investigating transient states of mindfulness during single-dose exposure to focused attention meditation. Specifically, we examined the ability of a brief mindfulness induction to attenuate intimate partner aggression via adaptive changes to intrinsic functional brain networks. We employed a dual-regression approach to examine a large-scale functional network organization in 50 intimate partner dyads (total n = 100) while they received either mindfulness (n = 50) or relaxation (n = 50) instruction. Mindfulness instruction reduced coherence within the Default Mode Network and increased functional connectivity within the Frontoparietal Control and Salience Networks. Additionally, mindfulness decoupled primary visual and attention-linked networks. Yet, this induction was unable to elicit changes in subsequent intimate partner aggression, and such aggression was broadly unassociated with any of our network indices. These findings suggest that minimal doses of focused attention-based mindfulness can promote transient changes in large-scale brain networks that have uncertain implications for aggressive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadley Rahrig
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Liangsuo Ma
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Kirk Warren Brown
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
- Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Emily N Lasko
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - David S Chester
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
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21
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Yoo HJ, Nashiro K, Dutt S, Min J, Cho C, Thayer JF, Lehrer P, Chang C, Mather M. Daily biofeedback to modulate heart rate oscillations affects structural volume in hippocampal subregions targeted by the locus coeruleus in older adults but not younger adults. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 132:85-99. [PMID: 37769491 PMCID: PMC10840698 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Using data from a clinical trial, we tested the hypothesis that daily sessions modulating heart rate oscillations affect older adults' volume of a region-of-interest (ROI) comprised of adjacent hippocampal subregions with relatively strong locus coeruleus (LC) noradrenergic input. Younger and older adults were randomly assigned to one of two daily biofeedback practices for 5 weeks: (1) engage in slow-paced breathing to increase the amplitude of oscillations in heart rate at their breathing frequency (Osc+); (2) engage in self-selected strategies to decrease heart rate oscillations (Osc-). The interventions did not significantly affect younger adults' hippocampal volume. Among older adults, the two conditions affected volume in the LC-targeted hippocampal ROI differentially as reflected in a significant condition × time-point interaction on ROI volume. These condition differences were driven by opposing changes in the two conditions (increased volume in Osc+ and decreased volume in Osc-) and were mediated by the degree of heart rate oscillation during training sessions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Joo Yoo
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Kaoru Nashiro
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Shubir Dutt
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Jungwon Min
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Christine Cho
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | | | - Paul Lehrer
- Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08852, USA
| | - Catie Chang
- Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Mara Mather
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
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22
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Kckaou A, Dhouib F, Kotti N, Sallemi I, Hammami KJ, Masmoudi ML, Hajjaji M. Does mindfulness reduce perceived stress in healthcare professionals? L'ENCEPHALE 2023; 49:612-616. [PMID: 36411118 DOI: 10.1016/j.encep.2022.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Healthcare professionals (HCPs) are exposed to multiple psychosocial risks that may lead to high levels of stress and low levels of life satisfaction and well-being. Mindfulness, defined as the awareness that arises by intentionally paying attention in the present moment and in a non-judgmental way, seems to be a moderator in the causal association between life stressors and well-being. AIMS The aim of the present study was to test the model of relationships between self-reported mindfulness, perceived stress, well-being index and life satisfaction in a sample of Tunisian HCPs. METHODS We performed a correlational cross-sectional study on a sample of HCPs at Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Tunisia. We used validated self-reporting instruments: the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the World Health Organisation Well-Being Index (WHO-5) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). For data analysis, the SPSS version 23 program was used. RESULTS Participants (n=297) included staff nurses (49.2%), medical technicians (19.2%) and doctors (31.6%). The overall model revealed that reduced perceived stress (β=-0.30, P<0.000) and high levels of well-being (β=0.13, P=0.03) were associated with mindfulness, explaining 14% of the variance. Individually, perceived stress significantly predicted mindfulness explaining 13% of the variance. CONCLUSION The study explores a variety of elements that can support the development of mindfulness interventions for stress prevention, staff well-being, and improvement of services as a whole.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Kckaou
- Occupational department and health disease, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, University of Sfax, rte ain km 0.5, 3029, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - F Dhouib
- Occupational department and health disease, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, University of Sfax, rte ain km 0.5, 3029, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - N Kotti
- Occupational department and health disease, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, University of Sfax, rte ain km 0.5, 3029, Sfax, Tunisia.
| | - I Sallemi
- Occupational department and health disease, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, University of Sfax, rte ain km 0.5, 3029, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - K J Hammami
- Occupational department and health disease, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, University of Sfax, rte ain km 0.5, 3029, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - M L Masmoudi
- Occupational department and health disease, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, University of Sfax, rte ain km 0.5, 3029, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - M Hajjaji
- Occupational department and health disease, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, University of Sfax, rte ain km 0.5, 3029, Sfax, Tunisia
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23
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Perez-Diaz O, Barrós-Loscertales A, Schjoedt U, González-Mora JL, Rubia K, Suero J, Hernández SE. Monitoring the neural activity associated with praying in Sahaja Yoga meditation. BMC Neurosci 2023; 24:61. [PMID: 37957605 PMCID: PMC10642040 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-023-00828-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sahaja Yoga Meditation draws on many religious traditions and uses a variety of techniques including Christian prayer to reach a state known as thoughtless awareness, or mental silence. While there are many studies on the neural correlates of meditation, few studies have focused on the neural correlates of praying. Thus, the aim of our research was to study the neural activity associated with the prayer practices in Sahaja Yoga Mediation, which have not been studied before, to explore effects beyond repetitive speech or "mantra effects". Sixteen experienced Sahaja Yoga Meditation practitioners were scanned using task based functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging while performing formalised and improvised forms of praying and their equivalent secular tasks. RESULTS Our results showed the deactivation of bilateral thalamus during both prayers compared to secular conditions and the activation in the medial prefrontal cortex that was reduced by religious and formalised secular speech conditions but increased during improvised secular speech; similarly, frontal regions were deactivated when comparing prayers to their secular equivalents. DISCUSSION These results seem to depict two important factors related with praying in Sahaja Yoga Meditation merging inner concentration and social cognition. First, the perception of the surroundings mediated by the thalamus may be decreased during these prayers probably due to the establishment of inner concentration and, second, frontal deactivation effects could be related to reduced social judgement and 'mentalizing', particularly in the medial prefrontal cortex. Our findings suggest that praying by Sahaja Yoga Meditation practitioners is neurophenomenologically different from the social cognitive attempt of praying within Christian praying practices.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Uffe Schjoedt
- Department of the Study of Religion, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - José L González-Mora
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Katya Rubia
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - José Suero
- Centro de Salud Jazmín, Sermas, Madrid, Spain
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24
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Siew S, Yu J. Mindfulness-based randomized controlled trials led to brain structural changes: an anatomical likelihood meta-analysis. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18469. [PMID: 37891243 PMCID: PMC10611804 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45765-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Mindfulness has become increasingly popular and the practice presents in many different forms. Research has been growing extensively with benefits shown across various outcomes. However, there is a lack of consensus over the efficacy of randomized controlled mindfulness interventions, both traditional and mind-body formats. This study aimed to investigate the structural brain changes in mindfulness-based interventions through a meta-analysis. Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO were searched up to April 2023. 11 studies (n = 581) assessing whole-brain voxel-based grey matter or cortical thickness changes after a mindfulness RCT were included. Anatomical likelihood estimation was used to carry out voxel-based meta-analysis with leave-one-out sensitivity analysis and behavioural analysis as follow-ups. One significant cluster (p < 0.001, Z = 4.76, cluster size = 632 mm3) emerged in the right insula and precentral gyrus region (MNI = 48, 10, 4) for structural volume increases in intervention group compared to controls. Behavioural analysis revealed that the cluster was associated with mental processes of attention and somesthesis (pain). Mindfulness interventions have the ability to affect neural plasticity in areas associated with better pain modulation and increased sustained attention. This further cements the long-term benefits and neuropsychological basis of mindfulness-based interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savannah Siew
- Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Junhong Yu
- Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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25
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Chaudhary IS, Shyi GCW, Huang STT. A systematic review and activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of fMRI studies on arousing or wake-promoting effects in Buddhist meditation. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1136983. [PMID: 38022985 PMCID: PMC10646186 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1136983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Conventional Buddhist texts illustrate meditation as a condition of relaxed alertness that must fend against extreme hypoarousal (sleep, drowsiness) and extreme hyperarousal (restlessness). Theoretical, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging investigations of meditation have highlighted the relaxing effects and hypoarousing without emphasizing the alertness-promoting effects. Here we performed a systematic review supported by an activation-likelihood estimate (ALE) meta-analysis in an effort to counterbalance the surfeit of scholarship emphasizing the hypoarousing and relaxing effects of different forms of Buddhist meditation. Specifically, the current systematic review-cum-meta-analytical review seeks to highlight more support for meditation's wake-promoting effects by drawing from neuroimaging research during wakefulness and meditation. In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 22 fMRI studies, we aim to highlight support for Buddhist meditation's wake-promoting or arousing effects by identifying brain regions associated with alertness during meditation. The most significant peaks were localized medial frontal gyrus (MFG) and precuneus. We failed to determine areas ostensibly common to alertness-related meditation such as the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), superior parietal lobule, basal ganglia, thalamus, most likely due to the relatively fewer fMRI investigations that used wakefulness-promoting meditation techniques. Also, we argue that forthcoming research on meditation, related to alertness or wakefulness, continues to adopt a multi-modal method to investigate the correlation between actual behaviors and neural networks connected to Buddhist meditation. Moreover, we recommend the implementation of fMRI paradigms on Buddhist meditation with clinically diagnosed participants to complement recent trends in psychotherapy such as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT).
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Affiliation(s)
- Inder S. Chaudhary
- PhD Program in Cognitive Sciences, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi City, Taiwan
- Center for Research in Cognitive Sciences, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi City, Taiwan
- Department of Psychology, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi City, Taiwan
| | - Gary Chon-Wen Shyi
- PhD Program in Cognitive Sciences, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi City, Taiwan
- Center for Research in Cognitive Sciences, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi City, Taiwan
- Department of Psychology, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi City, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Tseng Tina Huang
- PhD Program in Cognitive Sciences, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi City, Taiwan
- Center for Research in Cognitive Sciences, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi City, Taiwan
- Department of Psychology, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi City, Taiwan
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26
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Orenius TI, Ristolainen L, Silén E, Hurri H. The Efficacy and Feasibility of an Interoceptive Exposure Technique for Preventing the Transition From Subacute to Chronic Back Pain by Altering the Emotional Response to Pain: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc 2023; 12:e45701. [PMID: 37856182 PMCID: PMC10623225 DOI: 10.2196/45701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychological factors such as stress, anxiety, mood, emotions, cognitive functioning, and pain behavior are relevant to the onset of pain and its continuation in the transition to chronic conditions. Subacute low back pain (LBP), a precursor to chronic LBP, is particularly poorly understood, and its relationships with psychological factors are understudied. OBJECTIVE We will conduct a study aiming to prevent the chronicity of subacute LBP by altering the emotional response to pain using an interoceptive exposure technique (IET). Considering the recent increase in knowledge about psychological risk factors, as well as recent findings in cognitive neuroscience regarding emotional and cognitive background factors in the LBP chronicity process, efforts should be made to discover effective preventive methods. METHODS We present a novel method aiming to prevent the transition from subacute to chronic back pain by altering the emotional response to pain using an IET. In this pilot randomized controlled trial, participants who are at a higher risk of LBP chronification due to the presence of a biomarker (ie, functional connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens) will be randomly assigned to the IET intervention group or control group A (treatment as usual). Participants who do not present with the biomarker will be assigned to control group B (treatment as usual) to assess how well this biomarker predicts the chronification of subacute LBP in this study population. Questionnaires measuring the pain experience and psychological distress will be used before the intervention, after the intervention (at 3 months), and at the 12-month follow-up. RESULTS This research project will combine 2 novel methods: a biomarker as the inclusion criterion and an IET as the intervention. The comparative study design enables evaluation of the efficacy of the IET, as well as replication of the biomarker's validity as a possible clinical screening method. CONCLUSIONS If found to be useful, the IET would offer a cost-effective and reasonable way to develop treatment for acute and subacute back pain conditions. Potential benefits include increased pain management and quality of life for the individual patient with the addition of a potentially useful functional pain management method at the societal level. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05450263; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05450263. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/45701.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Esko Silén
- Research Institute Orton, Helsinki, Finland
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27
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Giaume L, Jimenez A, Kedzierewicz R, Jost D, Pery M, Trouvé J, Burlaton G, Travers S, Prunet B, Trousselard M. FIRECARE: An Evidence-Based Prevention Program to Reduce Burnout among Prehospital Caregivers: Benefits of a Combined Mindfulness, Heart Coherence Training, and Positive Psychology Intervention. PREHOSP EMERG CARE 2023; 28:342-351. [PMID: 37698362 DOI: 10.1080/10903127.2023.2258204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Burnout among emergency health care professionals is well-described, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prevention interventions, such as mindfulness, focus on the management of stress. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of the FIRECARE program (a mindfulness intervention, supplemented by heart coherence training and positive psychology workshops) on burnout, secondary stress, compassion fatigue, and mindfulness among advanced life support ambulance staff of the Paris Fire Brigade. MATERIALS AND METHODS We used a non-randomized, two-group quasi-experimental study design with a waitlist control and before-and-after measurements in each group. The intervention consisted of six, once-weekly, 2.5-h sessions that included individual daily meditation and cardiac coherence practice. The study compared intervention and waitlist control groups, and investigated baseline, post-program, and 3-month follow-up change on burnout (measuring using the ProQOL-5 scale) and mindfulness (measuring using the FMI scores). Baseline burnout (measured using the ProQOL-5) was evaluated and used in the analysis. RESULTS Seventy-four 74 participants volunteered to participate; 66 were included in the final analysis. Of these, 60% were classified as suffering from moderate burnout, the 'burnout cluster'. A comparison of intervention and waitlist control groups found a decrease in the burnout score in the burnout cluster (p = 0.0003; partial eta squared = 0.18). However, while secondary stress fell among the burnout cluster, it was only for participants in the intervention group; scores increased for those in the waitlist group (p = 0.003; partial eta squared = 0.12). The pre-post-intervention analysis of both groups also showed that burnout fell in the burnout cluster (p = 0.006; partial eta squared = 0.11). At 3-month follow-up, the burnout score was significantly reduced in the intervention group (p = 0.02; partial eta squared = 0.07), and both the acceptance (p = 0.007) and mindfulness scores (p = 0.05; partial eta squared = 0.05) were increased in the baseline burnout cluster. CONCLUSION FIRECARE may be a useful approach to preventing and reducing burnout among prehospital caregivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Giaume
- Emergency Medical Department, Paris Fire Brigade, Paris, France
| | | | - Romain Kedzierewicz
- Unité d'instruction et d'intervention de la Sécurité civile, Brignoles, France
| | - Daniel Jost
- Emergency Medical Department, Paris Fire Brigade, Paris, France
| | - Marie Pery
- Emergency Medical Department, Paris Fire Brigade, Paris, France
| | - Julien Trouvé
- Psychology Department, Paris Fire Brigade, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Bertrand Prunet
- Hospital of Instruction of the Armed Forces Laveran, Marseille, France
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28
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Yoo HJ, Nashiro K, Dutt S, Min J, Cho C, Thayer JF, Lehrer P, Chang C, Mather M. Daily biofeedback to modulate heart rate oscillations affects structural volume in hippocampal subregions targeted by the locus coeruleus in older adults but not younger adults. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.03.02.23286715. [PMID: 37745356 PMCID: PMC10516053 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.02.23286715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Using data from a clinical trial, we tested the hypothesis that daily sessions modulating heart rate oscillations affect older adults' volume of a region-of-interest (ROI) comprised of adjacent hippocampal subregions with relatively strong locus coeruleus (LC) noradrenergic input. Younger and older adults were randomly assigned to one of two daily biofeedback practices for 5 weeks: 1) engage in slow-paced breathing to increase the amplitude of oscillations in heart rate at their breathing frequency (Osc+); 2) engage in self-selected strategies to decrease heart rate oscillations (Osc-). The interventions did not significantly affect younger adults' hippocampal volume. Among older adults, the two conditions affected volume in the LC-targeted hippocampal ROI differentially as reflected in a significant condition x time-point interaction on ROI volume. These condition differences were driven by opposing changes in the two conditions (increased volume in Osc+ and decreased volume in Osc-) and were mediated by the degree of heart rate oscillation during training sessions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Joo Yoo
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Kaoru Nashiro
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Shubir Dutt
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Jungwon Min
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Christine Cho
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | | | | | | | - Mara Mather
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
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29
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Manjunath NK. Meditation is an Integral Part of Yoga. Int J Yoga 2023; 16:153-155. [PMID: 38463646 PMCID: PMC10919407 DOI: 10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_12_24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nandi Krishnamurthy Manjunath
- Division of Yoga and Life Sciences, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India E-mail:
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30
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Burge L, Ilie G, MacDonald C, Riel H, Rutledge RDH. Changes in Stress Reduction Following a 28-Day Prostate Cancer Patient Empowerment Program (PC-PEP) among Prostate Cancer Survivors. Curr Oncol 2023; 30:7936-7949. [PMID: 37754492 PMCID: PMC10528192 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol30090577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) survivors often experience post-treatment challenges that impact their well-being and mental health. The Prostate Cancer Patient Empowerment Program (PC-PEP) aims to address these issues through a comprehensive intervention, involving daily meditation/breathing exercises, physical activity, pelvic floor exercises, emotional connection strategies, and peer support. This study presents a secondary analysis of a Phase 2 feasibility study that evaluated the effects of a 28-day PC-PEP intervention on stress reduction. Thirty patients with PCa from the Maritimes, Canada, underwent pre- and post-intervention assessments to measure brainwave activity (delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma) using the Muse™ headband, and heart rate variability (HRV) using the HeartMath® Inner Balance™ as indicators of stress reduction. A statistically significant Time × Sensor Scalp Assessment Time interaction emerged for all brain waves. Amplitudes were generally higher during the first half of the meditation assessment time but became comparable afterward. A statistically significant Time × Sensor Scalp Location × Sensor Scalp Assessment Time interaction also emerged for alpha waves, indicating higher prefrontal lobe amplitudes than temporal lobe amplitudes from pre- to post-assessment. There were no statistically significant differences in HRV metrics from pre- to post-intervention, except for a marginally significant achievement score, indicating increased HRV coherence post-intervention. The findings suggest that the stress reduction component of PC-PEP successfully improved outcomes related to decreased stress. These results have implications for the development of future iterations of PC-PEP interventions, aiming to optimize participant benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Burge
- Undergraduate Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada;
| | - Gabriela Ilie
- Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 1V7, Canada;
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 2Y9, Canada
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 1V7, Canada;
| | - Cody MacDonald
- Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 1V7, Canada;
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 2Y9, Canada
| | - Hayley Riel
- College of Pharmacy, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0T5, Canada;
| | - Rob David Harold Rutledge
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 1V7, Canada;
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31
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Matei B, Winters-Stone KM, Raber J. Examining the Mechanisms behind Exercise's Multifaceted Impacts on Body Composition, Cognition, and the Gut Microbiome in Cancer Survivors: Exploring the Links to Oxidative Stress and Inflammation. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1423. [PMID: 37507961 PMCID: PMC10376047 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12071423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
This review focuses on the effects of exercise on various health-related outcomes in cancer survivors, encompassing body composition, cognitive function (including sleep), and gut microbiome health. By analyzing multiple studies, we aimed to summarize the existing evidence and shed light on underlying mechanisms. The findings strongly suggest that exercise serves as a multifaceted non-pharmacological strategy, playing a significant role in improving the overall health of cancer survivors by effectively reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. Exercise plays a crucial role in preventing muscle wasting, diminishing the presence of reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory cytokines, and enhancing antioxidant systems. Furthermore, exercise displays notable benefits in terms of executive cognitive functioning and fatigue alleviation, largely attributed to its anti-inflammatory impact on the central nervous system and its ability to induce neurogenesis via growth factors. Additionally, exercise positively influences microbial diversity, reduces gut inflammation, and enhances neurogenesis through the gut-brain axis. Our key findings underscore the reduction of oxidative stress and inflammation as primary mechanisms by which exercise effectively enhances health outcomes in cancer survivors. By delving deeper into these candidate mechanisms, we aim to provide valuable guidance for future research and interventions targeting the symptoms experienced by cancer survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Matei
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, L470, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Kerri M Winters-Stone
- Division of Oncological Sciences, School of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Jacob Raber
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, L470, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Division of Oncological Sciences, School of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Departments of Neurology and Radiation Medicine, Division of Neuroscience ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
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Valk SL, Kanske P, Park BY, Hong SJ, Böckler A, Trautwein FM, Bernhardt BC, Singer T. Functional and microstructural plasticity following social and interoceptive mental training. eLife 2023; 12:e85188. [PMID: 37417306 PMCID: PMC10414971 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The human brain supports social cognitive functions, including Theory of Mind, empathy, and compassion, through its intrinsic hierarchical organization. However, it remains unclear how the learning and refinement of social skills shapes brain function and structure. We studied if different types of social mental training induce changes in cortical function and microstructure, investigating 332 healthy adults (197 women, 20-55 years) with repeated multimodal neuroimaging and behavioral testing. Our neuroimaging approach examined longitudinal changes in cortical functional gradients and myelin-sensitive T1 relaxometry, two complementary measures of cortical hierarchical organization. We observed marked changes in intrinsic cortical function and microstructure, which varied as a function of social training content. In particular, cortical function and microstructure changed as a result of attention-mindfulness and socio-cognitive training in regions functionally associated with attention and interoception, including insular and parietal cortices. Conversely, socio-affective and socio-cognitive training resulted in differential microstructural changes in regions classically implicated in interoceptive and emotional processing, including insular and orbitofrontal areas, but did not result in functional reorganization. Notably, longitudinal changes in cortical function and microstructure predicted behavioral change in attention, compassion and perspective-taking. Our work demonstrates functional and microstructural plasticity after the training of social-interoceptive functions, and illustrates the bidirectional relationship between brain organisation and human social skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofie Louise Valk
- Otto Hahn Group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- INM-7, FZ JülichJülichGermany
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität DresdenDresdenGermany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
| | - Bo-yong Park
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Lab, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill UniversityMontrealCanada
- Department of Data Science, Inha UniversityIncheonRepublic of Korea
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic ScienceSuwonRepublic of Korea
| | - Seok-Jun Hong
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic ScienceSuwonRepublic of Korea
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind InstituteNew YorkUnited States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan UniversitySuwonRepublic of Korea
| | - Anne Böckler
- Department of Psychology, Wurzburg UniversityWurzburgGermany
| | - Fynn-Mathis Trautwein
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Boris C Bernhardt
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Lab, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill UniversityMontrealCanada
| | - Tania Singer
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck SocietyBerlinGermany
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Pop-Jordanova N. Emotional Dysregulation is the Core Problem in Psychopathological Manifestations. Pril (Makedon Akad Nauk Umet Odd Med Nauki) 2023; 44:7-16. [PMID: 37453117 DOI: 10.2478/prilozi-2023-0020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The established opinion is that emotions are the gift given to us by nature in order to help us connect with other people. They are constantly generated, usually by stimuli in our intrapersonal as well as in external world. Problems raised in our relationships initiate emotions to help us to fix those problems. Almost all forms of human psychopathology are associated with dysregulated emotions. The failure to apply appropriate cognitive, attentive, and behavioural regulatory strategies is the core for emotion dysregulation. The brain regulates emotions through a biological mechanism. Emotions rise in intensity, peak, and then go flat once the emotion adaptive action tendency has been expressed. The aim of the therapist is to help clients express, face, and regulate their emotions, and to channel these emotions into healthy actions. The idea of this article is to present contributions from both affective neuroscience and psychotherapy in order to explain the ways how our emotions become dysregulated in life and how they can become regulated through psychotherapy.
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Lorenzetti V, Gaillard A, Beyer E, Kowalczyk M, Kamboj SK, Manning V, Gleeson J. Do mindfulness-based interventions change brain function in people with substance dependence? A systematic review of the fMRI evidence. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:407. [PMID: 37286936 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-04789-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Substance use disorders (SUDs) affect ~ 35 million people globally and are associated with strong cravings, stress, and brain alterations. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) can mitigate the adverse psychosocial outcomes of SUDs, but the underlying neurobiology is unclear. Emerging findings were systematically synthesised from fMRI studies about MBI-associated changes in brain function in SUDs and their associations with mindfulness, drug quantity, and craving. METHODS PsycINFO, Medline, CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched. Seven studies met inclusion criteria. RESULTS Group by time effects indicated that MBIs in SUDs (6 tobacco and 1 opioid) were associated with changes in the function of brain pathways implicated in mindfulness and addiction (e.g., anterior cingulate cortex and striatum), which correlated with greater mindfulness, lower craving and drug quantity. CONCLUSIONS The evidence for fMRI-related changes with MBI in SUD is currently limited. More fMRI studies are required to identify how MBIs mitigate and facilitate recovery from aberrant brain functioning in SUDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Lorenzetti
- Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Level 5 Daniel Mannix Building, 115 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia.
| | - Alexandra Gaillard
- Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Level 5 Daniel Mannix Building, 115 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia
- Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia
| | - Emillie Beyer
- Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Level 5 Daniel Mannix Building, 115 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia
| | - Magdalena Kowalczyk
- Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Level 5 Daniel Mannix Building, 115 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia
| | - Sunjeev K Kamboj
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Victoria Manning
- Monash Addiction Research Centre, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Turning Point, Eastern Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - John Gleeson
- Digital Innovations in Mental Health and Well-being Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Bang M, Kim B, Lee KS, Choi TK, Lee SH. Long-term benefits of mindfulness on white matter tracts underlying the cortical midline structures in panic disorder: A 2-year longitudinal study. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2023; 77:355-364. [PMID: 36917206 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.13544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
AIMS We aimed to examine the long-term benefits of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on white matter plasticity in the cortical midline structures (CMS) for a period of 2 years in patients with panic disorder and the relationships between white matter changes in the CMS and severity of state and trait symptoms. METHODS Seventy-one participants were enrolled and underwent diffusion tensor imaging at baseline and after 2 years (26 who received MBCT as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy [MBCT+PT], 20 treated with pharmacotherapy alone [PT-alone], and 25 healthy controls [HCs]). The severity of symptoms and fractional anisotropy (FA) in white matter regions underlying the CMS were assessed at baseline and 2-year follow-up. RESULTS The MBCT+PT group showed better outcomes after 2 years than the PT-alone group. The groups showed different FA changes: the MBCT+PT group showed decreased FA in the left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC); the PT-alone group showed increased FA in the bilateral dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and precuneus. Decreased white matter FA in the ACC, PCC, and precuneus was associated with improvements in the severity of state and trait symptoms in patients with panic disorder. CONCLUSION Alleviation of excessive white matter connectivity in the CMS after MBCT leads to improvements in clinical symptoms and trait vulnerability in patients with panic disorder. Our study provides new evidence for the long-term benefits of MBCT on white matter plasticity and its clinical applicability as a robust treatment for panic disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minji Bang
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Borah Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Kang Soo Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Tai Kiu Choi
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Hyuk Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
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Priore LBD, Perez VO, Briani RV, Farinelli LALB, da Silva JDCP, Martins OMG, Lopes FA, Amorim AB, Pappas E, de Azevedo FM. Effects of an online program including mindfulness, exercise therapy and patient education compared to online exercise therapy and patient education for people with Patellofemoral Pain: protocol for a randomized clinical trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2023; 24:372. [PMID: 37170262 PMCID: PMC10173555 DOI: 10.1186/s12891-023-06491-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is a common knee disorder that causes persistent pain, lower self-reported function and quality of life. People with PFP also present with altered psychological factors, which are associated with higher levels of pain and dysfunction. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) generally consist of meditative practices developed to provide a holistic approach to chronic conditions. However, the effects of MBI on clinical and psychological outcomes for people with PFP remains understudied. METHODS This assessor-blinded, parallel, two-arm randomized clinical trial aims to investigate the effects of adding an 8-week online MBI program to exercise therapy and patient education on clinical and psychological factors for people with PFP. We also aim to investigate whether psychological factors mediate changes in pain and function. Sixty-two participants with PFP will be recruited and randomized into one of two treatment groups (Mindfulness or Control group). Both groups will receive an 8-week intervention involving exercise therapy and education delivered through an online platform. The Mindfulness group will additionally receive a MBI component including formal and informal practices. Outcomes will be assessed online at baseline, intervention endpoint (follow-up 1) and 12 months after intervention completion (follow-up 2). Comparisons between groups will be performed at all time points with linear mixed models. A mediation analysis will be performed using a 3-variable framework. DISCUSSION Exercise therapy and patient education are considered the "best management" options for PFP. However, unsatisfactory long-term prognosis remains an issue. It is known that people with PFP present with altered psychological factors, which should be considered during the evaluation and treatment of people with PFP. Adding a MBI to the current best treatment for PFP may improve short and long-term effects by addressing the underlying psychological factors. TRIAL REGISTRATION Registro Brasileiro de Ensaios Clínicos (ReBEC) RBR-4yhbqwk, registered in April 6, 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliam Barbuglio Del Priore
- Department of Physiotherapy, School of Science and Technology, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), 305 Roberto Simonsen St, Presidente Prudente, SP, 19060-900, Brazil.
| | - Vitoria Ozores Perez
- Department of Physiotherapy, School of Science and Technology, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), 305 Roberto Simonsen St, Presidente Prudente, SP, 19060-900, Brazil
| | - Ronaldo Valdir Briani
- Department of Physiotherapy, School of Science and Technology, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), 305 Roberto Simonsen St, Presidente Prudente, SP, 19060-900, Brazil
| | - Lucca Andre Liporoni Bego Farinelli
- Department of Physiotherapy, School of Science and Technology, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), 305 Roberto Simonsen St, Presidente Prudente, SP, 19060-900, Brazil
| | - Júlia de Cássia Pinto da Silva
- Department of Physiotherapy, School of Science and Technology, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), 305 Roberto Simonsen St, Presidente Prudente, SP, 19060-900, Brazil
| | - Odisséia Marli Gimenes Martins
- Brazilian Center for Mindfulness and Health Promotion - Mente Aberta, Federal University of Sao Paulo (Unifesp), Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fábio Arruda Lopes
- Department of Computer Engineering, Virtual University of Sao Paulo State (UNIVESP), Dracena, Brazil
| | - Anita Barros Amorim
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Evangelos Pappas
- School of Medicine and Illawarra Medical and Health Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Fábio Mícolis de Azevedo
- Department of Physiotherapy, School of Science and Technology, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), 305 Roberto Simonsen St, Presidente Prudente, SP, 19060-900, Brazil
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Michaelsen MM, Graser J, Onescheit M, Tuma MP, Werdecker L, Pieper D, Esch T. Mindfulness-Based and Mindfulness-Informed Interventions at the Workplace: A Systematic Review and Meta-Regression Analysis of RCTs. Mindfulness (N Y) 2023; 14:1-34. [PMID: 37362186 PMCID: PMC10172073 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-023-02130-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Objectives Positive effects of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) on occupational health have been demonstrated by several systematic review studies during the last two decades. So far, existing reviews excluded mindfulness-informed interventions (MIIs) that build on informal approaches or mixed techniques aiming at improving mindfulness indirectly. To address this research gap, the present comprehensive meta-analysis synthesizes the results of RCTs of MBIs and MIIs conducted in various workplace settings. Method A systematic literature search was conducted in five electronic databases complemented by manual search. Random-effects models were used to synthesize standardized mean differences (SMDs) for 25 outcomes and seven overarching categories of outcomes, and to detect various temporal effects. Meta-regressions were run to elucidate average SMDs between mindfulness intervention types and intervention and population characteristics, with the goal of detecting sources of heterogeneity and help guide the selection of the most appropriate mindfulness intervention type. Results Based on 91 eligible studies (from 92 publications), including 4927 participants and 4448 controls, the synthesis shows that MBIs and MIIs significantly improve mindfulness (SMD = 0.43; 95%-CI [0.33;0.52]), well-being (SMD = 0.63; 95%-CI [0.34;0.93]), mental health (SMD = 0.67; 95%-CI [0.48;0.86]), stress (SMD = 0.72; 95%-CI [0.54;0.90]), resilience (SMD = 1.06; 95%-CI [-0.22;2.34]), physical health (SMD = 0.45; 95%-CI [0.32;0.59]), and work-related factors (SMD = 0.62; 95%-CI [0.14;1.10]). Sensitivity analyses demonstrate a tendency towards smaller effect sizes due to extreme outliers. Effect sizes are stable in short-term follow-up assessments (1-12 weeks) for most outcomes, but not for long-term follow-up assessments (13-52 weeks). Meta-regressions suggest that observable intervention characteristics (e.g., online delivery) and population characteristics (e.g., age of participants), as well as study quality, do not explain the prevalence of heterogeneity in effect sizes. Conclusions Generally effective, mindfulness interventions are a useful tool to enhance aspects of employee health. However, because of heterogeneity and risk of bias, studies aiming at high-quality data collection and thorough reporting are necessary to draw firm conclusions. Preregistration A protocol of this systematic review was registered with PROSPERO (Registration-No. CRD42020159927). Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12671-023-02130-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maren M. Michaelsen
- Institute for Integrative Health Care and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Johannes Graser
- Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Miriam Onescheit
- Institute for Integrative Health Care and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Matthias P. Tuma
- Institute for Integrative Health Care and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Lena Werdecker
- Institute for Integrative Health Care and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Dawid Pieper
- Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, Brandenburg Medical School (Theodor Fontane), Institute for Health Services and Health System Research, Rüdersdorf, Germany
- Center for Health Services Research, Brandenburg Medical School (Theodor Fontane), Rüdersdorf, Germany
| | - Tobias Esch
- Institute for Integrative Health Care and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
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Liu S, You B, Zhang X, Shaw A, Chen H, Jackson T. Individual Differences in Pain Catastrophizing and Regional Gray Matter Volume Among Community-dwelling Adults With Chronic Pain: A Voxel-based Morphology Study. Clin J Pain 2023; 39:209-216. [PMID: 36920221 DOI: 10.1097/ajp.0000000000001103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Elevations in pain catastrophizing (PC) are associated with more severe pain, emotional distress, and impairment within samples with chronic pain. However, brain structure correlates underlying individual differences in PC are not well understood and predict more severe pain and impairment within samples with chronic pain. This study assessed links between regional gray matter volume (GMV) and individual differences in PC within a large mixed chronic pain sample. MATERIALS AND METHODS Chinese adult community dwellers with chronic pain of at least 3 months duration (101 women and 59 men) completed self-report measures of background characteristics, pain severity, depression, and a widely validated PC questionnaire as well as a structural magnetic resonance imagining scan featuring voxel-based morphology to assess regional GMV correlates of PC. RESULTS After controlling for demographic correlates of PC, pain severity, and depression, higher PC scores had a significant, unique association with lower GMV levels in the inferior temporal area of the right fusiform gyrus, a region previously implicated in emotion regulation. DISCUSSION GMV deficits, particularly in right temporal-occipital emotion regulation regions, correspond to high levels of PC among individuals with chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyang Liu
- School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing
| | - BeiBei You
- School of Nursing, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou
| | - Xin Zhang
- School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing
| | - Amy Shaw
- Department of Psychology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, S.A.R., China
| | - Hong Chen
- School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing
| | - Todd Jackson
- Department of Psychology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, S.A.R., China
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Elliott MV, Esmail SAS, Weiner KS, Johnson SL. Neuroanatomical Correlates of Emotion-Related Impulsivity. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:566-574. [PMID: 36244800 PMCID: PMC9898470 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emotion-related impulsivity (ERI) refers to chronically poor self-control during periods of strong emotion. ERI robustly predicts psychiatric disorders and related problems, yet its neuroanatomical correlates are largely unknown. We tested whether local brain morphometry in targeted brain regions that integrate emotion and control could explain ERI severity. METHODS One hundred twenty-two adults (ages 18-55 years) with internalizing or externalizing psychopathology completed a structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, the Three-Factor Impulsivity Index, and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5. The Three-Factor Impulsivity Index measures two types of ERI and a third type of impulsivity not linked to emotion. Cortical reconstruction yielded cortical thickness and local gyrification measurements. We evaluated whether morphometry in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), insula, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens was associated with ERI severity. Hypotheses and analyses were preregistered. RESULTS Lower cortical gyrification in the right lateral OFC was associated with high ERI severity in a full, preregistered model. Separate examinations of local gyrification and cortical thickness also showed a positive association between gyrification in the left lateral OFC and ERI. An integrated measure of hemispheric imbalance in lateral OFC gyrification (right < left) correlated with ERI severity. These findings were specific to ERI and did not appear with non-emotion-related impulsivity. CONCLUSIONS Local gyrification in the lateral OFC is associated with ERI severity. The current findings fit with existing theories of OFC function, strengthen the connections between the transdiagnostic literature in psychiatry and neuroscience, and may guide future treatment development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew V Elliott
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California.
| | - Serajh A S Esmail
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California
| | - Kevin S Weiner
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California
| | - Sheri L Johnson
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California
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Shen H, Zhang L, Li Y, Zheng D, Du L, Xu F, Xu C, Liu Y, Shen J, Li Z, Cui D. Mindfulness-based intervention improves residual negative symptoms and cognitive impairment in schizophrenia: a randomized controlled follow-up study. Psychol Med 2023; 53:1390-1399. [PMID: 36468948 PMCID: PMC10009398 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291721002944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Residual negative symptoms and cognitive impairment are common for chronic schizophrenia patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia patients with residual negative symptoms. METHODS In this 6-week, randomized, single-blind, controlled study, a total of 100 schizophrenia patients with residual negative symptoms were randomly assigned to the MBI or control group. The 6-week MBI group and the control group with general rehabilitation programs maintained their original antipsychotic treatments. The scores for the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), and the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) were recorded at baseline and week 6 to assess psychotic symptoms, cognitive performance, and emotional state, respectively. RESULTS Compared with general rehabilitation programs, MBI alleviated the PANSS-negative subscore, general psychopathology subscore, and PANSS total score in schizophrenia patients with residual negative symptoms (F = 33.77, pBonferroni < 0.001; F = 42.01, pBonferroni < 0.001; F = 52.41, pBonferroni < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, MBI improved RBANS total score and immediate memory subscore (F = 8.80, pBonferroni = 0.024; F = 11.37, pBonferroni = 0.006), as well as SCL-90 total score in schizophrenia patients with residual negative symptoms (F = 18.39, pBonferroni < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that MBI helps schizophrenia patients with residual negative symptoms improve clinical symptoms including negative symptom, general psychopathology symptom, and cognitive impairment. TRIAL REGISTRATION ChiCTR2100043803.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Shen
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuhuan Li
- Qingdao Mental Health Center, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Denise Zheng
- McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Lizhao Du
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Med-X Engineering Research Center, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feikang Xu
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chuchen Xu
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Shen
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zezhi Li
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Neurology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Donghong Cui
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai, China
- Brain Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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Duda AT, Clarke AR, De Blasio FM, Rout TW, Barry RJ. The Effects of Concentrative Meditation on the Electroencephalogram in Novice Meditators. Clin EEG Neurosci 2023; 54:130-140. [PMID: 34894805 DOI: 10.1177/15500594211065897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Following investigations into the benefits of meditation on psychological health and well-being, research is now seeking to understand the mechanisms underlying these outcomes. This study aimed to identify natural alpha and theta frequency components during eyes-closed resting and concentrative meditation states and examined their differences within and between two testing sessions. Novice meditators had their EEG recorded during eyes-closed resting and concentrative meditation conditions, before and after engaging in a brief daily concentrative meditation practice for approximately one-month. Separate frequency Principal Components Analyses (f-PCA) yielded four spectral components of interest, congruent between both conditions and sessions: Delta-Theta-Alpha, Low Alpha, High Alpha, and Alpha-Beta. While all four components showed some increase in the meditation condition at the second session, only Low Alpha (∼9.5-10.0 Hz) showed similar increases while resting. These findings support the use of f-PCA as a novel method of data analysis in the investigation of psychophysiological states in meditation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander T Duda
- Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and School of Psychology, 8691University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Adam R Clarke
- Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and School of Psychology, 8691University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Frances M De Blasio
- Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and School of Psychology, 8691University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Thomas W Rout
- Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and School of Psychology, 8691University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Robert J Barry
- Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and School of Psychology, 8691University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
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Nash JD, Newberg AB. An updated classification of meditation methods using principles of taxonomy and systematics. Front Psychol 2023; 13:1062535. [PMID: 36846482 PMCID: PMC9945223 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1062535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper revisits the proposal for the classification of meditation methods which we introduced in our initial 2013 publication, "Toward a Universal Taxonomy and Definition of Meditation". At that time, we advanced the thesis that meditation methods could be effectively segregated into three orthogonal categories by integrating the taxonomic principle of functional essentialism and the paradigm of Affect and Cognition; and we presented relevant research findings which supported that assertion. This iteration expands upon those theoretical and methodological elements by articulating a more comprehensive Three Tier Classification System which accounts for the full range of meditation methods; and demonstrates how recent neuroscience research continues to validate and support our thesis. This paper also introduces a novel criterion-based protocol for formulating classification systems of meditation methods, and demonstrates how this model can be used to compare and evaluate various other taxonomy proposals that have been published over the past 15 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D. Nash
- Retired, Unaffiliated, Chiangmai, Thailand,*Correspondence: Jonathan D. Nash, ✉
| | - Andrew B. Newberg
- Department of Integrative Medicine and Nutritional Sciences, Jefferson University Hospitals, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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43
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Boccia M, Teghil A, Raimo S, Di Vita A, Grossi D, Guariglia C, Palermo L. Neural substrates of interoceptive sensibility: An integrated study in normal and pathological functioning. Neuropsychologia 2023; 183:108504. [PMID: 36746344 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In early studies interoception strictly referred to the awareness of visceral sensations, but recent theories have expanded this concept to denote the ongoing status of the body, including somatosensory feelings. Here, we integrated data from normal and pathological functioning to disclose neural underpinnings of interoceptive sensibility, taking into account the crucial distinction between visceral and somatosensory feelings. Twenty-seven healthy young individuals underwent structural MRI (including T1w images and DTI). Voxel-wise analyses of the gyrification index (GI) and fractional anisotropy (FA) data were performed to assess the relation between interoceptive sensibility and surface morphometry and anatomical connectivity. Thirty-three unilateral brain-damaged patients took part in this study for Voxel-Based Lesion-Symptom Mapping (VLSM) and track-wise hodological lesion-deficit analysis (TWH). All participants completed the Self-Awareness Questionnaire (SAQ), a self-report tool assessing interoceptive sensibility of visceral (F1) and somatosensory feelings (F2). Tract-Based Spatial Statistics showed that F2 was positively associated with FA in the bilateral anterior thalamic radiation, corticospinal tract, cingulum, forceps, inferior longitudinal, fronto-occipital, superior longitudinal, and uncinate fasciculi; no significant association was detected for F1. However, F1 was positively associated with GI in the left anterior cingulate cortex. VLSM showed that F1 mainly relies on the right posterior insula, whereas F2 is related mostly to subcortical nuclei and surrounding white matter in the right hemisphere. Accordingly, patients with disconnection of the anterior thalamic projection, corticospinal tract, inferior fronto-occipital, inferior longitudinal, uncinate and superior longitudinal fasciculus III showed lower scores on F2. Overall, results support the dissociation between interoceptive sensibility of visceral and somatosensory feelings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maddalena Boccia
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy; Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Santa Lucia, Italy.
| | - Alice Teghil
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy; Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Santa Lucia, Italy
| | - Simona Raimo
- Department of Medical and Surgical in Sciences, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Antonella Di Vita
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Dario Grossi
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Italy
| | - Cecilia Guariglia
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy; Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Santa Lucia, Italy
| | - Liana Palermo
- Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Santa Lucia, Italy; Department of Medical and Surgical in Sciences, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Italy
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44
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van der Velden AM, Scholl J, Elmholdt EM, Fjorback LO, Harmer CJ, Lazar SW, O'Toole MS, Smallwood J, Roepstorff A, Kuyken W. Mindfulness Training Changes Brain Dynamics During Depressive Rumination: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:233-242. [PMID: 36328822 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.06.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide and its prevalence is on the rise. One of the most debilitating aspects of depression is the dominance and persistence of depressive rumination, a state of mind that is linked to onset and recurrence of depression. Mindfulness meditation trains adaptive attention regulation and present-moment embodied awareness, skills that may be particularly useful during depressive mind states characterized by negative ruminative thoughts. METHODS In a randomized controlled functional magnetic resonance imaging study (N = 80), we looked at the neurocognitive mechanisms behind mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (n = 50) for recurrent depression compared with treatment as usual (n = 30) across experimentally induced states of rest, mindfulness practice and rumination, and the relationship with dispositional psychological processes. RESULTS Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy compared with treatment as usual led to decreased salience network connectivity to the lingual gyrus during a ruminative state, and this change in salience network connectivity mediated improvements in the ability to sustain and control attention to body sensations. CONCLUSIONS These findings showed that a clinically effective mindfulness intervention modulates neurocognitive functioning during depressive rumination and the ability to sustain attention to the body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Maj van der Velden
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Psychiatry, Oxford University and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom.
| | - Jacqueline Scholl
- Department of Psychiatry, Oxford University and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom; Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre, INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, PSYR2 Team, University of Lyon, Lyon, France; Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier, Bron, France
| | - Else-Marie Elmholdt
- School of Business and Social Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; NIDO, Regional Hospital West Jutland, Herning, Denmark
| | - Lone O Fjorback
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Catherine J Harmer
- Department of Psychiatry, Oxford University and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sara W Lazar
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mia S O'Toole
- School of Business and Social Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Andreas Roepstorff
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Willem Kuyken
- Department of Psychiatry, Oxford University and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
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45
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Staples JK, Gibson C, Uddo M. Complementary and Integrative Health Interventions for Insomnia in Veterans and Military Populations. Psychol Rep 2023; 126:52-65. [PMID: 34855539 DOI: 10.1177/00332941211048473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Insomnia can be a serious problem diminishing quality of life for Veterans and military populations with and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sleep disturbances are one of the symptoms of PTSD but even after evidence-based PTSD treatments, insomnia symptoms often remain. The primary approaches for treating insomnia are cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and pharmacotherapy. However, each of these treatments has drawbacks. Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) approaches such as mindfulness meditation, mantram meditation, yoga, and tai chi may provide alternative treatments for insomnia in military populations. This paper provides a brief review of studies on CIH interventions for sleep disturbances in Veterans. It also proposes possible mechanisms by which CIH practices may be effective, including increasing hippocampal volume and gamma-aminobutyric acid acid (GABA). Finally, the acceptability of CIH approaches among Veterans is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie K Staples
- Psychology Service, 20022Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA, USA.,Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, 12231Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.,Awareness Technologies, Inc., Taos, NM, USA
| | - Courtney Gibson
- Psychology Service, 20022Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Madeline Uddo
- Psychology Service, 20022Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA, USA
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46
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Ng HYH, Wu CW, Huang FY, Huang CM, Hsu CF, Chao YP, Jung TP, Chuang CH. Enhanced electroencephalography effective connectivity in frontal low-gamma band correlates of emotional regulation after mindfulness training. J Neurosci Res 2023; 101:901-915. [PMID: 36717762 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Practicing mindfulness, focusing attention on the internal and external experiences occurring in the present moment with open and nonjudgement stance, can lead to the development of emotional regulation skills. Yet, the effective connectivity of brain regions during mindfulness has been largely unexplored. Studies have shown that mindfulness practice promotes functional connectivity in practitioners, potentially due to improved emotional regulation abilities and increased connectivity in the lateral prefrontal areas. To examine the changes in effective connectivity due to mindfulness training, we analyzed electroencephalogram (EEG) signals taken before and after mindfulness training, focusing on training-related effective connectivity changes in the frontal area. The mindfulness training group participated in an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program. The control group did not take part. Regardless of the specific mindfulness practice used, low-gamma band effective connectivity increased globally after the mindfulness training. High-beta band effective connectivity increased globally only during Breathing. Moreover, relatively higher outgoing effective connectivity strength was seen during Resting and Breathing and Body-scan. By analyzing the changes in outgoing and incoming connectivity edges, both F7 and F8 exhibited strong parietal connectivity during Resting and Breathing. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the changes in effective connectivity of the right lateral prefrontal area predicted mindfulness and emotional regulation abilities. These results partially support the theory that the lateral prefrontal areas have top-down modulatory control, as these areas have high outflow effective connectivity, implying that mindfulness training cultivates better emotional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hei-Yin Hydra Ng
- Research Center for Education and Mind Sciences, College of Education, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.,Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, College of Education, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Changwei W Wu
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Brain and Consciousness Research Center, Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Feng-Ying Huang
- Department of Education, National Taipei University of Education, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Mao Huang
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.,Center for Intelligent Drug Systems and Smart Bio-devices (IDS2B), National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Fen Hsu
- Graduate Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Child Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ping Chao
- Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Tzyy-Ping Jung
- Institute for Neural Computation and Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California, La Jolla, USA
| | - Chun-Hsiang Chuang
- Research Center for Education and Mind Sciences, College of Education, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.,Institute of Information Systems and Applications, College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
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The Effects of a New Integrated and Multidisciplinary Cognitive Rehabilitation Program Based on Mindfulness and Reminiscence Therapy in Patients with Parkinson's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Study. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13020201. [PMID: 36831744 PMCID: PMC9954653 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13020201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Mindfulness trainings have shown promising results as treatment for behavioural symptoms in several pathologies. In addition, mindfulness protocols induced an improvement in memory and attention. Therefore, mindfulness could be an effective intervention for patients affected by Parkinson's disease (PD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), who are characterized by both behavioural and cognitive dysfunctions. Methods: We assessed differences in Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores and in Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) scores in patients affected by PD and MCI enrolled in two different rehabilitation programs (an experimental vs. an usual structured program for cognitive rehabilitation). Participants in the experimental group (MILC-tr) underwent innovative rehabilitation program involving mindfulness and reminiscence activities. Assessments were performed before (T0) and at the end of the rehabilitation program (T1). Results: Friedman test showed a significant improvement between timepoints in MoCA global score (x2 = 4.000, p = 0.046), MoCA memory sub-scale score (x2 = 4.571, p = 0.033), and BDI-II cognitive and affective factors (x2 = 4.000, p = 0.046) only for patients in MILC-tr group. Mann-Whitney test showed a significant difference between group comparing differences in Δ scores between T0 and T1 in the MoCA memory sub-scale score (U = 190.50, p = 0.035). Conclusions: Mindfulness-based rehabilitation programs could be effective in patients affected by PD and MCI.
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48
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Wang X, Si K, Gu W, Wang X. Mitigating effects and mechanisms of Tai Chi on mild cognitive impairment in the elderly. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 14:1028822. [PMID: 36760710 PMCID: PMC9906996 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.1028822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a major public health concern that endangers health and decreases the quality of life of the elderly around the world. A recent clinical guideline has recommended regular exercise (twice per week) for patients with MCI as part of an overall approach to management. Tai Chi, a form of light-to-moderate-intensity mind-body exercise, is particularly suitable for seniors. This review aims to summarize epidemiological studies related to the effects of Tai Chi on symptom remission in older adults with MCI and reveal the potential mechanisms. Evidence suggested that Tai Chi can improve cognitive functions and alleviate the accompanying symptoms of MCI in the elderly potentially by activating the expression of signals in different brain regions, altering their connectivity, increasing the brain volume, and modulating brain-derived neurotropic and inflammation factors. Studies comparing various types of Tai Chi may contribute to the identification of paradigms that have appropriate intensities and difficulty and exert good effects on older people with MCI. In addition, studies are warranted to determine the frequency and duration of training that can optimize the beneficial effects of Tai Chi on MCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- Faculty of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Keyi Si
- Department of Military Health Statistics, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Gu
- Faculty of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xueqiang Wang
- Department of Sport Rehabilitation, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai Shangti Orthopaedic Hospital, Shanghai, China
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49
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Embodied empathy and abstract concepts' concreteness: Evidence from contemplative practices. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2022.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
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50
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Altered structural and functional homotopic connectivity associated with the progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease. Psychiatry Res 2023; 319:115000. [PMID: 36502711 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.115000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The progressive mild cognitive impairment (pMCI) is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Many studies have reported the disrupted brain alteration during the imminent conversion from pMCI to AD. However, the subtle difference of structural and functional of inter-hemispheric between pMCI and stable mild cognitive impairment (sMCI) remains unknown. In the present study, we scanned the multimodal magnetic resonance imaging of 38 sMCI, 26 pMCI, and 50 healthy controls (HC) and assessed the cognitive function. The voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) and volume of corpus callosum were calculated. A structural equation modeling (SEM) was established to determine the relationships between the corpus callosum, the inter-hemispheric connectivity, and cognitive assessment. Compared to sMCI, pMCI exhibited decreased VMHC in insular and thalamus, and reduced volume of corpus callosum. SEM results showed that decreased inter-hemispheric connectivity was directly associated with cognitive impairment and corpus callosum atrophy, and corpus callosum atrophy indirectly caused cognitive impairment by mediating inter-hemispheric connectivity in pMCI. In conclusion, the destruction of homotopic connectivity is related to cognitive impairment, and the corpus callosum atrophy partially mediates the association between the homotopic connectivity and cognitive impairment in pMCI.
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