Current Understanding of Religion, Spirituality, and Their Neurobiological Correlates

Starting the pill during adolescence: Age of onset and duration of use influence morphology of the hippocampus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex

From adolescence, women become more likely to experience fear dysregulation. Oral contraceptives (OCs) can modulate the brain regions involved in fear processes. OCs are generally used for years and often initiated during adolescence, a sensitive period where certain brain regions involved in the fear circuitry are still undergoing important reorganization. It remains unknown whether OC use during adolescence may induce long-lasting changes in the fear circuitry. This study aimed to examine whether age of onset moderated the relationship between duration of use and fear-related brain structures. We collected structural MRI data in 98 healthy adult women (61 current users, 37 past users) and extracted grey matter volumes (GMV) and cortical thickness (CT) of key regions of the fear circuitry. Non-linear multiple regressions revealed interaction effects between age of onset and quadratic duration of use on GMV of the right hippocampus and right ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Among women who initiated OCs earlier in adolescence, a short duration of use was associated with smaller hippocampal GMV and thicker vmPFC compared to a longer duration of use. For both GMV and CT of the right vmPFC, women with an early OC onset had more grey matter at a short duration of use than those with a later onset. Our results suggest that OC use earlier in adolescence may induce lasting effects on structural correlates of fear learning and its regulation. These findings support further investigation into the timing of OC use to better comprehend how OCs could disrupt normal brain development processes.

A scoping review of spirituality in relation to substance use disorders: Psychological, biological, and cultural issues

BACKGROUND

Spirituality is a construct encompassing a diversity of strongly held beliefs and pursuits related to life's meaning and purpose. Empirical studies in key domains of spirituality related to substance use disorder (SUD) can be valuable in guiding research, and potentially clinical care.

OBJECTIVES

To conduct a scoping review of research on the psychological, biological, and cultural dimensions of spirituality and their role in relation to SUD. To identify limitations in empirical findings within these domains and identify promising areas for related research.

DATA SOURCES, STUDY APPRAISAL, AND SYNTHESIS METHODS

Illustrative studies available in the empirical literature are reviewed in order to characterize these three key domains.

RESULTS

Certain areas of importance stand out: On Psychology, attribution of SUD to a spiritual outlook; spiritual awakening; the relation of spirituality to drug craving; and spirituality in the context of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. On Biology, heritability of traits related to shared spiritual experience; neurophysiologic correlates of spiritually related experiences; and correlates in brain imaging; On Culture, spiritual aspects of SUD in different cultural settings; distinctions between spiritual and religious phenomena; roles that international organizations play; and context of acquiring recovery capital. The need for further research in each area is defined.

CONCLUSIONS

There is utility in examining the diversity of findings in the roles of psychology, biology, and culture in the SUD field. Further research, particularly applying randomization and clinical controls, would be useful in improving the effective application of the construct of spirituality in clinical care.

Religiosity, Financial Risk Taking, and Reward Processing: An Experimental Study

The present study investigated the extent to which financial risk-taking (FRT) perspectives and religiosity influenced an individual's performance on financial decision-making tasks under risk and/or uncertainty. It further investigated the potential to measure this interaction using electro-encephalogram (EEG) assessments through reward-related event-related potentials (P3 and FRN). EEG data were collected from 37 participants undergoing four decision-making tasks comprising the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), Iowa Gambling Test (IGT), Mixed-Gamble Loss-Aversion Task (MGLAT), and MGLA-Success Task (MGLAST). The present study found that BART performance may be affected by an interaction of FRT perspectives and religiosity. The physiological effects of task feedback were also distinguished between religious and non-religious individuals objectively with EEG data. Overall, while religiosity and FRT may not significantly influence IGT and MGLA performance, and interact with BART in a complex way, physiological reaction towards feedback after BART performance appears to be strongly affected by religiosity and FRT perspectives.

Spirituality is associated with immune parameters and disease activity in primary Sjögren's syndrome: a cross-sectional study

The role of spirituality in health and disease is a complex and emerging area of research. Incorporating spirituality into the bio-psycho-social model of health and disease leading to the bio-psycho-social-spiritual model provides a more comprehensive framework. In this context, chronic disorders like primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) are of interest due to their intricate interactions between biological, psychological, and spiritual factors. This study explored the relationship between spirituality, immune parameters, and disease activity in pSS patients. Data from 108 patients were analyzed, including self-assessed spirituality (answering to direct questions and completing the Spiritual Transcendence Scale), immunological parameters and disease activity scores. The findings revealed several associations. Individuals with spiritual attitudes or engaged in regular prayer/meditation showed lower serum levels of autoantibodies specific to pSS and lower disease activity scores. Spiritual engagement was also linked to decreased perceived skin and tracheal dryness, suggesting potential benefits for physical symptoms. These findings suggest that spirituality may play a significant role in modulating immune responses and disease activity in pSS patients. The study underscores the importance of considering spirituality as an integral part of the holistic approach to health and disease, further expanding the understanding of the interconnectedness of biological, psychological, and spiritual dimensions.

Monitoring the neural activity associated with praying in Sahaja Yoga meditation

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.

Morphologic alterations of the fear circuitry: the role of sex hormones and oral contraceptives

Background

Endogenous sex hormones and oral contraceptives (OCs) have been shown to influence key regions implicated in fear processing. While OC use has been found to impact brain morphology, methodological challenges remain to be addressed, such as avoiding selection bias between OC users and non-users, as well as examining potential lasting effects of OC intake.

Objective

We investigated the current and lasting effects of OC use, as well as the interplay between the current hormonal milieu and history of hormonal contraception use on structural correlates of the fear circuitry. We also examined the role of endogenous and exogenous sex hormones within this network.

Methods

We recruited healthy adults aged 23-35 who identified as women currently using (n = 62) or having used (n = 37) solely combined OCs, women who never used any hormonal contraceptives (n = 40), or men (n = 41). Salivary endogenous sex hormones and current users' salivary ethinyl estradiol (EE) were assessed using liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry. Using structural magnetic resonance imaging, we extracted surface-based gray matter volumes (GMVs) and cortical thickness (CT) for regions of interest of the fear circuitry. Exploratory whole-brain analyses were conducted with surface-based and voxel-based morphometry methods.

Results

Compared to men, all three groups of women exhibited a larger GMV of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, while only current users showed a thinner ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Irrespective of the menstrual cycle phase, never users exhibited a thicker right anterior insular cortex than past users. While associations with endogenous sex hormones remain unclear, we showed that EE dosage in current users had a greater influence on brain anatomy compared to salivary EE levels and progestin androgenicity, with lower doses being associated with smaller cortical GMVs.

Discussion

Our results highlight a sex difference for the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex GMV (a fear-promoting region), as well as a reduced CT of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (a fear-inhibiting region) specific to current OC use. Precisely, this finding was driven by lower EE doses. These findings may represent structural vulnerabilities to anxiety and stress-related disorders. We showed little evidence of durable anatomical effects, suggesting that OC intake can (reversibly) affect fear-related brain morphology.

Resilience and spirituality mediate anxiety and life satisfaction in chronically Ill older adults

BACKGROUND

Spirituality and psychological resilience can be considered as a protective factor for coping with anxiety in geriatric populations. The aim of the study was to investigate the structural model related to the mediating role of spirituality and psychological resilience in predicting the relationship between anxiety and life satisfaction in older adults with chronic illness.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional study, one hundred patients over sixty years of age from one university hospital were selected by convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Spiritual Health Scale, the Anxiety Module of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Life Satisfaction Scale, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using Partial Least Squares (PLS) structure modeling.

RESULTS

There was a positive and significant relationship between resilience, spirituality and life satisfaction of the samples. The structural model showed that spirituality, and psychological resilience mediated in the relationship between anxiety and life satisfaction directly and in indirectly in the older people with chronic disease, explaining approximately 34% of the variance in life satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that spirituality and psychological resilience can help older adults with chronic illness to negate the impact of anxiety on satisfaction, with the effect of spirituality being stronger than resilience in this relationship.

Global synergistic actions to improve brain health for human development

The global burden of neurological disorders is substantial and increasing, especially in low-resource settings. The current increased global interest in brain health and its impact on population wellbeing and economic growth, highlighted in the World Health Organization's new Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and other Neurological Disorders 2022-2031, presents an opportunity to rethink the delivery of neurological services. In this Perspective, we highlight the global burden of neurological disorders and propose pragmatic solutions to enhance neurological health, with an emphasis on building global synergies and fostering a 'neurological revolution' across four key pillars - surveillance, prevention, acute care and rehabilitation - termed the neurological quadrangle. Innovative strategies for achieving this transformation include the recognition and promotion of holistic, spiritual and planetary health. These strategies can be deployed through co-design and co-implementation to create equitable and inclusive access to services for the promotion, protection and recovery of neurological health in all human populations across the life course.

Perceived changes in the mental well-being among Nigerians due to Ramadan Intermittent Fasting during the COVID-19 pandemic

INTRODUCTION

Muslims fast every year during the month of Ramadan from dawn until dusk. This study examined mental well-being and correlating factors among Nigerian adults who observed Ramadan intermittent fasting (RIF).

METHODS

A validated generalized anxiety disorder-2 and Patient Health Questionnaire-2, the four-item spiritual well-being index, and the Islamic intrinsic religiosity questionnaire were used to collect data about mental well-being (depression, anxiety), spirituality, and intrinsic religiosity through a web-based survey between the May 9, 2021 (27th of Ramadan, 1442) and the June 4, 2021 (29th of Shawwal, 1442). We studied the mental well-being of respondents over a period of 4 weeks before Ramadan (BR) and during the 4 weeks of Ramadan between the April 12, 2021 and the May 12, 2021(DR). Multinomial regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with depression and anxiety. This research did not receive any grant or funding.

RESULTS

A total of 770 adult Nigerians who observed RIF study were included in this cross-sectional study. When compared to mental well-being BR, observing RIF by Nigerian adult respondents was associated with a significant improvement in their mental well-being. A higher proportion of respondents felt less depressed DR (61.3% vs. 56.5%. < .001). Interest and pleasure in doing things improved DR than BR (p= 0.007) and respondents felt less nervous and anxious (60.7% vs. 57.1%, respectively; p <.001). Mental well-being was independently associated with sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity, and perceived relationships.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found significant improvement in mental well-being DR compared to BR despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The effect of RIF on mental well-being needs further research with multicentric studies among different sets of ethnic populations.

Electrodermal Activity Implicating a Sympathetic Nervous System Response under the Perception of Sensing a Divine Presence—A Psychophysiological Analysis

Previous studies have suggested that religious worship experiences may recruit the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in an activating fashion. For this reason, we hypothesized that measurements of the electrodermal activity (EDA) would concur with the notion that the subjective experience of sensing the presence of God recruits a sympathetic nervous system response. We analyzed the EDA of 37 evangelical participants and calculated classic galvanic skin response (GSR) measures. Our experimental design included six conditions with and without music consisting of religious and non-religious songs plus a resting-state condition, which were used to induce a variance in the religious experience suitable for statistical analyses. Results showed that both tonic and phasic signals as well as the overall electrical skin conductance (SC) were positively associated with the religious experience, defined as sensing the presence of God. This implicates that we can accept the hypothesis that such a religious experience under the influence of worship seems to recruit the sympathetic nervous system.

Localization of ictal Islamic rituals: Study of epilepsy center in Makkah

BACKGROUND

Ictal semiology is important to aid the diagnosis of seizure type. Patients frequently require admission to an epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) to reach a correct diagnosis of epilepsy type. Some patients may exhibit unusual ictal phenomena that can lead to the diagnosis of psychogenic seizures. Unusual ictal phenomena include ictal kissing, praying, and drinking. Ictal religious speech and praying are other examples of unusual ictal phenomena. This study aims to assess the localization value of ictal Islamic rituals.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed all patients admitted to the EMU at King Abdullah Medical City in Makkah between 2017 and 2021. Patients with ictal Islamic rituals were included in the study.

RESULTS

Nine out of the 279 cases admitted to the EMU have different ictal Islamic rituals. Some patients exhibited multiple Islamic rituals during their seizures. Six patients performed Islamic religious speech, including asking Allah to help, asking for forgiveness, and making basmala (in the name of Allah). Three patients exhibited self-immunization patterns (tahseen). Three patients repeatedly raised their right index fingers (shahada movements). All nine patients had seizures originating from the right temporal lobe.

CONCLUSIONS

Islamic rituals are rare ictal phenomena localized to the right temporal lobe.

Possible transgenerational associations between grandparents’ childhood exposures and religious belief in their granddaughters: a longitudinal cohort study

Background: Research in non-genetic inheritance indicates that grandparents’ smoking habits and their childhood experiences of trauma can influence the physical and psychological attributes of their grandchildren. This was particularly apparent for outcomes such as autism and obesity where the population prevalence changed over time. Other factors which have changed temporally include religious and spiritual beliefs (RSBs) which have been declining in Western populations. Methods: We used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) to explore whether grandparental exposures were associated with the religious and/or spiritual beliefs of their grandchildren as measured with a positive response to the question “Do you believe in God or some divine power?” . In line with other inter/trans-generational human studies we hypothesised that: (H1) grandparents’ childhood exposures to cigarette smoking (whether in utero or by active smoking) and/or exposure to traumatic events during childhood will be associated with their grandchild’s RSB; (H2) associations will differ between maternal and paternal lines of inheritance; (H3) relationships will vary with age at grandparental exposure, and (H4) associations will differ between grandsons and granddaughters. Results: We found significant associations between the grandchild’s RSB and both the grandparents’ smoking and their childhood trauma histories (H1 supported). These associations were mainly found down the maternal line (H2 possibly supported) and results varied with age of exposure of the grandparents; being strongest for in utero exposure of cigarette smoke and for pre-puberty exposure of traumatic events (H3 supported), and that granddaughters were more affected than grandsons (H4 supported). Conclusions: We hope that these results will motivate collection of similar data to further evaluate these questions in other populations, including a possible role for biological mechanisms.

The neuroscience of spirituality, religion, and mental health: A systematic review and synthesis

Prior research highlights the importance of spirituality/religion (S/R) as it relates to several aspects of mental health and clinical interventions. This research has been expanded to include the concurrent examination of neurobiological correlates of S/R to elucidate potential biological mechanisms. However, the majority of neurobiological research on S/R has neglected mental health, and the relationship across all three of these domains (S/R, mental health, and neurobiology) remains unclear. This study systematically reviewed research concurrently examining S/R, mental health, and neurobiology, and rated the methodological quality of included studies. Eighteen identified studies were then included in an integrated literature review and discussion, regarding the neurobiological correlates of S/R as it pertains to depression, anxiety, alcohol/substance misuse, and psychosis. The majority of studies demonstrated moderate to high methodological quality. Findings highlight the need for additional studies in this area as well as research that includes validated assessment of S/R.

Pursuing the epidemiology and familial risks of depression and developing an evidence based psychotherapy

This commentary, as requested, presents the highlights of my research career. The epidemiology of psychiatric disorders study, challenged in a small study, the notion that diagnosis for psychiatric disorders could be made in a community survey. This pilot study was the basis for the Epidemiology Catchment Area Study (ECA) with 18,000 participants and the many more updated surveys, which followed. The families at High and Low Risk for Depression study in its 40th year challenged the notion that children didn't get depressed and showed that parental depression was the major risk for depression, which began in youth and reoccurred over the lifespan. Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), now has been tested in over 150 clinical trials, recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), globally in China, Germany, Ukraine, and many more countries.

Parental religiosity is associated with changes in youth functional network organization and cognitive performance in early adolescence

Parental religious beliefs and practices (religiosity) may have profound effects on youth, especially in neurodevelopmentally complex periods such as adolescence. In n = 5566 children (median age = 120.0 months; 52.1% females; 71.2% with religious affiliation) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, relationships between parental religiosity and non-religious beliefs on family values (data on youth beliefs were not available), topological properties of youth resting-state brain networks, and executive function, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility were investigated. Lower caregiver education and family income were associated with stronger parental beliefs (p < 0.01). Strength of both belief types was correlated with lower efficiency, community structure, and robustness of frontoparietal control, temporoparietal, and dorsal attention networks (p < 0.05), and lower Matrix Reasoning scores. Stronger religious beliefs were negatively associated (directly and indirectly) with multiscale properties of salience and default-mode networks, and lower Flanker and Dimensional Card Sort scores, but positively associated with properties of the precuneus. Overall, these effects were small (Cohen's d ~ 0.2 to ~ 0.4). Overlapping neuromodulatory and cognitive effects of parental beliefs suggest that early adolescents may perceive religious beliefs partly as context-independent rules on expected behavior. However, religious beliefs may also differentially affect cognitive flexibility, attention, and inhibitory control and their neural substrates.

Possible transgenerational associations between grandparents’ childhood exposures and religious belief in their granddaughters: a longitudinal cohort study

Background: Research in non-genetic inheritance indicates that grandparents’ smoking habits and their childhood experiences of trauma can influence the physical and psychological attributes of their grandchildren. This was particularly apparent for outcomes such as autism and obesity where the population prevalence changed over time. Other factors which have changed temporally include religious and spiritual beliefs (RSBs) which have been declining in Western populations. Methods: We used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) to explore whether grandparental exposures were associated with the religious and/or spiritual beliefs of their grandchildren. In line with other inter/trans-generational human studies we predicted that: (P1) grandparents’ childhood exposures to cigarette smoking (whether in utero or by active smoking) and/or exposure to traumatic events during childhood will be associated with their grandchild’s RSB; (P2) associations will differ between maternal and paternal lines of inheritance; (P3) relationships will vary with age at grandparental exposure, and (P4) associations will differ between grandsons and granddaughters. Results: We found significant associations between the grandchild’s RSB and both the grandparents’ smoking and their childhood trauma histories (P1 supported). These associations were mainly found down the maternal line (P2 possibly supported) and results varied with age of exposure of the grandparents; being strongest for in utero exposure of cigarette smoke and for pre-puberty exposure of traumatic events (P3 supported), and that granddaughters were more affected than grandsons (P4 supported). Conclusions: We hope that these results will motivate collection of similar data to further evaluate these questions in other populations, including a possible role for biological mechanisms.

Postdiction in Visual Awareness and Intrinsic Religiosity

The mistiming and fusion of predictive thought and actual perception result in postdiction in awareness, a critical factor in the emergence of nonrational beliefs. Individuals with delusive thinking tend to experience a temporal reversal of prediction ("I guess the rain will fall.") and real perception ("I feel the rain falling."), incorrectly showing conviction that their predictions are correct. It is unknown how postdiction is related to religious cognition with a particular reference to intrinsic religiosity when religious beliefs and values are master motives and fundamental frameworks of life. Using a temporal decision-making task, we investigated a group of religiously committed individuals, atheists, and people from the general community. Results revealed higher postdiction at short thought-precept time intervals in the intrinsic religious group relative to the atheists. Intrinsic religiosity, but not delusive thinking, was predicted by postdiction in both religious individuals and the general population. These results indicate that people who display pronounced thought-percept reversal and fusion feel that they are close to a higher power and the sacred.

Neural network involvement for religious experiences in worship measured by EEG microstate analysis

To date, not much is known about large-scale brain activation patterns in religious states of mind and previous studies have not set an emphasis on experience. The present study investigated the phenomenon of religious experiences through microstate analysis, and it was the first neurocognitive research to tackle the dimension of experience directly. Hence, a total of 60 evangelical Christians participated in an experiment where they were asked to engage in worship and try to connect with God. With a bar slider, people were able to continuously rate how strongly they sensed God's presence at any given moment. A selection of songs was used to help in the induction of the desired experience. With 64 electroencephalography (EEG) electrodes, the brain activity was assessed and analyzed with five clusters of microstate classes. First, we hypothesized that the neural network for multisensory integration was involved in the religious experience. Second, we hypothesized that the same was true for the Default Mode Network (DMN). Our results suggested an association between the auditory network and the religious experience, and an association with the salience network as well as with the DMN. No associations with the network thought to be involved with multisensory integration was detected.

Spirituality as a protective factor for chronic and acute anxiety in Brazilian healthcare workers during the COVID-19 outbreak

Background

Anxiety symptoms (AS) are exacerbated in healthcare workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Spirituality is known to protect against AS in the general population and it is a construct that differs from religion. It can be assessed using structured questionnaires. A validated questionnaire disclosed three spirituality dimensions: peace, meaning, and faith. In HCWs we investigated the predictors of chronic anxiety (pre-COVID-19 and during the pandemic) and acute anxiety (only during the pandemic), including spirituality in the model. Then, we verified which spirituality dimensions predicted chronic and acute anxiety. Lastly, we studied group differences between the mean scores of these spirituality dimensions.

Material and methods

The study was carried out in a Brazilian Hospital. HCWs (n = 118) were assessed for spirituality at a single time-point. They were also asked about AS that had started pre-COVID-19 and persisted during the pandemic (chronic anxiety), and AS that had started only during the pandemic (acute anxiety). The subjects without chronic anxiety were subdivided into two other groups: acute anxiety and without chronic and acute anxiety. Forward stepwise logistic regressions were used to find the significant AS predictors. First, the model considered sex, age, religious affiliation, and spirituality. Then, the analysis were performed considering only the three spirituality dimensions. Group means differences in the spirituality dimensions were compared using univariate ANCOVAS followed by T-tests.

Results

Spirituality was the most realible predictor of chronic (OR = 0.818; 95%CI:0.752–0.890; p<0.001) and acute anxiety (OR = 0.727; 95%CI:0.601–0.881; p = 0.001). Peace alone predicted chronic anxiety (OR = 0.619; 95%CI:0.516–0.744; p<0.001) while for acute anxiety both peace (OR:0.517; 95%CI:0.340–0.787; p = 0.002), and faith (OR:0.674; 95%CI:0.509–0.892; p = 0.006) significantly contributed to the model. Faith was significantly higher in subjects without AS.

Conclusion

Higher spirituality protected against chronic and acute anxiety. Faith and peace spirituality dimensions conferred protection against acute anxiety during the pandemic.

A Neural Circuit for Spirituality and Religiosity Derived From Patients With Brain Lesions

BACKGROUND

Over 80% of the global population consider themselves religious, with even more identifying as spiritual, but the neural substrates of spirituality and religiosity remain unresolved.

METHODS

In two independent brain lesion datasets (N₁ = 88; N₂ = 105), we applied lesion network mapping to test whether lesion locations associated with spiritual and religious belief map to a specific human brain circuit.

RESULTS

We found that brain lesions associated with self-reported spirituality map to a brain circuit centered on the periaqueductal gray. Intersection of lesion locations with this same circuit aligned with self-reported religiosity in an independent dataset and previous reports of lesions associated with hyper-religiosity. Lesion locations causing delusions and alien limb syndrome also intersected this circuit.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that spirituality and religiosity map to a common brain circuit centered on the periaqueductal gray, a brainstem region previously implicated in fear conditioning, pain modulation, and altruistic behavior.

Spirituality as Strategies for Coping With Tropical Spastic Paraparesis: Results of Focus Group

In the logic of integrality in health, one of the aspects less addressed by assistance services is the question of spirituality. This study utilized qualitative analysis from focus groups to identify whether spirituality can contribute to coping with problems arising from the HTLV-1 myelopathy associated or tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). The testimonies were recorded and then transcribed. The information was then systematized by the analysis of thematic-categorical content. When giving voice to people who suffer from HAM/TSP, there is clear evidence that spirituality, understood broadly and not restricted to institutionalized religious practices, is expressed in narratives of feeling for others and trust in God. Through spiritual solutions, people with HAM/TSP find the strength to face their disability and pain.

Paranormal Experience Profiles and Their Association With Variations in Executive Functions: A Latent Profile Analysis

This study investigated relationships between inter-class variations in paranormal experience and executive functions. A sample of 516 adults completed self-report measures assessing personal encounter-based paranormal occurrences (i.e., Experience, Practitioner Visiting, and Ability), executive functions (i.e., General Executive Function, Working and Everyday Memory, and Decision Making) together with Emotion Regulation and Belief in the Paranormal. Paranormal belief served as a measure of convergent validity for experience-based phenomena. Latent profile analysis (LPA) combined experience-based indices into four classes based on sample subpopulation scores. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) then examined interclass differences. Results revealed that breadth of paranormal experience was associated with higher levels of executive functioning difficulties for General Executive Function, Working Memory, Decision Making, and Belief in the Paranormal. On the Everyday Memory Questionnaire, scores differed on Attention Tracking (focus loss) and Factor 3 (visual reconstruction), but not Retrieval (distinct memory failure). In the case of the Emotion Regulation Scale, class scores varied on Expressive Suppression (control), however, no difference was evident on Cognitive Reappraisal (reframing). Overall, inter-class comparisons identified subtle differences in executive functions related to experience. Since the present study was exploratory, sampled only a limited subset of executive functions, and used subjective, self-report measures, further research is necessary to confirm these outcomes. This should employ objective tests and include a broader range of executive functions.

Neurobiology and Spirituality in Addiction Recovery

This commentary explores the neurobiology of spirituality and asks whether it is possible or desirable to apply genetic engineering to increase human spiritual and religious experience - (gene-spirituality) to deal better with the ever-increasing catastrophes that face humanity? Neurological connections between spirituality and reward genes, reward deficiencies (RDS) (hypodopaminergia), the mirror neuron system, and the default mode network are examined. Some interventions from addiction medicine that may be useful to enhance the neuro-spirituality connectome identified as a cornerstone of the Purpose and Meaning of Life as Reward (PMLR) are identified as reasonable targets for interventions to treat RDS and balance DMN activity.

Charcot: Buddhist Leanings?

Jean-Martin Charcot, considered the father of modern neurology, had a complex personality featuring well-defined characteristics of introversion, competitiveness, irony, and skepticism. While biographers have described him as Republican, anticlerical, and agnostic, the literature also presents evidence that he came to admire Buddhism toward the end of his life; Charcot's involvement with numerous patients suffering from incurable and insidious neurological diseases may have contributed to this change in attitude.

Epilepsy characteristics and cognitive, social, and mood functions in relation to intrinsic religiosity

PURPOSE

The purpose of the study was to relate the Intrinsic Religiosity Inventory (IRI) with clinical epilepsy variables, the occurrence of depressive symptoms, and the quality of life (QoL) of 169 adult people with epilepsy (PWEs). Data were compared with those of a similar control group (CG) without psychiatric disorders, with p < 0.05.

RESULTS

A higher intrinsic religiosity (IR) was observed in PWEs when compared with the CG. Impairment in multiple cognitive domains was found in 41 (24.2%) cases, and a score >15 in the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy was observed in 44 (26%) cases. In PWE, a greater IR was associated with the use of more than one antiepileptic drug (AED), epileptiform activity (EA) in the left hemisphere, temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (TLE-HS), and the absence of depressive disorders. An early age of onset and the social functioning dimension of the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-31) were the predictive factors for a higher IR in the linear multivariate regression analysis.

CONCLUSION

The IR was significantly higher in PWE. A higher IR was related to TLE-HS, EA in the left hemisphere, later onset of epilepsy, a better performance in the semantic verbal fluency (SVF) test, and the absence of depressive disorders, suggesting a complex neurophysiological relationship involving multiple factors.

The Role of Religiosity in Families at High Risk for Depression

BACKGROUND

About forty years ago we began a study of the offspring of depressed (high-risk) and not depressed (low-risk) parents, matched for age and gender, from the same community. We interviewed all of their biological children, blind to the clinical status of the parents. Over the years, we returned to re-interview the families at baseline, 2, 10, 20, 25 30, and 35 years. As the years went by and the sample grew up, we also interviewed the third generation, the grandchildren. As technology became available, we included measures of electrophysiology and magnetic resonance imaging in order to better understand the mechanisms of risk. At the 10-year follow up, we included measures of religion and spirituality - namely, personal religious/spiritual importance and frequency of religious service attendance. We included these measures in all subsequent waves including a more extensive follow up of religious beliefs at the 35-year follow up.

ISSUES OF FOCUS

This paper describes the study design and highlights the key findings of the role of religious/spiritual belief in the transmission and endurance of depression using clinical and biological approaches.

METHODS

We describe study findings based on clinical measures, as well as physiological measures that employed electrophysiology and magnetic resonance imaging.

RESULTS

Taken together, the findings suggest that religiosity/spirituality is protective against depression in high-risk individuals at both clinical and physiological levels.

IMPLICATIONS

The findings suggest religiosity interacts with both culture and biology in its impact on depression.