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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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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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4
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Abellaneda-Pérez K, Cattaneo G, Cabello-Toscano M, Solana-Sánchez J, Mulet-Pons L, Vaqué-Alcázar L, Perellón-Alfonso R, Solé-Padullés C, Bargalló N, Tormos JM, Pascual-Leone A, Bartrés-Faz D. Purpose in life promotes resilience to age-related brain burden in middle-aged adults. Alzheimers Res Ther 2023; 15:49. [PMID: 36915148 PMCID: PMC10009845 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-023-01198-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Disease-modifying agents to counteract cognitive impairment in older age remain elusive. Hence, identifying modifiable factors promoting resilience, as the capacity of the brain to maintain cognition and function with aging and disease, is paramount. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), education and occupation are typical cognitive reserve proxies. However, the importance of psychological factors is being increasingly recognized, as their operating biological mechanisms are elucidated. Purpose in life (PiL), one of the pillars of psychological well-being, has previously been found to reduce the deleterious effects of AD-related pathological changes on cognition. However, whether PiL operates as a resilience factor in middle-aged individuals and what are the underlying neural mechanisms remain unknown. METHODS Data was obtained from 624 middle-aged adults (mean age 53.71 ± 6.9; 303 women) from the Barcelona Brain Health Initiative cohort. Individuals with lower (LP; N = 146) and higher (HP; N = 100) PiL rates, according to the division of this variable into quintiles, were compared in terms of cognitive status, a measure reflecting brain burden (white matter lesions; WMLs), and resting-state functional connectivity, examining system segregation (SyS) parameters using 14 common brain circuits. RESULTS Neuropsychological status and WMLs burden did not differ between the PiL groups. However, in the LP group, greater WMLs entailed a negative impact on executive functions. Subjects in the HP group showed lower SyS of the dorsal default-mode network (dDMN), indicating lesser segregation of this network from other brain circuits. Specifically, HP individuals had greater inter-network connectivity between specific dDMN nodes, including the frontal cortex, the hippocampal formation, the midcingulate region, and the rest of the brain. Greater functional connectivity in some of these nodes positively correlated with cognitive performance. CONCLUSION Expanding previous findings on AD pathology and advanced age, the present results suggest that higher rates of PiL may promote resilience against brain changes already observable in middle age. Furthermore, having a purposeful life implies larger functional integration of the dDMN, which may potentially reflect greater brain reserve associated to better cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kilian Abellaneda-Pérez
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Casanova, 143, 08036, Barcelona, Spain. .,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain. .,Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain. .,Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain. .,Fundació Institut d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Gabriele Cattaneo
- Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.,Fundació Institut d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Cabello-Toscano
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Casanova, 143, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Solana-Sánchez
- Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.,Fundació Institut d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lídia Mulet-Pons
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Casanova, 143, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lídia Vaqué-Alcázar
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Casanova, 143, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques Sant Pau-Hospital de Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ruben Perellón-Alfonso
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Casanova, 143, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Solé-Padullés
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Casanova, 143, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Núria Bargalló
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Casanova, 143, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.,Neuroradiology Section, Radiology Department, Diagnostic Image Center, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Magnetic Resonance Image Core Facility (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep M Tormos
- Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.,Fundació Institut d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Traslacional San Alberto Magno, Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir, Valencia, Spain
| | - Alvaro Pascual-Leone
- Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.,Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research and Deanna and Sidney Wolk Center for Memory Health, Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David Bartrés-Faz
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Casanova, 143, 08036, Barcelona, Spain. .,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain. .,Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.
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Krause-Sorio B, Siddarth P, Kilpatrick L, Milillo MM, Aguilar-Faustino Y, Ercoli L, Narr KL, Khalsa DS, Lavretsky H. Yoga Prevents Gray Matter Atrophy in Women at Risk for Alzheimer's Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 87:569-581. [PMID: 35275541 PMCID: PMC9198760 DOI: 10.3233/jad-215563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Female sex, subjective cognitive decline (SCD), and cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) are known risk factors for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). We previously demonstrated that yoga improved depression, resilience, memory and executive functions, increased hippocampal choline concentrations, and modulated brain connectivity in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. OBJECTIVE In this study (NCT03503669), we investigated brain gray matter volume (GMV) changes in older women with SCD and CVRFs following three months of yoga compared to memory enhancement training (MET). METHODS Eleven women (mean age = 61.45, SD = 6.58) with CVRF and SCD completed twelve weeks of Kundalini Yoga and Kirtan Kriya (KY + KK) while eleven women (mean age = 64.55, SD = 6.41) underwent MET. Anxiety, resilience, stress, and depression were assessed at baseline and 12 weeks, as were T1-weighted MRI scans (Siemens 3T Prisma scanner). We used Freesurfer 6.0 and tested group differences in GMV change, applying Monte-Carlo simulations with alpha = 0.05. Region-of-interest analysis was performed for hippocampus and amygdala. RESULTS Compared to KY + KK, MET showed reductions in GMV in left prefrontal, pre- and post-central, supramarginal, superior temporal and pericalcarine cortices, right paracentral, postcentral, superior and inferior parietal cortices, the banks of the superior temporal sulcus, and the pars opercularis. Right hippocampal volume increased after yoga but did not survive corrections. CONCLUSION Yoga training may offer neuroprotective effects compared to MET in preventing neurodegenerative changes and cognitive decline, even over short time intervals. Future analyses will address changes in functional connectivity in both groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrix Krause-Sorio
- Department of Psychiatry, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Prabha Siddarth
- Department of Psychiatry, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lisa Kilpatrick
- Department of Psychiatry, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michaela M. Milillo
- Department of Psychiatry, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yesenia Aguilar-Faustino
- Department of Psychiatry, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Linda Ercoli
- Department of Psychiatry, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Katherine L. Narr
- Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Helen Lavretsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Mahalakshmi AM, Ray B, Tuladhar S, Hediyal TA, Raj P, Rathipriya AG, Qoronfleh MW, Essa MM, Chidambaram SB. Impact of Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Modulators on Dendritic Spines Structure and Functions in Brain. Cells 2021; 10:cells10123405. [PMID: 34943913 PMCID: PMC8699406 DOI: 10.3390/cells10123405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dendritic spines are small, thin, hair-like protrusions found on the dendritic processes of neurons. They serve as independent compartments providing large amplitudes of Ca2+ signals to achieve synaptic plasticity, provide sites for newer synapses, facilitate learning and memory. One of the common and severe complication of neurodegenerative disease is cognitive impairment, which is said to be closely associated with spine pathologies viz., decreased in spine density, spine length, spine volume, spine size etc. Many treatments targeting neurological diseases have shown to improve the spine structure and distribution. However, concise data on the various modulators of dendritic spines are imperative and a need of the hour. Hence, in this review we made an attempt to consolidate the effects of various pharmacological (cholinergic, glutamatergic, GABAergic, serotonergic, adrenergic, and dopaminergic agents) and non-pharmacological modulators (dietary interventions, enriched environment, yoga and meditation) on dendritic spines structure and functions. These data suggest that both the pharmacological and non-pharmacological modulators produced significant improvement in dendritic spine structure and functions and in turn reversing the pathologies underlying neurodegeneration. Intriguingly, the non-pharmacological approaches have shown to improve intellectual performances both in preclinical and clinical platforms, but still more technology-based evidence needs to be studied. Thus, we conclude that a combination of pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention may restore cognitive performance synergistically via improving dendritic spine number and functions in various neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arehally M. Mahalakshmi
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India; (A.M.M.); (B.R.); (S.T.); (T.A.H.); (P.R.)
- SIG-Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Neurosciences Research (BBRC), JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India
| | - Bipul Ray
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India; (A.M.M.); (B.R.); (S.T.); (T.A.H.); (P.R.)
- Centre for Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Central Animal Facility, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India
| | - Sunanda Tuladhar
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India; (A.M.M.); (B.R.); (S.T.); (T.A.H.); (P.R.)
- Centre for Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Central Animal Facility, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India
| | - Tousif Ahmed Hediyal
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India; (A.M.M.); (B.R.); (S.T.); (T.A.H.); (P.R.)
- Centre for Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Central Animal Facility, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India
| | - Praveen Raj
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India; (A.M.M.); (B.R.); (S.T.); (T.A.H.); (P.R.)
| | | | - M. Walid Qoronfleh
- Q3CG Research Institute (QRI), Research and Policy Division, 7227 Rachel Drive, Ypsilanti, MI 48917, USA;
| | - Musthafa Mohamed Essa
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, CAMS, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Oman
- Ageing and Dementia Research Group, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Oman
- Biomedical Sciences Department, University of Pacific, Sacramento, CA 95211, USA
- Correspondence: (M.M.E.); (S.B.C.)
| | - Saravana Babu Chidambaram
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India; (A.M.M.); (B.R.); (S.T.); (T.A.H.); (P.R.)
- SIG-Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Neurosciences Research (BBRC), JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India
- Centre for Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Central Animal Facility, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India
- Correspondence: (M.M.E.); (S.B.C.)
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Jiang D, Liu Z, Sun G. The Effect of Yoga Meditation Practice on Young Adults' Inhibitory Control: An fNIRS Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:725233. [PMID: 34588968 PMCID: PMC8475714 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.725233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: The present study aimed to test the effect of yoga meditation (YoMed) practice on inhibitory control of young adults. Methods: A total of 50 participants (23 male, 21–28 years old) from a university in Jinan, Shandong Province were enrolled in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to a YoMed group or a Control group. Participants’ basic information, physical activity, and inhibitory control were measured. A multi-channel continuous-wave near-infrared spectrometer was used to monitor the brain’s hemodynamic responses. Results: After the intervention, we found significant differences in Flanker tasks between the YoMed group and Control group. The accuracy in the YoMed group was higher than those in the Control group (p < 0.05). Analysis of fNIRS data showed that oxyhemoglobin (oxy-Hb) levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) increased in the YoMed group during the Flanker tasks after the YoMed intervention. Conclusion: YoMed has a temporarily promoting effect on the brain activation of young adults. It is an effective and appropriate exercise to improve the inhibitory control of young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongdong Jiang
- School of Physical Education, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Zongyu Liu
- School of Physical Education, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Guoxiao Sun
- School of Physical Education, Shandong University, Jinan, China
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Barrós-Loscertales A, Hernández SE, Xiao Y, González-Mora JL, Rubia K. Resting State Functional Connectivity Associated With Sahaja Yoga Meditation. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:614882. [PMID: 33796013 PMCID: PMC8007769 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.614882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroscience research has shown that meditation practices have effects on brain structure and function. However, few studies have combined information on the effects on structure and function in the same sample. Long-term daily meditation practice produces repeated activity of specific brain networks over years of practice, which may induce lasting structural and functional connectivity (FC) changes within relevant circuits. The aim of our study was therefore to identify differences in FC during the resting state between 23 Sahaja Yoga Meditation experts and 23 healthy participants without meditation experience. Seed-based FC analysis was performed departing from voxels that had shown structural differences between these same participants. The contrast of connectivity maps yielded that meditators showed increased FC between the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex but reduced FC between the left insula and the bilateral mid-cingulate as well as between the right angular gyrus and the bilateral precuneus/cuneus cortices. It thus appears that long-term meditation practice increases direct FC between ventral and dorsal frontal regions within brain networks related to attention and cognitive control and decreases FC between regions of these networks and areas of the default mode network.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yaqiong Xiao
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - José Luis González-Mora
- Facultad de Ciencias de La Salud, Dpto. de Ciencias Médicas Básicas, Sección Fisiología, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Katya Rubia
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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