Yoga Practitioners Uniquely Activate the Superior Parietal Lobule and Supramarginal Gyrus During Emotion Regulation

Cortical alterations in relatives of patients with bipolar disorder: A review of magnetic resonance imaging studies

INTRODUCTION

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe mental disorder characterized by high heritability rates. Widespread brain cortical alterations have been reported in BD patients, mostly involving the frontal, temporal and parietal regions. Importantly, also unaffected relatives of BD patients (BD-RELs) present abnormalities in cortical measures, which are not influenced by disease-related factors, such as medication use and illness duration. Here, we collected all available evidence on cortical measures in BD-RELs to further our knowledge on the potential cortical alterations associated with the vulnerability and the resilience to BD.

METHODS

A search on PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus was performed to identify neuroimaging studies exploring cortical alterations in BD-RELs, including cortical thickness (CT), surface area (SA), gyrification (GI) and cortical complexity. Eleven studies were included. Of these, five assessed CT, five examined CT and SA and one explored CT, SA and GI.

RESULTS

Overall, a heterogeneous pattern of cortical alterations emerged. The areas more consistently linked with genetic liability for BD were the prefrontal and sensorimotor regions. Mixed evidence was reported in the temporal and cingulate areas.

LIMITATIONS

The small sample size and the heterogeneity in terms of methodologies and the characteristics of the participants limit the generalizability of our results.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that the genetic liability for BD is related to reduced CT in the prefrontal cortex, which might be a marker of risk for BD, and increased CT within the sensorimotor cortex, which could represent a marker of resilience.

Age and asymmetry of corticospinal excitability, but not cardiorespiratory fitness, predict cognitive impairments in multiple sclerosis

Background

Cognitive impairment is a disabling and underestimated consequence of multiple sclerosis (MS), with multiple determinants that are poorly understood.

Objectives

We explored predictors of MS-related processing speed impairment (PSI) and age-related mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and hypothesized that cardiorespiratory fitness and corticospinal excitability would predict these impairments.

Methods

We screened 73 adults with MS (53 females; median [range]: Age 48 [21-70] years, EDSS 2.0 [0.0-6.5]) for PSI and MCI using the Symbol Digit Modalities Test and Montréal Cognitive Assessment, respectively. We identified six persons with PSI (No PSI, n = 67) and 13 with MCI (No MCI, n = 60). We obtained clinical data from medical records and self-reports; used transcranial magnetic stimulation to test corticospinal excitability; and assessed cardiorespiratory fitness using a graded maximal exercise test. We used receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves to discern predictors of PSI and MCI.

Results

Interhemispheric asymmetry of corticospinal excitability was specific for PSI, while age was both sensitive and specific for MCI. MS-related PSI was also associated with statin prescriptions, while age-related MCI was related to progressive MS and GABA agonist prescriptions. Cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with neither PSI nor MCI.

Discussion

Corticospinal excitability is a potential marker of neurodegeneration in MS-related PSI, independent of age-related effects on global cognitive function. Age is a key predictor of mild global cognitive impairment. Cardiorespiratory fitness did not predict cognitive impairments in this clinic-based sample of persons with MS.

Words hurt: common and distinct neural substrates underlying nociceptive and semantic pain

Introduction

Recent studies have shown that processing semantic pain, such as words associated with physical pain, modulates pain perception and enhances activity in regions of the pain matrix. A direct comparison between activations due to noxious stimulation and processing of words conveying physical pain may clarify whether and to what extent the neural substrates of nociceptive pain are shared by semantic pain. Pain is triggered also by experiences of social exclusion, rejection or loss of significant others (the so-called social pain), therefore words expressing social pain may modulate pain perception similarly to what happens with words associated with physical pain. This event-related fMRI study aims to compare the brain activity related to perceiving nociceptive pain and that emerging from processing semantic pain, i.e., words related to either physical or social pain, in order to identify common and distinct neural substrates.

Methods

Thirty-four healthy women underwent two fMRI sessions each. In the Semantic session, participants were presented with positive words, negative pain-unrelated words, physical pain-related words, and social pain-related words. In the Nociceptive session, participants received cutaneous mechanical stimulations that could be either painful or not. During both sessions, participants were asked to rate the unpleasantness of each stimulus. Linguistic stimuli were also rated in terms of valence, arousal, pain relatedness, and pain intensity, immediately after the Semantic session.

Results

In the Nociceptive session, the 'nociceptive stimuli' vs. 'non-nociceptive stimuli' contrast revealed extensive activations in SI, SII, insula, cingulate cortex, thalamus, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. In the Semantic session, words associated with social pain, compared to negative pain-unrelated words, showed increased activity in most of the same areas, whereas words associated with physical pain, compared to negative pain-unrelated words, only activated the left supramarginal gyrus and partly the postcentral gyrus.

Discussion

Our results confirm that semantic pain partly shares the neural substrates of nociceptive pain. Specifically, social pain-related words activate a wide network of regions, mostly overlapping with those pertaining to the affective-motivational aspects of nociception, whereas physical pain-related words overlap with a small cluster including regions related to the sensory-discriminative aspects of nociception. However, most regions of overlap are differentially activated in different conditions.

The neurobiological effects of mind-body exercise: a systematic review and meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies

The neurobiological effects of mind-body exercise on brain activation, functional neural connections and structural changes in the brain remain elusive. This systematic review and coordinate-based meta-analysis investigated the changes in resting-state and task-based brain activation, as well as structural brain changes before and after mind-body exercise compared to waitlist or active controls based on published structural or functional magnetic resonance imaging randomized controlled trials or cross-sectional studies. Electronic database search and manual search in relevant publications yielded 34 empirical studies with low-to-moderate risk of bias (assessed by Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials or Joanna Briggs Institute's critical appraisal checklist for analytical cross-sectional studies) that fulfilled the inclusion criteria, with 26 studies included in the narrative synthesis and 8 studies included in the meta-analysis. Coordinate-based meta-analysis showed that, while mind-body exercise enhanced the activation of the left anterior cingulate cortex within the default mode network (DMN), it induced more deactivation in the left supramarginal gyrus within the ventral attention network (uncorrected ps < 0.05). Meta-regression with duration of mind-body practice as a factor showed that, the activation of right inferior parietal gyrus within the DMN showed a positive association with increasing years of practice (voxel-corrected p < 0.005). Although mind-body exercise is shown to selectively modulate brain functional networks supporting attentional control and self-awareness, the overall certainty of evidence is limited by small number of studies. Further investigations are needed to understand the effects of both short-term and long-term mind-body exercise on structural changes in the brain.PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021248984.

Treatment response with ketamine in chronic suicidality: An open label functional connectivity study

BACKGROUND

Ketamine has recently been proposed as a treatment option for suicidality. Whilst its mechanism of action has been explored at molecular levels, the effect on the brain at the organ level remains unclear. Here we investigate immediate post-treatment and prolonged large-scale resting-state neural network changes to elucidate the neuronal underpinnings associated with ketamine's therapeutic effects.

METHODS

Twenty-eight adults (aged 22-72 years) participated in the Oral Ketamine Trial On Suicidality, which is an open-label trial of weekly sub-anaesthetic doses of oral ketamine over 6 weeks. MRI was acquired at baseline, post-treatment, and follow-up. Functional connectivity changes at post-treatment and follow-up were examined using seed based and independent component analysis.

RESULTS

The seed-based connectivity analysis revealed significantly reduced connectivity at post-treatment from the right hippocampus to both right and left superior frontal gyrus, from the left anterior parahippocampus to right superior frontal gyrus, left superior frontal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, and left frontal operculum cortex. Compared with baseline, the ICA showed reduced anterior default mode network connectivities to bilateral posterior cingulate cortex, middle and anterior cingulate cortex, lingual gyrus, and cuneus and increased connectivity of the frontoparietal network to the right superior parietal lobule at post-treatment.

LIMITATIONS

Open label pilot study.

CONCLUSIONS

We have shown sub-anaesthetic doses of ketamine alters connectivity in networks which have been shown to be aberrantly hyper-connected in numerous psychiatric conditions. These neurocircuitry changes are supported by significant reductions in suicide ideation. Our results provide support for the use of ketamine as a treatment for suicidality.

Medio-dorsal thalamic dysconnectivity in chronic knee pain: A possible mechanism for negative affect and pain comorbidity

The reciprocal interaction between pain and negative affect is acknowledged but pain-related alterations in brain circuits involved in this interaction, such as the mediodorsal thalamus (MDThal), still require a better understanding. We sought to investigate the relationship between MDThal circuitry, negative affect and pain severity in chronic musculoskeletal pain. For these analyses, participants with chronic knee pain (CKP, n = 74) and without (n = 36) completed magnetic resonance imaging scans and questionnaires. Seed-based MDThal functional connectivity (FC) was compared between groups. Within CKP group, we assessed the interdependence of MDThal FC with negative affect. Finally, post hoc moderation analysis explored whether burden of pain influences affect-related MDThal FC. The CKP group showed altered MDThal FC to hippocampus, ventromedial prefrontal cortex and subgenual anterior cingulate. Furthermore, in CKP group, MDThal connectivity correlated significantly with negative affect in several brain regions, most notably the medial prefrontal cortex, and this association was stronger with increasing pain burden and absent in pain-free controls. In conclusion, we demonstrate mediodorsal thalamo-cortical dysconnectivity in chronic pain with areas linked to mood disorders and associations of MDThal FC with negative affect. Moreover, burden of pain seems to enhance affect sensitivity of MDThal FC. These findings suggest mediodorsal thalamic network changes as possible drivers of the detrimental interplay between chronic pain and negative affect.

The Mediating Role of Perceived Stress and Academic Procrastination between Physical Activity and Depressive Symptoms among Chinese College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Depressive symptoms, a prevalent mood illness, significantly harm college students' physical and mental health. Individuals have experienced some degree of psychological harm as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking this into account, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between physical activity (PA) and depressive symptoms among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the mediating roles of perceived stress and academic procrastination. A total of 586 college students were subjected to the Physical Activity Scale (PARS-3), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Procrastination Assessment Scale-Students (PASS), and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Findings from this research demonstrated that there was a significant positive correlation between perceived stress, academic procrastination, and depressive symptoms, while PA was significantly negatively correlated with perceived stress, academic procrastination, and depressive symptoms. The results of the chain mediation analysis showed that PA had a significant direct effect on depressive symptoms. Perceived stress, academic procrastination, and perceived stress-academic procrastination had significant mediating and chain mediating effects on the relationship between PA and depressive symptoms. In conclusion, PA among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic affects their depressive symptoms directly and indirectly through the independent mediating effect of perceived stress and academic procrastination, as well as the chain mediating effect of perceived stress and academic procrastination.

Stress and the brain: Emotional support mediates the association between myelination in the right supramarginal gyrus and perceived chronic stress

Perceived stress, which refers to people's evaluation of a stressful event and their ability to cope with it, has emerged as a stable predictor for physical and mental health outcomes. Increasing evidence has suggested the buffering effect of social support on perceived stress. Although previous studies have investigated the brain structural features (e.g., gray matter volume) associated with perceived stress, less is known about the association between perceived chronic stress and intra-cortical myelin (ICM), which is an important microstructure of brain and is essential for healthy brain functions, and the role of social support in this association. Using a sample of 1076 healthy young adults drawn from the Human Connectome Project, we quantified the ICMby the contrast of T1w and T2w images and examined its association with perceived chronic stress during the last month and social support. Behavioral results showed that perceived chronic stress was negatively associated with both emotional support and instrumental support. Vertex-wise multiple regression analyses revealed that higher level of perceived chronic stress was significantly associated with lower ICM content of a cluster in the right supramarginal gyrus (rSMG). Interestingly, the emotional support, but not the instrumental support, significantly mediated the association of perceived chronic stress with ICM in the rSMG. Overall, the present study provides novel evidence for the cortical myelination of perceived chronic stress in humans and highlights the essential role of the rSMG in perceived chronic stress and emotional support.

Wellbeing and brain structure: A comprehensive phenotypic and genetic study of image-derived phenotypes in the UK Biobank

Wellbeing, an important component of mental health, is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Previous association studies between brain structure and wellbeing have typically focused on volumetric measures and employed small cohorts. Using the UK Biobank Resource, we explored the relationships between wellbeing and brain morphometrics (volume, thickness and surface area) at both phenotypic and genetic levels. The sample comprised 38,982 participants with neuroimaging and wellbeing phenotype data, of which 19,234 had genotypes from which wellbeing polygenic scores (PGS) were calculated. We examined the association of wellbeing phenotype and PGS with all brain regions (including cortical, subcortical, brainstem and cerebellar regions) using multiple linear models, including (1) basic neuroimaging covariates and (2) additional demographic factors that may synergistically impact wellbeing and its neural correlates. Genetic correlations between genomic variants influencing wellbeing and brain structure were also investigated. Small but significant associations between wellbeing and volumes of several cerebellar structures (β = 0.015-0.029, P_FDR  = 0.007-3.8 × 10^-9 ), brainstem, nucleus accumbens and caudate were found. Cortical associations with wellbeing included volume of right lateral occipital, thickness of bilateral lateral occipital and cuneus, and surface area of left superior parietal, supramarginal and pre-/post-central regions. Wellbeing-PGS was associated with cerebellar volumes and supramarginal surface area. Small mediation effects of wellbeing phenotype and PGS on right VIIIb cerebellum were evident. No genetic correlation was found between wellbeing and brain morphometric measures. We provide a comprehensive overview of wellbeing-related brain morphometric variation. Notably, small effect sizes reflect the multifaceted nature of this concept.

Source localization and functional network analysis in emotion cognitive reappraisal with EEG-fMRI integration

Background

The neural activity and functional networks of emotion-based cognitive reappraisal have been widely investigated using electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). However, single-mode neuroimaging techniques are limited in exploring the regulation process with high temporal and spatial resolution.

Objectives

We proposed a source localization method with multimodal integration of EEG and fMRI and tested it in the source-level functional network analysis of emotion cognitive reappraisal.

Methods

EEG and fMRI data were simultaneously recorded when 15 subjects were performing the emotional cognitive reappraisal task. Fused priori weighted minimum norm estimation (FWMNE) with sliding windows was proposed to trace the dynamics of EEG source activities, and the phase lag index (PLI) was used to construct the functional brain network associated with the process of downregulating negative affect using the reappraisal strategy.

Results

The functional networks were constructed with the measure of PLI, in which the important regions were indicated. In the gamma band source-level network analysis, the cuneus, the lateral orbitofrontal cortex, the superior parietal cortex, the postcentral gyrus, and the pars opercularis were identified as important regions in reappraisal with high betweenness centrality.

Conclusion

The proposed multimodal integration method for source localization identified the key cortices involved in emotion regulation, and the network analysis demonstrated the important brain regions involved in the cognitive control of reappraisal. It shows promise in the utility in the clinical setting for affective disorders.

Two Distinct Neural Mechanisms Underlying Acupuncture Analgesia

Acupuncture analgesia is a traditional treatment with a long history, although it lacks scientific evidence. It is reportedly associated with the central nervous system, including various brain regions, from the cortices to the brain stem. However, it remains unclear whether the distributed regions behave as a single unit or consist of multiple sub-units playing different roles. Magnetoencephalography is a neuroimaging technique that can measure the oscillatory frequency of neural signals and brain regions. The frequency band of neural signals allows further understanding of the characteristics of the acupuncture-related neural systems. This study measured resting-state brain activity using magnetoencephalography in 21 individuals with chronic pain before and after acupuncture treatment. The subjective level of pain was assessed using a visual analog scale, and brain activity was compared to identify the brain regions and the frequencies associated with acupuncture analgesia. Here, we categorized the changes in resting-state brain activity into two groups: low-frequency oscillatory activity (&lt;3 Hz) in the left middle occipital and right superior partial lobule and high-frequency oscillatory activity (81–120 Hz) on both sides of the prefrontal, primary sensory, and right fusiform gyri. These findings suggest that acupuncture analgesia influences two or more sub-units of the neural systems, which helps us understand the neural mechanisms underlying acupuncture analgesia.

Emotional salience but not valence impacts anterior cingulate cortex conflict processing

Stimuli that evoke emotions are salient, draw attentional resources, and facilitate situationally appropriate behavior in complex or conflicting environments. However, negative and positive emotions may motivate different response strategies. For example, a threatening stimulus might evoke avoidant behavior, whereas a positive stimulus may prompt approaching behavior. Therefore, emotional stimuli might either elicit differential behavioral responses when a conflict arises or simply mark salience. The present study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate valence-specific emotion effects on attentional control in conflict processing by employing an adapted flanker task with neutral, negative, and positive stimuli. Slower responses were observed for incongruent than congruent trials. Neural activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex was associated with conflict processing regardless of emotional stimulus quality. These findings confirm that both negative and positive emotional stimuli mark salience in both low (congruent) and high (incongruent) conflict scenarios. Regardless of the conflict level, emotional stimuli deployed greater attentional resources in goal directed behavior.

It is Not (Always) the Mismatch That Beats You-On the Relationship Between Interaction of Early and Recent Life Stress and Emotion Regulation, an fMRI Study

Stress may impact the ability to effectively regulate emotions. To study the impact of stressful experiences in early and recent life on emotion regulation, we examined the relationship between early life stress, recent stress, and brain activation during cognitive reappraisal. We investigated two regulation goals: the decrease and increase of emotional response to both negative and positive stimuli. Furthermore, two models of stress consequences were examined: the cumulative and match/mismatch models. A total of 83 participants (M_age = 21.66) took part in the study. There was an interaction between cumulative stress and stimuli valence in the cuneus, superior lateral occipital cortex, superior parietal lobule, supramarginal gyrus extending to superior temporal gyrus, and precentral gyrus extending to supplementary motor area. Interaction between mismatched stress index and stimuli valence was found in the left hippocampus, left insula extending to the orbitofrontal cortex and amygdala, and in a cluster including the anterior cingulate cortex, superior frontal gyrus, and frontal pole. Furthermore, there were differences between the effects of cumulative and mismatched stress indices on brain activation during reappraisal of positive but not negative stimuli. Results indicate that cumulative stress and match/mismatch approaches are both useful for explaining brain activation during reappraisal. This finding is important for our understanding of the multifaceted impact of stress on emotion regulation.

Therapeutic role of yoga in neuropsychological disorders

Yoga is considered a widely-used approach for health conservation and can be adopted as a treatment modality for a plethora of medical conditions, including neurological and psychological disorders. Hence, we reviewed relevant articles entailing various neurological and psychological disorders and gathered data on how yoga exerts positive impacts on patients with a diverse range of disorders, including its modulatory effects on brain bioelectrical activities, neurotransmitters, and synaptic plasticity. The role of yoga practice as an element of the treatment of several neuropsychological diseases was evaluated based on these findings.

Association between Metabolic Syndrome Components and Cardiac Autonomic Modulation among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Simple Summary

The clustering of metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factors is becoming more prevalent in young people (up to the age of 19 years) leading to the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular diseases in early adulthood. The impact of MetS risk factors on cardiac autonomic modulation (CAM) or vice versa have been noted to track from childhood to pre-adolescence and adolescence. Understating associations in this age group may help improve the clinical outcomes of the MetS, even when MetS symptoms are not visible. Potential damage from each individual MetS component and the ability to predict early cardiac damage or upcoming cardiovascular events is very important. Therefore, the present systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the associations between CAM and MetS risk factors individually to verify which MetS risk components were significantly correlated with which heart rate variability (HRV) indices before or at the onset of the MetS among young people. The purpose of this review was to outline the importance of potentially screening HRV indices in young people even with only one MetS risk factor, as a pre-indicator for early cardiovascular risk stratification. Cross-sectional studies that examined the relationship of MetS risk factors with HRV indices were searched using four databases including PubMed, the Cochrane clinical trials library, Medline and the Web of Science. Correlation coefficients with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), and random effects meta-analyses of the association between MetS risk factors with HRV indices were performed. Our results propose that lipid profiles including high density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglycerides (TGs), waist circumference (WC) and blood pressure (BP) are associated with CAM in young people up to the age of 19 years. The use of HRV indices to predict future MetS risk, and relationships with individual risk factors including HDL, BP, WC and TGs, were established. Furthermore, arterial pressure, respiration, stress and physical activity must be taken into consideration for future studies along with CAM related to young people (up to the age of 19 years), and it is recommended to explore further the associations reported here, as CAM is not the only determinant of neurovisceral regulation.

Abstract

Background: the clustering of metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factors is becoming more prevalent in children, leading to the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular diseases in early adulthood. The impact of MetS risk factors on cardiac autonomic modulation (CAM) or vice versa has been noted to track from childhood to pre-adolescence and adolescence. Understating associations in this age group may help to improve the clinical outcomes of the MetS, even when MetS symptoms are not visible. Potential damage from each individual MetS component and the ability to predict early cardiac damage or upcoming cardiovascular events is very important. Therefore, the present systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the associations between CAM and MetS risk factors individually to verify which of the MetS risk components were significantly correlated with heart rate variability (HRV) indices before or at the onset of the MetS among young people. The purpose of this review was to outline the importance of potentially screening HRV indices in young people even with only one MetS risk factor, as a pre-indicator for early cardiovascular risk stratification. Methods: cross-sectional studies that examined the relationship of MetS risk factors with HRV indices were searched using four databases including PubMed, the Cochrane clinical trials library, Medline and the Web of Science. Correlation coefficients with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), and random effects meta-analyses of the association between MetS risk factors with HRV indices were performed. Results: out of 14 cross-sectional studies and one case-control study, 8 studies (10 data sets) provided association data for the meta-analysis. Our results indicated significant positive correlations for systolic blood pressure (SBP) (correlation coefficient 0.13 (95%CI: 0.06; 0.19), I² = 47.26%) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (correlation coefficient 0.09 (95%CI: −0.01; 0.18), I² = 0%) with a Low Frequency/High Frequency ratio (LF/HF). Significant negative correlations for waist circumference (WC) (correlation coefficient −0.12 (95%CI: −0.19; −0.04), I² = 51.50%), Triglycerides (TGs) (correlation coefficient −0.09 (95%CI: −0.15; −0.02), I² = 0%) and ≥2 MetS risk factors (correlation coefficient −0.10 (95%CI: −0.16; −0.03), I² = 0%); with high frequency (HF) were revealed. Significant positive correlations for high density lipoprotein (HDL) (correlation coefficient 0.08 (95%CI: 0.05; 0.11), I² = 0%) and significant negative correlations of ≥2 MetS risk (correlation coefficient −0.04 (95%CI: −0.12; 0.03), I² = 0.0%) with low frequency (LF) were revealed. Significant negative correlations for TGs (correlation coefficient −0.09 (95%CI: −0.23; 0.05), I² = 2.01%) with a mean square root of the sum of differences between mean time between two successive intervals (rMSSD) and significant positive correlation of HDL (correlation coefficient 0.09 (95%CI: −0.01; 0.19), I² = 0.33%) with standard deviation of the time between two successive intervals (SDNN) were also revealed. An Egger’s test indicated that there was no obvious publication bias for any of the above relationships except for TGs and rMSSD. The significance level stipulated for the meta-analysis was p < 0.05. Conclusions: lipid profiles (HDL and TGs), WC and BP were associated with CAM in young people up to the age of 19 years. The use of HRV indices to predict future MetS risk, and relationships with individual risk factors including HDL, BP, WC and TGs, were established. Future studies related to young people (up to the age of 19 years) are recommended to explore the associations reported here further.

Virtual Reality for Neurorehabilitation and Cognitive Enhancement

Our access to computer-generated worlds changes the way we feel, how we think, and how we solve problems. In this review, we explore the utility of different types of virtual reality, immersive or non-immersive, for providing controllable, safe environments that enable individual training, neurorehabilitation, or even replacement of lost functions. The neurobiological effects of virtual reality on neuronal plasticity have been shown to result in increased cortical gray matter volumes, higher concentration of electroencephalographic beta-waves, and enhanced cognitive performance. Clinical application of virtual reality is aided by innovative brain–computer interfaces, which allow direct tapping into the electric activity generated by different brain cortical areas for precise voluntary control of connected robotic devices. Virtual reality is also valuable to healthy individuals as a narrative medium for redesigning their individual stories in an integrative process of self-improvement and personal development. Future upgrades of virtual reality-based technologies promise to help humans transcend the limitations of their biological bodies and augment their capacity to mold physical reality to better meet the needs of a globalized world.

What Has Neuroimaging Taught Us on the Neurobiology of Yoga? A Review

Yoga is becoming increasingly popular worldwide, with several implicated physical and mental benefits. Here we provide a comprehensive and critical review of the research generated from the existing neuroimaging literature in studies of yoga practitioners. We reviewed 34 international peer-reviewed neuroimaging studies of yoga using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), or single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT): 11 morphological and 26 functional studies, including three studies that were classified as both morphological and functional. Consistent findings include increased gray matter volume in the insula and hippocampus, increased activation of prefrontal cortical regions, and functional connectivity changes mainly within the default mode network. There is quite some variability in the neuroimaging findings that partially reflects different yoga styles and approaches, as well as sample size limitations. Direct comparator groups such as physical activity are scarcely used so far. Finally, hypotheses on the underlying neurobiology derived from the imaging findings are discussed in the light of the potential beneficial effects of yoga.

Alterations of Regional Homogeneity and Functional Connectivity Following Short-Term Mindfulness Meditation in Healthy Volunteers

Mindfulness is described as the non-judgmental awareness of experiences in the present moment. The sustained practice of mindfulness may also have beneficial effects on an individual's well-being. For instance, mindfulness meditation is an effective approach for improving emotion regulation. Specifically, the early stage of mindfulness meditation training enhances emotional monitoring systems related to attention regulation and executive function. Reduced activity in the default mode network (DMN) would probably be observed corresponding to the attenuated mind wandering. In the present study, we hypothesized that alterations in functional activity in the frontal-parietal cortex and DMN may be induced by short-term mindfulness meditation. In this study, before and after 8 weeks of weekly Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training, healthy participants were evaluated using a mindfulness questionnaire and an affect schedule, as well as via resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Sixteen right-handed non-meditators were enrolled. Another 16 demographically matched healthy adults without any meditation experience were recruited as controls. Pre- and post-MBSR assessments were compared. Increased regional homogeneity in the right superior parietal lobule and left postcentral gyrus (PoCG), as well as altered functional connectivity in PoCG-related networks, were observed post-MBSR. The mindfulness questionnaire scores also improved and negative affect was significantly decreased after MBSR. Together with reduced involvement of the posterior brain, our results suggest a tendency toward stronger involvement of the parietal cortex in mindfulness beginners. This study provides novel evidence regarding the optimization of emotional processing with short-term mindfulness meditation.