Friday, October 21, 2016

MINDFULNESS TRAINING IMPROVES YOUR BRAIN

A new systematic review has looked at all studies published prior to July this year that investigated brain changes associated with 8 weeks of mindfulness-based stress reduction or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.

The combined results suggest that a short course of secular mindfulness training leads to multiple brain changes similar in nature to those seen in people who have practised religious or spiritual meditation for a lifetime.

Rinske Gotink [pictured left] and her colleagues found 30 relevant studies that used MRI or fMRI brain imaging to look at the effects of mindfulness training on brain structure and function, including 13 randomly controlled trials.

Associated brain changes, in terms of activity levels and volume and connectivity changes, have been reported in the prefrontal cortex (a region associated with conscious decision making and emotional regulation and other functions), the insula cortex (which represents internal body states among other things), the cingulate cortex (decision making), the hippocampus (memory) and the amygdala (emotion).

Based on what we know about the function of these brain regions, Gotink’s team said these changes appear to be consistent with the idea that mindfulness helps your brain regulate your emotions.




Acknowledgments. This post is based on material appearing on the Readers Digest blog of the British Psychological Society.



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IMPORTANT NOTICE: See the Terms of Use and Disclaimer. The information provided on this blog is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your medical practitioner or other qualified health provider because of something you have read on this blog. In Australia, for immediate advice or support call Lifeline on 13 1 1 14, beyondblue on 1300 22 4636, or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, and for information, advice and referral on mental illness contact the SANE Helpline on 1800 18 SANE (7263) or go online via sane.org. In other countries, call the relevant mental health care emergency hotline or simply dial your emergency assistance telephone number and ask for help.




Friday, October 7, 2016

MINDFULNESS HELPS TO CONTROL EMOTIONS ACCORDING TO NEW STUDY

Researchers from Michigan State University have found neural evidence that mindfulness helps to control negative feelings.

A group of 68 native English-speaking females, who had not practiced mindfulness meditation before, participated in the study. Analysis showed that participants came to the experiment with different levels of natural mindfulness.

Each participant wore an electrode cap, to enable EEG recording. They then took part in one of two 18-minute activities. Some listened to a guided meditation while others were exposed to a language-learning presentation. 

Immediately after the meditation the participants were shown some disturbing pictures. The participants were instructed to view the pictures either ‘mindfully’ or ‘naturally.’ The researchers used the EEG to record their brain activity while they were viewing the images.

Results indicate that, whether the participants had high or low levels of natural mindfulness, the brain was able to control negative emotions to the same extent. Exposure to the meditation session appeared to help the emotional brain to recover quickly after seeing the photos, suggesting that meditation enabled participants to tame their negative emotions.

The study tends to show that meditation can improve one’s emotional health and that even people who are not naturally mindful can acquire these benefits through the practice of mindfulness.


Study: Lin Y et al. ‘Deconstructing the Emotion Regulatory Properties of Mindfulness: An Electrophysiological Investigation.’ Front. Hum. Neurosci. 7 September 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2016.00451




RELATED POSTS


MINDFULNESS DECREASES ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN CANCER PATIENTS


MINDFULNESS MAY ASSIST WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER


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IMPORTANT NOTICE: See the Terms of Use and Disclaimer. The information provided on this blog is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your medical practitioner or other qualified health provider because of something you have read on this blog. In Australia, for immediate advice or support call Lifeline on 13 1 1 14, beyondblue on 1300 22 4636, or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, and for information, advice and referral on mental illness contact the SANE Helpline on 1800 18 SANE (7263) or go online via sane.org. In other countries, call the relevant mental health care emergency hotline or simply dial your emergency assistance telephone number and ask for help.