Social influences on neuroplasticity: stress and interventions to promote well-being

Dispositional forgiveness and stress as primary correlates of executive functioning in adults

The purpose of this study was to explore the physical, social, and mental health correlates of executive functioning in adults. Our sample consisted of 250 adults aged 18–55 years who participated in a survey. Participants reported on their physical health behaviors, family closeness, and mental health. Using hierarchical linear regression, the final model explained 41 percent of executive functioning in adults. Dispositional forgiveness of situations, stress, and living in a single-family home were the only significant correlates of executive functioning. These results are useful for better understanding possible mechanisms through which to improve executive functioning in adults.

The adrenal gland in stress - Adaptation on a cellular level

Human individuals are constantly confronted to various kinds of stressors and the body's response and adaptation is essential for human health. The adrenal gland as the main producer of stress hormones plays a major role in the response to physiological challenges and is able to adapt to these physiological needs. Proper adaptation is of particular importance since dysregulation of the stress system is the cause of various human diseases including obesity, depression, Parkinson's disease, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Therefore, it is fundamental to understand the physiological, cellular, and molecular underpinnings of the stress adaptation in humans. Because of ethical reasons it is problematic to study the plasticity of the human gland in stress. Hence, various experimental models have been established for the analysis of the functional and cellular role of the adrenal gland adaptation on a translational approach. Here, we summarize the insights of stress-induced adrenal plasticity gained from these models and discuss their relevance to clinical observations.

Associations between children's family environment, spontaneous brain oscillations, and emotional and behavioral problems

The family environment in childhood has a strong effect on mental health outcomes throughout life. This effect is thought to depend at least in part on modifications of neurodevelopment trajectories. In this exploratory study, we sought to investigate whether a feasible resting-state fMRI metric of local spontaneous oscillatory neural activity, the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF), is associated with the levels of children's family coherence and conflict. Moreover, we sought to further explore whether spontaneous activity in the brain areas influenced by family environment would also be associated with a mental health outcome, namely the incidence of behavioral and emotional problems. Resting-state fMRI data from 655 children and adolescents (6-15 years old) were examined. The quality of the family environment was found to be positively correlated with fALFF in the left temporal pole and negatively correlated with fALFF in the right orbitofrontal cortex. Remarkably, increased fALFF in the temporal pole was associated with a lower incidence of behavioral and emotional problems, whereas increased fALFF in the orbitofrontal cortex was correlated with a higher incidence.

Newly Generated and Non-Newly Generated "Immature" Neurons in the Mammalian Brain: A Possible Reservoir of Young Cells to Prevent Brain Aging and Disease?

Brain plasticity is important for translational purposes since most neurological disorders and brain aging problems remain substantially incurable. In the mammalian nervous system, neurons are mostly not renewed throughout life and cannot be replaced. In humans, the increasing life expectancy explains the increase in brain health problems, also producing heavy social and economic burden. An exception to the “static” brain is represented by stem cell niches leading to the production of new neurons. Such adult neurogenesis is dramatically reduced from fish to mammals, and in large-brained mammals with respect to rodents. Some examples of neurogenesis occurring outside the neurogenic niches have been reported, yet these new neurons actually do not integrate in the mature nervous tissue. Non-newly generated, “immature” neurons (nng-INs) are also present: Prenatally generated cells continuing to express molecules of immaturity (mostly shared with the newly born neurons). Of interest, nng-INs seem to show an inverse phylogenetic trend across mammals, being abundant in higher-order brain regions not served by neurogenesis and providing structural plasticity in rather stable areas. Both newly generated and nng-INs represent a potential reservoir of young cells (a “brain reserve”) that might be exploited for preventing the damage of aging and/or delay the onset/reduce the impact of neurological disorders.

Adverse Childhood Experiences 101: A Primer for Clinicians

We provide an overview of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including a brief history and critique of ACEs as a cumulative risk factor, how ACEs are measured, prevalence of ACEs in epidemiological studies, and associations between ACEs and negative outcomes. Next, we list current hypotheses about potential mechanisms of risk between ACEs and negative outcomes and highlight the importance of examining the social determinants of ACEs. We point out the paucity of research on protective factors in studies on ACEs. Finally, we briefly review potential interventions (broadly defined) to prevent and address the consequences of ACEs. We end with several suggestions on what clinicians can do to help patients with a history of ACEs.

Can an online curriculum improve the daily socio-emotional lives of middle-aged adults exposed to childhood Trauma?

One pathway linking experiences of childhood trauma to poorer mental and physical health in midlife are disruptions in daily socio-emotional regulation. However, there is a dearth of effective and accessible treatments that meet the needs of trauma-exposed individuals and their communities. Through a randomized controlled trial, this research examines whether an online social intelligence training (SIT) program improves social-emotional regulation compared to an attention-control (AC) condition. During the pre- and post-test phases of the study, participants (N = 230) completed online surveys for 14-days that included measures of social connectedness, emotional awareness, and perspective-taking. In the SIT condition, multi-level analyses revealed significant increases in daily levels of "in-tune" social interactions, emotional awareness, and perspective-taking, and attenuated within-person changes in social engagement on stressful and uplifting days. Participants who reported greater childhood trauma exhibited the strongest increases in daily social engagement and emotional awareness, suggesting that program benefits were largest for those reporting greater exposure to trauma in childhood. Our findings shed light on the potential reversibility of socio-emotional mechanisms linking childhood trauma to poorer mental and physical health in midlife, and support the utility of widely accessible, low-cost intervention methods for individuals and communities.

The Measurement of Positive Valence Forms of Empathy and Their Relation to Anhedonia and Other Depressive Symptomatology

Construct validity of a brief self-report measure of "positive-valence empathy" (the tendency to exude positive emotion as a means to stimulate positive affect in others, and/or to vicariously share in another's positive emotion; Light et al., 2009) was attained utilizing a sample of 282 healthy adults. Positive-valence empathy may have unique predictive ability for differentiating depression versus depression with anhedonia. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed a two-factor structure for the final 15-item Light-Moran Positive Empathy Scale (PES), with an 8-item "Empathic Happiness" subscale (e.g., "I find that other people's happiness easily rubs off on me") and a 7-item "Empathic Cheerfulness" subscale (e.g., "I enjoy making others feel good"). "Empathic Happiness" was a significantly better predictor of overall depressive symptomatology (Beck et al., 1996) than anhedonia (Snaith et al., 1995). The Light-Moran PES-15 may have real-world impact and predictive utility for well-being.

Gentle abdominal stroking ('belly rubbing') of pigs by a human reduces EEG total power and increases EEG frequencies

The neurobiological response to gentle touch remains poorly understood, especially in the context of human-animal interaction. A novel approach allowed recording the pig electroencephalogram (EEG) cranially epidurally and wirelessly during positive interactions with a human. Stroking of the pig's abdomen ('belly rubbing'), applied opportunistically, elicited a distinct behavioral response characterized by lateral recumbency, limb stretching, frequent short-lasting grunts and eye closure. Pigs varied in their responsiveness to belly rubbing but all pigs showed it. Their EEG was compared to EEG during human presence and other positive interactions except belly rubbing; isolation; and in the home pen as a baseline. Total EEG power ('Ptot') was lower during belly rubbing, whereas the median frequency ('F50', 5.3 ± 0.9 Hz vs. 3.8 ± 0.9 Hz for other contexts) and the 95% spectral edge frequency ('F95', 45.2 ± 3.2 Hz vs. 40.0 ± 3.2 Hz for other contexts) were higher during belly rubbing compared to other contexts. Lower EEG total power combined with a shift in spectral power distribution toward higher frequencies were linked to behavioral changes indicative of a positive welfare state during belly rubbing. The effects of belly rubbing on animal psychobiology and well-being warrant further research as a model of positive welfare state induced by touch.

Work-related social support modulates effects of early life stress on limbic reactivity during stress

Early life stress (ELS) affects stress- reactivity via limbic brain regions implicated such as hippocampus and amygdala. Social support is a major protective factor against ELS effects, while subjects with ELS experience reportedly perceive less of it in their daily life. The workplace, where most adults spend a substantial amount of time in their daily lives, might serve as a major resource for social support. Since previous data demonstrated that social support attenuates stress reactivity, we here used a psychosocial stress task to test the hypothesis that work-related social support modulates the effects of ELS. Results show decreased amygdala reactivity during stress in ELS subjects who report high levels of work- related social support, thereby indicating a signature for reduced stress reactivity. However, this effect was only observable on the neural, but not on the behavioral level, since social support had no buffering effect regarding the subjective experience of stress in daily life as well as regarding feelings of uncontrollability induced by the stress task. Accordingly, our data suggest that subjects with ELS experiences might benefit from interventions targeted at lowering their subjective stress levels by helping them to better perceive the availability of social support in their daily lives.

Effects of oxytocin on prosocial behavior and the associated profiles of oxytocinergic and corticotropin-releasing hormone receptors in a rodent model of posttraumatic stress disorder

BACKGROUND

Traumatic experience may lead to various psychological sequelae including the unforgettable trauma-associated memory as seen in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with a mechanism of impaired fear extinction due to biological imbalance among hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and fear circuit areas such as medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), hippocampus, and amygdala. Recently the impaired sociability seen in PTSD patients received great attention and the involvement of oxytocin (OXT) mediation is worth being investigated. This study examined whether the trauma-altered prosocial behavior can be modulated by OXT manipulation and its relationship with corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) signaling.

METHODS

Male rats previously exposed to a single prolonged stress (SPS) were evaluated for their performance in social choice test (SCT) and novel object recognition test (NORT) following the introduction of intranasal oxytocin (OXT) and OXT receptor antagonist atosiban (ASB). OXT receptors (OXTR) and CRH receptors (CRHR1, CRHR2) were quantified in both protein and mRNA levels in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), hippocampus, and amygdala.

RESULTS

SPS reduced inclination of rats staying at the sociable place with performing less prosocial contacts. OXT can amend the deficit but this effect was blocked by ASB. Expression of OXTR became reduced following SPS in mPFC and amygdala, the latter exhibited higher therapeutic specificity to OXT. Expression of CRHR1 appeared more sensitive than CRHR2 to SPS, higher CRHR1 protein levels were found in mPFC and amygdala.

CONCLUSION

Psychological trauma-impaired sociability is highly associated with OXT signaling pathway. Intranasal OXT restored both the SPS-impaired prosocial contacts and the SPS-reduced OXTR expressions in mPFC and amygdala. OXT may have therapeutic potential to treat PTSD patients with impaired social behaviors.

Brain activity mediates the relation between emotional but not instrumental support and trait loneliness

Loneliness results from lacking satisfied social connections. However, little is known how trait loneliness, which is a stable personal characteristic, is influenced by different types of social support (i.e. emotional and instrumental support) through the brain activity associated with loneliness. To explore these questions, data of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (R-fMRI) of 92 healthy participants were analyzed. We identified loneliness-related brain regions by correlating participants’ loneliness scores with amplitudes of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) of R-fMRI data. We then conducted mediation analyses to test whether the negative relation between each type of social support and loneliness was explained via the neural activity in the loneliness-related brain regions. The results showed that loneliness was positively related to the mean ALFF value within right inferior temporal gyrus (ITG). In addition, the negative relation between emotional support and loneliness was explained by a decrease in the spontaneous neural activity within right ITG but this pattern was not observed for instrumental support. These results suggest the importance of social information processing on trait loneliness and highlight the need to differentiate the functions of different types of social support on mental health from a neural perspective.

Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Young Taiwanese Female Nursing Students with Irritable Bowel Syndrome-A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is prevalent within the general population. Studies have shown that stress and anxiety co-exist with IBS. Young Taiwanese women commonly exhibit physical and psychological health problems caused by academic stress. The purpose of our current study was to evaluate the efficacy of short-term Internet-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy (ICBT) on female nursing students in practicum. We performed a cluster randomized controlled trial comprised of 160 participants who met the inclusion criteria, which were divided into three groups: (1) ICBT, (2) expressive writing (EW), and (3) wait-list control. Treatment interventions lasted for 6 weeks. Levels of anxiety, depression, and IBS symptoms were assessed at four time points, baseline assessment at T0, 2 weeks after T0 (T1), at the end of practicum (T2), and at 3-month follow-up (T3). The results showed that ICBT and EW groups exhibited a significant, yet small, reduction in anxiety and depression at T2 and T3 compared to the wait-list control group. The EW group exhibited significantly greater reduction in anxiety and depression compared to the ICBT group at T2. However, the ICBT group demonstrated greater improvements in alleviating anxiety and depression at T3 compared to the EW group. These data indicate that ICBT and EW groups exhibited small effects on anxiety and depression reduction at T2 and T3 compared to the wait-list control group, with no effects on IBS symptoms in young Taiwanese female nursing students.

The Life Course Health Development Model: A theoretical research framework for paediatric delirium

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To create a framework for future research through application and critique of the Life Course Health Development Model to the phenomenon of paediatric delirium.

BACKGROUND

Delirium in the paediatric intensive care unit is associated with increased duration of mechanical ventilation, length of stay and mortality. Nurses are uniquely positioned at the bedside to identify, prevent and treat delirium. An understanding of the potential long-term consequences of paediatric delirium is necessary to provide impetus for nursing research and practice change. The Life Course Health Development Model is a valuable tool when considering the multiple mechanisms and processes through which the experience of delirium could affect a child's life trajectory.

DESIGN

Critical review of the literature through application and critique of the Life Course Health Development Model in the context of paediatric delirium. Gaps in the current understanding of paediatric delirium, as well as future directions for research and practice, are discussed.

METHODS

The seven core principles of the model are considered in the context of paediatric delirium. Each of the principles has the potential to further understanding of paediatric delirium and identify areas for future inquiry. This discussion leads to a critique of the ability of the model to lead future research and practice change.

CONCLUSIONS

The Life Course Health Development Model depicts a process in which the acute and severe stress of critical illness leads to maladaptive neurologic changes that contribute to the development of delirium and impair a child's life trajectory.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

By emphasising the potential lifelong consequences for critically ill children who experience delirium, this application of the Life Course Health Development Model will stimulate discussion, research and practice change among paediatric clinicians and researchers.

Stress dynamically regulates co-expression networks of glucocorticoid receptor-dependent MDD and SCZ risk genes

Early-life adversity is an important risk factor for major depressive disorder (MDD) and schizophrenia (SCZ) that interacts with genetic factors to confer disease risk through mechanisms that are still insufficiently understood. One downstream effect of early-life adversity is the activation of glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-dependent gene networks that drive acute and long-term adaptive behavioral and cellular responses to stress. We have previously shown that genetic variants that moderate GR-induced gene transcription (GR-response eSNPs) are significantly enriched among risk variants from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) for MDD and SCZ. Here, we show that the 63 transcripts regulated by these disease-associated functional genetic variants form a tight glucocorticoid-responsive co-expression network (termed GCN). We hypothesized that changes in the correlation structure of this GCN may contribute to early-life adversity-associated disease risk. Therefore, we analyzed the effects of different qualities of social support and stress throughout life on GCN formation across distinct brain regions using a translational mouse model. We observed that different qualities of social experience substantially affect GCN structure in a highly brain region-specific manner. GCN changes were predominantly found in two functionally interconnected regions, the ventral hippocampus and the hypothalamus, two brain regions previously shown to be of relevance for the stress response, as well as psychiatric disorders. Overall, our results support the hypothesis that a subset of genetic variants may contribute to risk for MDD and SCZ by altering circuit-level effects of early and adult social experiences on GCN formation and structure.

A Trauma-Informed Approach to Building College Students' Resilience

PURPOSE

This paper describes the development of a new psychoeducational universal prevention resilience program ( https://strong.fsu.edu ) designed to complement existing mental health services at a large public university. The first set of descriptive data (n = 229) from the project's student surveys is discussed.

METHODS

A voluntary and anonymous online questionnaire was used to determine student attitudes toward the new program.

RESULTS

A large majority of participants (more than 80%) perceived the website to be credible, rating it as believable, trustworthy, and accurate. 90% believe the university resources included in the project would help themselves and others overcome struggles and challenges. Other results are also discussed.

DISCUSSION

This data from a unique project shows the promise of using an online, integrative tool for a campus resilience initiative. The project is dynamic; analysis of student responses will inform ongoing revisions and refinements.

The Heterogeneity of Empathy: Possible Treatment for Anhedonia?

Traditionally, empathy has been described as a process by which an individual "tries on" the negative emotion of others (i. e., empathic concern). A corpus of empirical work has been devoted to the study of this particular form of empathy. However, in this paper, the heterogeneity model of empathy is proposed as a method for counteracting the lack of attention paid to "positive-valence empathy"-our ability to respond to the negative and positive emotion of others with appropriate positive affect. Both empathic concern and positive-valence empathy are argued to have distinguishable behavioral manifestations and at least partially distinguishable neurobiological underpinnings. The potential value of positive-valence empathy induction for therapeutic purposes is also discussed.

Relationships Between Aerobic Fitness Levels and Cognitive Performance in Swedish Office Workers

Objectives: Aerobic exercise influence cognition in elderly, children, and neuropsychiatric populations. Less is known about the influence of aerobic exercise in healthy samples (particularly working age), and of different fitness levels on cognition. Two hypotheses were posed: (1) low fitness levels, compared to moderate and high, will be related to poorer cognitive performance, and (2) breakpoints for the beneficial relationship between VO₂ and cognition will be observed within the moderate-to-high fitness span.

Design and Methods: The sample consisted of n=362 office workers. A submaximal cycle ergometer test estimated maximal oxygen consumption (VO_2max, mL·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹). Based on estimated VO_2max participants were split into tertiles; low (n = 121), moderate (n = 119), and high (n = 122). A cognitive test battery (9 tests), assessed processing speed, working memory, executive functions and episodic memory.

Results: Both hypotheses were confirmed. Groups of moderate (≈40) and high (≈49) fitness outperformed the group of low (≈31) fitness for inhibition and episodic recognition, whereas no significant differences between moderate and high fitness were observed (ANCOVAs). Breakpoints between benefits fromVO_2max for inhibition and recognition were estimated to ≈44/43 mL·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹ (multivariate broken line regressions).

Conclusions: Results suggest that it is conceivable to expect a beneficial relationship between VO_2max and some cognitive domains up to a certain fitness level. In a sample of healthy office workers, this level was estimated to 44 mL·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹. This has implications on organizational and societal levels; where incentives to improve fitness levels from low to moderate could yield desirable cognitive and health benefits in adults.

Modifying and Validating a Measure of Chronic Stress for People With Aphasia

PURPOSE

Chronic stress is likely a common experience among people with the language impairment of aphasia. Importantly, chronic stress reportedly alters the neural networks central to learning and memory-essential ingredients of aphasia rehabilitation. Before we can explore the influence of chronic stress on rehabilitation outcomes, we must be able to measure chronic stress in this population. The purpose of this study was to (a) modify a widely used measure of chronic stress (Perceived Stress Scale [PSS]; Cohen & Janicki-Deverts, 2012) to fit the communication needs of people with aphasia (PWA) and (b) validate the modified PSS (mPSS) with PWA.

METHOD

Following systematic modification of the PSS (with permission), 72 PWA completed the validation portion of the study. Each participant completed the mPSS, measures of depression, anxiety, and resilience, and provided a sample of the stress hormone cortisol extracted from the hair. Pearson's product-moment correlations were used to examine associations between mPSS scores and these measures. Approximately 30% of participants completed the mPSS 1 week later to establish test-retest reliability, analyzed using an interclass correlation coefficient.

RESULTS

Significant positive correlations were evident between the reports of chronic stress and depression and anxiety. In addition, a significant inverse correlation was found between reports of chronic stress and resilience. The mPSS also showed evidence of test-retest reliability. No association was found between mPSS score and cortisol level.

CONCLUSION

Although questions remain about the biological correlates of chronic stress in people with poststroke aphasia, significant associations between chronic stress and several psychosocial variables provide evidence of validity of this emerging measure of chronic stress.

Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology

Mindfulness meditation is increasingly incorporated into mental health interventions, and theoretical concepts associated with it have influenced basic research on psychopathology. Here, we review the current understanding of mindfulness meditation through the lens of clinical neuroscience, outlining the core capacities targeted by mindfulness meditation and mapping them onto cognitive and affective constructs of the Research Domain Criteria matrix proposed by the National Institute of Mental Health. We review efficacious applications of mindfulness meditation to specific domains of psychopathology including depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and substance abuse, as well as emerging efforts related to attention disorders, traumatic stress, dysregulated eating, and serious mental illness. Priorities for future research include pinpointing mechanisms, refining methodology, and improving implementation. Mindfulness meditation is a promising basis for interventions, with particular potential relevance to psychiatric comorbidity. The successes and challenges of mindfulness meditation research are instructive for broader interactions between contemplative traditions and clinical psychological science.

The Mitochondrion as Potential Interface in Early-Life Stress Brain Programming

Mitochondria play a central role in cellular energy-generating processes and are master regulators of cell life. They provide the energy necessary to reinstate and sustain homeostasis in response to stress, and to launch energy intensive adaptation programs to ensure an organism’s survival and future well-being. By this means, mitochondria are particularly apt to mediate brain programming by early-life stress (ELS) and to serve at the same time as subcellular substrate in the programming process. With a focus on mitochondria’s integrated role in metabolism, steroidogenesis and oxidative stress, we review current findings on altered mitochondrial function in the brain, the placenta and peripheral blood cells following ELS-dependent programming in rodents and recent insights from humans exposed to early life adversity (ELA). Concluding, we propose a role of the mitochondrion as subcellular intersection point connecting ELS, brain programming and mental well-being, and a role as a potential site for therapeutic interventions in individuals exposed to severe ELS.

Influence of adjuvant omega-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids on depression, sleep, and emotion regulation among outpatients with major depressive disorders - Results from a double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Extant literature shows that adjuvant omega-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids (O3PUFAs) to a standard antidepressant medication impacts favorably on symptoms of depression in participants with major depressive disorders (MDD). The aim of the present study was to investigate, if and to what extent compared to placebo adjuvant O3PUFAs had a favorable impact on symptoms of depression, anxiety, sleep and emotion regulation among outpatients with MDD.

METHOD

A total of 50 outpatients (mean age: M = 42.46; 68% females) took part in this randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study. They were randomly assigned either to the O3PUFA- or to the placebo-condition. Standard medication was sertraline at therapeutic dosages. At baseline, six weeks and 12 weeks later at study completion participants completed questionnaires covering symptoms of depression, anxiety sensitivity, intolerance of uncertainty, sleep disturbances, and emotion regulation. In parallel, experts blind to participants' group assignment rated participants' depression with the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Scale.

RESULTS

Symptoms of depression (self- and experts' ratings) decreased over time, but more so in the O3PUFA condition, compared to the placebo condition. Likewise, anxiety sensitivity, intolerance of uncertainty and sleep disturbances improved, but again more so in the O3PUFA condition. Further, regulation and control of emotions and perception of other's emotions improved over time, but more so in the O3PUFA condition.

CONCLUSIONS

Among outpatients with MDD, and compared to placebo, adjuvant O3PUFAs to a standard medication improved not only symptoms of depression, but also dimensions of anxiety and sleep, and above all patients' competencies to regulate their emotions.

Effects of mindfulness training on regulatory and academic abilities in preadolescents: Results from a pilot study

Regulatory abilities such as self-regulation and stress regulation are key predictors of essential developmental outcomes, including intellectual and socioemotional milestones as well as academic achievement. Preadolescence has been proposed as a period that is crucial for training these abilities. The present pilot study investigated the effects of mindfulness training on preadolescents‘ regulatory abilities and school-related outcomes. A group of 34 fifth graders received either mindfulness training (experimental group), Marburg Concentration Training (alternative treatment group), or no treatment (passive control group) and were monitored over a four-month intervention period. Regulatory abilities were assessed first, with two self-report questionnaires that operationalized impulsivity and coping with stress, respectively. Second, physical stress regulation was examined on the basis of diurnal cortisol as well as salivary α-amylase (sAA) profiles. Finally, school-related outcomes were measured with a paperpencil based performance test of verbal memory. Results show that impulsivity increased in all groups over time, whereas there were no significant training effects on self-reported coping with stress. Both training groups showed more adaptive physiological stress regulation in terms of steeper diurnal cortisol slopes and marginally less pronounced sAA awakening responses, however, with respect to physiological measures, no data of the passive control group are available. With respect to school-related outcomes, the results indicate a slight superiority regarding verbal memory for the mindfulness training group compared to the Marburg Concentration Training group.

Biopsychosocial approach to understanding resilience: Stress habituation and where to intervene

BACKGROUND

Resilience in the face of adversity is a human experience that leads to better health, both mentally and physically. We briefly review its historical origins rooted in ecological biology and its adoption into health care. Resilience is the common response to adversity or potential traumatic events. Individual differences in emotion regulation and coping skills as well as social capital and one's physical environment influence a person's ability to achieve resilience.

PROPOSED MECHANISM

One potential biopsychosocial measure of resilience includes stress habituation to repeated stress as demonstrated in the laboratory, possibly providing a tool to observe mastery of resilience training in the clinic. Evidence-based interventions at the individual and small group level (eg, family, classroom) have successfully shown development of resilient behaviours and improved mental and physical health outcomes. However, the role of social context and public policy clearly influence an individual's ability to be resilient.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the current limited evidence of the effectiveness of resilience building interventions, clinicians, researchers, and other health care professions have an obligation to become advocates for laws and policies that support the most vulnerable, and least resilient, in our society to attain resilience for their health. This salutary effect will enable them to become socially as well as economically productive members of the community at large. It is not possible to remove stress or adversity from life, but we can influence the development of regulatory flexibility and decrease the sociocultural factors linked to the nonresilient experience, thus mitigating adversity's long-term effects on health.

Early life stress alters the developmental trajectory of corticolimbic endocannabinoid signaling in male rats

Early-life stress modulates the development of cortico-limbic circuits and increases vulnerability to adult psychopathology. Given the important stress-buffering role of endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling, we performed a comprehensive investigation of the developmental trajectory of the eCB system and the impact of exposure to early life stress induced by repeated maternal separation (MS; 3 h/day) from postnatal day 2 (PND2) to PND12. Tissue levels of the eCB molecules anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) were measured after MS exposures, as well under basal conditions at juvenile (PND14), adolescent (PND40) and adult (PND70) timepoints in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), amygdala and hippocampus. We also examined the effects of MS on CB₁ receptor binding in these three brain regions at PND40 and PND70. AEA content was found to increase from PND2 into adulthood in a linear manner across all brain regions, while 2-AG was found to exhibit a transient spike during the juvenile period (PND12-14) within the amygdala and PFC, but increased in a linear manner across development in the hippocampus. Exposure to MS resulted in bidirectional changes in AEA and 2-AG tissue levels within the amygdala and hippocampus and produced a sustained reduction in eCB function in the hippocampus at adulthood. CB₁ receptor densities across all brain regions were generally found to be downregulated later in life following exposure to MS. Collectively, these data demonstrate that early life stress can alter the normative ontogeny of the eCB system, resulting in a sustained deficit in eCB function, particularly within the hippocampus, in adulthood.

Functional connectivity in central executive network protects youth against cardiometabolic risks linked with neighborhood violence

Although violent crime has declined in recent decades, it remains a recurring feature of daily life in some neighborhoods. Mounting evidence indicates that such violence has a long reach, which goes beyond family and friends of the victim and undermines the health of people in the surrounding community. However, like all forms of adversity, community violence elicits a heterogeneous response: Some remain healthy, but others deteriorate. Despite much scientific attention, the neural circuitries that contribute to differential adaptation remain poorly understood. Drawing on knowledge of the brain's intrinsic functional architecture, we predicted that individual differences in resting-state connectivity would explain variability in the strength of the association between neighborhood violence and cardiometabolic health. We enrolled 218 urban youth (age 12-14 years, 66% female; 65% black or Latino) and used geocoding to characterize their exposure to neighborhood murder over the past five years. Multiple aspects of cardiometabolic health were assessed, including obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. Functional MRI was used to quantify the connectivity of major intrinsic networks. Consistent with predictions, resting-state connectivity within the central executive network (CEN) emerged as a moderator of adaptation. Across six distinct outcomes, a higher neighborhood murder rate was associated with greater cardiometabolic risk, but this relationship was apparent only among youth who displayed lower CEN resting-state connectivity. By contrast, there was little evidence of moderation by the anterior salience and default mode networks. These findings advance basic and applied knowledge about adaptation by highlighting intrinsic CEN connectivity as a potential neurobiological contributor to resilience.

The Effects of a Modified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program for Nurses: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of a modified mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program on the levels of stress, affect, and resilience among nurses in general hospitals in mainland China. In addition, the study attempted to determine the impact of the program on job satisfaction. A total of 110 nurses were randomly assigned to the intervention versus control groups. The intervention group participated in a modified 8-week MBSR program. All participants were evaluated with questionnaires at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and 3 months later. The intervention group showed decreases in stress and negative affect and increases in positive affect and resilience after the intervention. No improvement in job satisfaction was observed, but the trends of the data were in the hypothesized direction that job satisfaction would improve. The modified MBSR program is an effective approach for nurses to decrease stress and negative affect and improve positive affect and resilience. In addition, the program has the potential to improve job satisfaction.

Juniper Subtle Energy Healing: A Case Study

OBJECTIVES

This pilot case study sought to examine the efficacy of subtle energy treatments as conducted by Buddhist healing master Segyu Rinpoche at his Juniper Integrative Clinic in Northern California.

DESIGN

Over the course of a year, this study followed two patients with terminal diagnoses, their treating physicians, and Segyu Rinpoche as the patients underwent treatment at the Juniper Clinic. The patients entering the study had exhausted all known medical options. One patient suffered from chronic lymphocytic leukemia [CLL] and the other from bronchiolitis obliterans [BOS] brought about by graft versus host disease following a bone marrow transplant for leukemia. Their treating physicians are prominent members of two different teaching/research hospitals. This was an IRB approved study conducted in conformity with HIPAA standards.

SETTING

The patients participated in treatments with Segyu Rinpoche twice a month at his clinic and engaged in daily meditation as instructed by Rinpoche. The study followed both patients through in-depth, face-to-face interviews, wellness surveys, weekly journal entries, and medical records. The study also followed the physicians and Segyu Rinpoche through face-to-face interviews.

RESULTS

Both patients and physicians identified significant shifts in patient wellbeing, including less pain, greater happiness and more ease. In addition, both physicians and patients reported a reduced need for medication. Some aspects of the design were more or less successful in tracking patient experience (i.e., health and wellness survey vs. personal journals). The success of the pilot indicates that more qualitative case studies are needed.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients and physicians identified a significant increase in overall patient wellbeing. Hence, on an anecdotal level, the study demonstrated the usefulness of subtle energy healing as practiced by Segyu Rinpoche and the Juniper Clinic. The success of the pilot indicates the potential value of full qualitative studies for this modality.

Recent experience impacts social behavior in a novel context by adult zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Many animals exhibit behavioral plasticity as they move between habitats seasonally, reside in fluctuating environments, or respond to human-induced environmental change. We know that physical environment during early development can have a lasting impact on behavior, and on the neural mechanisms that shape behavior. In adults, social context can have similar persistent effects on behavior and the brain. Here, we asked whether physical context impacts adult social behavior in a novel environment. We placed groups of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) in two different physical contexts. After two weeks, we measured group behavior in a novel context, and found that zebrafish with recent experience in a more-complex physical environment charged each other more often and tended to form tighter shoals than did fish that had been housed in less-complex environments. These differences were present regardless of the novel context in which we assayed behavior, and were not easily explained by differences in activity level. Our results demonstrate the impact of recent experiences on adult behavior, and highlight the importance of physical as well as social history in predicting animal behavior in novel situations.

A Family Focused Intervention Influences Hippocampal-Prefrontal Connectivity Through Gains in Self-Regulation

The stressors associated with poverty increase the risks for externalizing psychopathology; however, specific patterns of neurobiology and higher self‐regulation may buffer against these effects. This study leveraged a randomized control trial, aimed at increasing self‐regulation at ~11 years of age. As adults, these same individuals completed functional MRI scanning (M_age = 24.88 years; intervention n = 44; control n = 49). Functional connectivity between the hippocampus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex was examined in relation to the intervention, gains in self‐regulation, and present‐day externalizing symptoms. Increased connectivity between these brain areas was noted in the intervention group compared to controls. Furthermore, individual gains in self‐regulation, instilled by the intervention, statistically explained this brain difference. These results begin to connect neurobiological and psychosocial markers of risk and resiliency.

Association of Prenatal Maternal Depression and Anxiety Symptoms With Infant White Matter Microstructure

IMPORTANCE

Maternal depression and anxiety can have deleterious and lifelong consequences on child development. However, many aspects of the association of early brain development with maternal symptoms remain unclear. Understanding the timing of potential neurobiological alterations holds inherent value for the development and evaluation of future therapies and interventions.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between exposure to prenatal maternal depression and anxiety symptoms and offspring white matter microstructure at 1 month of age.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cohort study of 101 mother-infant dyads used a composite of depression and anxiety symptoms measured in mothers during the third trimester of pregnancy and measures of white matter microstructure characterized in the mothers' 1-month offspring using diffusion tensor imaging and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging performed from October 1, 2014, to November 30, 2016. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed at an academic research facility during natural, nonsedated sleep.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Brain mapping algorithms and statistical models were used to evaluate the association between maternal depression and anxiety and 1-month infant white matter microstructure as measured by diffusion tensor imaging and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging findings.

RESULTS

In the 101 mother-infant dyads (mean [SD] age of mothers, 33.22 [3.99] years; mean age of infants at magnetic resonance imaging, 33.07 days [range, 18-50 days]; 92 white mothers [91.1%]; 53 male infants [52.5%]), lower 1-month white matter microstructure (decreased neurite density and increased mean, radial, and axial diffusivity) was associated in right frontal white matter microstructure with higher prenatal maternal symptoms of depression and anxiety. Significant sex × symptom interactions with measures of white matter microstructure were also observed, suggesting that white matter development may be differentially sensitive to maternal depression and anxiety symptoms in males and females during the prenatal period.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

These data highlight the importance of the prenatal period to early brain development and suggest that the underlying white matter microstructure is associated with the continuum of prenatal maternal depression and anxiety symptoms.

Vulnerability and resilience to Alzheimer's disease: early life conditions modulate neuropathology and determine cognitive reserve

BACKGROUND

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with a high prevalence among the elderly and a huge personal and societal impact. Recent epidemiological studies have indicated that the incidence and age of onset of sporadic AD can be modified by lifestyle factors such as education, exercise, and (early) stress exposure. Early life adversity is known to promote cognitive decline at a later age and to accelerate aging, which are both primary risk factors for AD. In rodent models, exposure to 'negative' or 'positive' early life experiences was recently found to modulate various measures of AD neuropathology, such as amyloid-beta levels and cognition at later ages. Although there is emerging interest in understanding whether experiences during early postnatal life also modulate AD risk in humans, the mechanisms and possible substrates underlying these long-lasting effects remain elusive.

METHODS

We review literature and discuss the role of early life experiences in determining later age and AD-related processes from a brain and cognitive 'reserve' perspective. We focus on rodent studies and the identification of possible early determinants of later AD vulnerability or resilience in relation to early life adversity/enrichment.

RESULTS

Potential substrates and mediators of early life experiences that may influence the development of AD pathology and cognitive decline are: programming of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, priming of the neuroinflammatory response, dendritic and synaptic complexity and function, overall brain plasticity, and proteins such as early growth response protein 1 (EGR1), activity regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc), and repressor element-1 silencing transcription factor (REST).

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude from these rodent studies that the early postnatal period is an important and sensitive phase that influences the vulnerability to develop AD pathology. Yet translational studies are required to investigate whether early life experiences also modify AD development in human studies, and whether similar molecular mediators can be identified in the sensitivity to develop AD in humans.

Animal models of social stress: the dark side of social interactions

Social stress occurs in all social species, including humans, and shape both mental health and future interactions with conspecifics. Animal models of social stress are used to unravel the precise role of the main stress system - the HPA axis - on the one hand, and the social behavior network on the other, as these are intricately interwoven. The present review aims to summarize the insights gained from three highly useful and clinically relevant animal models of psychosocial stress: the resident-intruder (RI) test, the chronic subordinate colony housing (CSC), and the social fear conditioning (SFC). Each model brings its own focus: the role of the HPA axis in shaping acute social confrontations (RI test), the physiological and behavioral impairments resulting from chronic exposure to negative social experiences (CSC), and the neurobiology underlying social fear and its effects on future social interactions (SFC). Moreover, these models are discussed with special attention to the HPA axis and the neuropeptides vasopressin and oxytocin, which are important messengers in the stress system, in emotion regulation, as well as in the social behavior network. It appears that both nonapeptides balance the relative strength of the stress response, and simultaneously predispose the animal to positive or negative social interactions.

Behavioral interventions in health neuroscience

Many chronic health concerns (obesity, addiction, stress, chronic pain, and depression) have garnered recent attention for their increasing frequency, intractability, and serious health consequences. Because they are often difficult to treat and there are not always effective pharmacological treatments, many patients are pursuing behavioral interventions for these conditions. Experimental behavioral intervention studies have shown some efficacy for health, but the mechanisms for these treatments are not well understood. Health neuroscience is a burgeoning field that seeks to link neural function and structure with physical and mental health. Through this lens, initial studies have begun to investigate how behavioral interventions modulate neural function in ways that lead to improvements in health markers and outcomes. Here, we provide a review of these studies in terms of how they modulate key neurobiological systems, and how modulation of these systems relates to physical health and disease outcomes. We conclude with discussion of opportunities for future research in this promising area of study.

Dopamine D1 receptor subtype mediates acute stress-induced dendritic growth in excitatory neurons of the medial prefrontal cortex and contributes to suppression of stress susceptibility in mice

Dopamine in prefrontal cortices is implicated in cognitive and emotional functions, and the dysfunction of prefrontal dopamine has been associated with cognitive and emotional deficits in mental illnesses. These findings have led to clinical trials of dopamine-targeting drugs and brain imaging of dopamine receptors in patients with mental illnesses. Rodent studies have suggested that dopaminergic pathway projecting to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) suppresses stress susceptibility. Although various types of mPFC neurons express several dopamine receptor subtypes, previous studies neither isolated a role of dopamine receptor subtype nor identified the site of its action in mPFC. Using social defeat stress (SDS) in mice, here we identified a role of dopamine D1 receptor subtype in mPFC excitatory neurons in suppressing stress susceptibility. Repeated social defeat stress (R-SDS) reduces the expression of D1 receptor subtype in mPFC of mice susceptible to R-SDS. Knockdown of D1 receptor subtype in whole neuronal populations or excitatory neurons in mPFC facilitates the induction of social avoidance by SDS. Single social defeat stress (S-SDS) induces D1 receptor-mediated extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation and c-Fos expression in mPFC neurons. Whereas R-SDS reduces dendritic lengths of mPFC layer II/III pyramidal neurons, S-SDS increases arborization and spines of apical dendrites of these neurons in a D1 receptor-dependent manner. Collectively, our findings show that D1 receptor subtype and related signaling in mPFC excitatory neurons mediate acute stress-induced dendritic growth of these neurons and contribute to suppression of stress susceptibility. Therefore, we propose that D1 receptor-mediated dendritic growth in mPFC excitatory neurons suppresses stress susceptibility.

Neurobehavioral Mechanisms of Resilience Against Emotional Distress: An Integrative Brain-Personality-Symptom Approach Using Structural Equation Modeling

Clarifying individual differences that predict resilience or vulnerability to emotional distress is crucial for identifying etiological factors contributing to affective disturbances, and to promoting emotional well-being. Despite recent progress identifying specific brain regions and personality traits, it remains unclear whether there are common factors underlying the structural aspects of the brain and the personality traits that, in turn, protect against symptoms of emotional distress. In the present study, an integrative structural equation model was developed to examine the associations among (1) a latent construct of Control, representing the volumes of a system of prefrontal cortical (PFC) regions including middle, inferior, and orbital frontal cortices; (2) a latent construct of Resilience personality traits including cognitive reappraisal, positive affectivity, and optimism; and (3) Anxiety and Depression symptoms, in a sample of 85 healthy young adults. Results showed that the latent construct of PFC volumes positively predicted the latent construct of Resilience, which in turn negatively predicted Anxiety. Mediation analysis confirmed that greater latent PFC volume is indirectly associated with lower Anxiety symptoms through greater latent trait Resilience. The model did not show a significant mediation for Depression. These results support the idea that there are common volumetric and personality factors that help protect against symptoms of emotional distress. These findings provide strong evidence that such brain-personality-symptom approaches can provide novel insights with valuable implications for understanding the interaction of these factors in healthy and clinically diagnosed individuals.

A Comprehensive Overview on Stress Neurobiology: Basic Concepts and Clinical Implications

Stress is recognized as an important issue in basic and clinical neuroscience research, based upon the founding historical studies by Walter Canon and Hans Selye in the past century, when the concept of stress emerged in a biological and adaptive perspective. A lot of research after that period has expanded the knowledge in the stress field. Since then, it was discovered that the response to stressful stimuli is elaborated and triggered by the, now known, stress system, which integrates a wide diversity of brain structures that, collectively, are able to detect events and interpret them as real or potential threats. However, different types of stressors engage different brain networks, requiring a fine-tuned functional neuroanatomical processing. This integration of information from the stressor itself may result in a rapid activation of the Sympathetic-Adreno-Medullar (SAM) axis and the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, the two major components involved in the stress response. The complexity of the stress response is not restricted to neuroanatomy or to SAM and HPA axes mediators, but also diverge according to timing and duration of stressor exposure, as well as its short- and/or long-term consequences. The identification of neuronal circuits of stress, as well as their interaction with mediator molecules over time is critical, not only for understanding the physiological stress responses, but also to understand their implications on mental health.

Problem Analysis in Community Violence Assessment: Revealing Early Childhood Trauma as a Driver of Youth and Gang Violence

Problem analysis conducted by a university-based research partner can provide communities with data-driven options to address the local drivers of serious youth and gang violence. Situated in Worcester, Massachusetts, this article describes how subsequent to early childhood trauma being identified as a potential driver of adolescent and young adult violence; problem analysis using local data confirmed that being the victim or witness of a traumatic incident before the age of 12 years was significantly correlated with involvement in violence in adolescence or young adulthood. Although there is a robust literature on the relationship between early childhood trauma and later delinquency, local decision makers did not consider this knowledge actionable until the research partner used the city's own police records to demonstrate the extent of the problem in the city. Rigorous problem analysis, conducted collaboratively between practitioners and an academic research partner, helped to compel local change and ensured that strategies addressed the right risk factors and directed service to the appropriate target population.

Gender-related dimensions of childhood adversities in the general population

Objective:

Childhood adversities (CAs) comprise a group of negative experiences individuals may suffer in their lifetimes. The goal of the present study was to investigate the cluster discrimination of CAs through psychometric determination of the common attributes of such experiences for men and women.

Methods:

Parental mental illness, substance misuse, criminality, death, divorce, other parental loss, family violence, physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, physical illness, and economic adversity were assessed in a general-population sample (n=5,037). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis determined gender-related dimensions of CA. The contribution of each individual adversity was explored through Rasch analysis.

Results:

Adversities were reported by 53.6% of the sample. A three-factor model of CA dimensions fit the data better for men, and a two-factor model for women. For both genders, the dimension of family maladjustment – encompassing physical abuse, neglect, parental mental disorders, and family violence – was the core cluster of CAs. Women endorsed more CAs than men. Rasch analysis found that sexual abuse, physical illness, parental criminal behavior, parental divorce, and economic adversity were difficult to report in face-to-face interviews.

Conclusion:

CAs embrace sensitive personal information, clustering of which differed by gender. Acknowledging CAs may have an impact on medical and psychiatric outcomes in adulthood.

Social defeat stress induces hyperalgesia and increases truncated BDNF isoforms in the nucleus accumbens regardless of the depressive-like behavior induction in mice

Epidemiological studies have shown a close association between pain and depression. There is evidence showing this association as patients with depression show a high chronic pain prevalence and vice versa. Considering that social stress is critical for the development of depression in humans, we used a social defeat stress (SDS) model which induces depressive-like behavior in mice. In this model, mice are exposed to an aggressor mouse for ten days, suffering brief periods of agonistic contact and long periods of sensory contact. Some mice display social avoidance, a depressive-like behavior, and are considered susceptible, while some mice do not, and are considered resilient. Thus, we investigated the nociceptive behavior of mice submitted to SDS and the neuroplastic changes in dopaminergic mesolimbic system. Our results showed that the stressed mice (resilient and susceptible) presented a higher sensitivity to pain than the control mice in chemical and mechanical tests. We also verified that susceptible mice have higher Bdnf mRNA in the VTA compared to the resilient and control mice. The stressed mice had less mature BDNF and more truncated BDNF protein in the NAc compared with control mice. Although social stress may trigger the development of depression and hyperalgesia, these two conditions may manifest independently as social stress induced hyperalgesia even in mice that did not display depressive-like behavior. Also, increased Bdnf in the VTA seems to be associated with depressive-like behavior, whereas high levels of truncated BDNF and low mature BDNF appear to be associated with hyperalgesia induced by social defeat stress.

Contemplative Meditation and Neuroscience: Prospects for Mental Health

Numerous studies show that personal spirituality developed through prayer positively influences mental health. Phenomenological and neuroscientific studies of mindfulness, an Eastern meditative prayer form, reveal significant health benefits now yielding important insights useful for guiding treatment of psychological disorders. By contrast, and despite its practice for millennia, Christian meditation is largely unrepresented in studies of clinical efficacy. Resemblances between mindfulness and disciplinary acts in Christian meditation taken from the ancient Greek practice of askesis suggest that Christian meditation will prove similarly beneficial; furthermore, psychological and neuroscientific studies suggest that its retention of a dialogical and transcendent praxis will additionally benefit social and existential psychotherapy. This paper thus argues that study of contemplative meditation for its therapeutic potential is warranted.

A Stress Reduction Program Adapted for the Work Environment: A Randomized Controlled Trial With a Follow-Up

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate an in situ stress reduction program, named PROGRESS, developed to meet the specific needs of workers in a business context and to research its impact upon non-severe psychiatric symptoms, stress, anxiety, depression, processing speed/attention and mindfulness.

Methods: Participants with stress complaints were randomized into two groups: the main intervention group: group 1-G1, (n = 22); and the control group: group 2-G2, (n = 22). The protocol was divided into three distinct phases for the purpose of the study. Both groups were evaluated at time 1 (T1), before the first 8-week intervention, which only G1 received. The second evaluation was made on both groups at time 2 (T2), immediately after this first program; in order to test the program’s replicability and investigate possible follow-up effects, an identical second 8-week program was offered to G2 during time 3 (T3), while G1 was simply instructed to maintain the practice they had learned without further instruction between T2 and T3. A Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to investigate the construct validity of PROGRESS.

Results: Repeated measures MANOVA test, comparing G1 and G2, showed the effect of the intervention from T1 to T2 (p = 0.021) and from T2 to T3 (p = 0.031). Univariate analysis showed that participants from G1 improved levels of non-severe psychiatric symptoms, anxiety, depression, stress, processing speed/attention and mindfulness when compared with G2, from T1 to T2 (p < 0.05). After the participants in G2 received the intervention (T2 to T3), this group also showed improvement in the same variables (p < 0.05). At the end of their follow-up period (T2-T3) – during which they received no further support or instruction – G1 maintained the improvements gained during T1-T2. The two main components were stress (stress in the last 24-h, in the last week and last month) and mental health (non-severe psychiatric symptoms, depression, anxiety and mindfulness).

Conclusion: PROGRESS, an in situ mindfulness program adapted to fit within the reality of business time constraints, was effective at replicating in more than one group the reduction of stress, depression, anxiety, non-severe psychiatric symptoms, processing speed and also the improvement of attention skills, showing sustained improvement even after 8-weeks follow-up. Clinicaltrails.gov identifier: NCT02660307. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02660307?term=Progress&rank=6

Meditation-induced neuroplastic changes of the prefrontal network are associated with reduced valence perception in older people

Background:

Neuroplastic underpinnings of meditation-induced changes in affective processing are largely unclear.

Methods:

We included healthy older participants in an active-controlled experiment. They were involved a meditation training or a control relaxation training of eight weeks. Associations between behavioral and neural morphometric changes induced by the training were examined.

Results:

The meditation group demonstrated a change in valence perception indexed by more neutral valence ratings of positive and negative affective images. These behavioral changes were associated with synchronous structural enlargements in a prefrontal network involving the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the inferior frontal sulcus. In addition, these neuroplastic effects were modulated by the enlargement in the inferior frontal junction. In contrast, these prefrontal enlargements were absent in the active control group, which completed a relaxation training. Supported by a path analysis, we propose a model that describes how meditation may induce a series of prefrontal neuroplastic changes related to valence perception. These brain areas showing meditation-induced structural enlargements are reduced in older people with affective dysregulations.

Conclusion:

We demonstrated that a prefrontal network was enlarged after eight weeks of meditation training. Our findings yield translational insights in the endeavor to promote healthy aging by means of meditation.

Investigation of brain structure in the 1-month infant

The developing brain undergoes systematic changes that occur at successive stages of maturation. Deviations from the typical neurodevelopmental trajectory are hypothesized to underlie many early childhood disorders; thus, characterizing the earliest patterns of normative brain development is essential. Recent neuroimaging research provides insight into brain structure during late childhood and adolescence; however, few studies have examined the infant brain, particularly in infants under 3 months of age. Using high-resolution structural MRI, we measured subcortical gray and white matter brain volumes in a cohort (N = 143) of 1-month infants and examined characteristics of these volumetric measures throughout this early period of neurodevelopment. We show that brain volumes undergo age-related changes during the first month of life, with the corresponding patterns of regional asymmetry and sexual dimorphism. Specifically, males have larger total brain volume and volumes differ by sex in regionally specific brain regions, after correcting for total brain volume. Consistent with findings from studies of later childhood and adolescence, subcortical regions appear more rightward asymmetric. Neither sex differences nor regional asymmetries changed with gestation-corrected age. Our results complement a growing body of work investigating the earliest neurobiological changes associated with development and suggest that asymmetry and sexual dimorphism are present at birth.