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Oken BS, Kaplan J, Klee D, Gallegos AM. Contributions of loneliness to cognitive impairment and dementia in older adults are independent of other risk factors and Alzheimer's pathology: a narrative review. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1380002. [PMID: 38873650 PMCID: PMC11169707 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1380002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Loneliness significantly contributes to cognitive impairment and dementia in older adults. Loneliness is a distressing feeling resulting from a perceived lack of social connection (i.e., a discrepancy between desired and actual social relationships), while social isolation is a related term that can be defined by number and type of social relationships. Importantly, loneliness is distinct from social isolation in that it is associated with a distressing self-perception. The primary focus of this narrative review is the impact of chronic loneliness on cognitive impairment and dementia among older adults. Loneliness has a significant association with many factors that are related to worse cognition, and therefore we include discussion on health, mental health, as well as the physiological effects of loneliness, neuropathology, and potential treatments. Loneliness has been shown to be related to development of dementia with a hazard ratio (HR) risk comparable to having a single APOE4 gene. The relationship of dementia to loneliness appears to be at least partially independent of other known dementia risk factors that are possibly associated with loneliness, such as depression, educational status, social isolation, and physical activity. Episodic memory is not consistently impacted by loneliness, which would be more typically impaired if the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia was due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. In addition, the several longitudinal studies that included neuropathology showed no evidence for a relationship between loneliness and AD neuropathology. Loneliness may decrease resilience, or produce greater cognitive change associated with the same level of AD neuropathology. Intervention strategies to decrease loneliness in older adults have been developed but need to consider key treatment targets beyond social isolation. Loneliness needs to be assessed in all studies of cognitive decline in elders, since it significantly contributes to the variance of cognitive function. It will be useful to better define the underlying mechanism of loneliness effects on cognition to determine if it is similar to other psychological factors related to excessive stress reactivity, such as neuroticism or even depression, which are also associated with cognitive decline. It is important from a health perspective to develop better strategies to decrease loneliness in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barry S. Oken
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Josh Kaplan
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Daniel Klee
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Autumn M. Gallegos
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States
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2
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Liebherr M, Brandtner A, Brand M, Tang YY. Digital mindfulness training and cognitive functions: A preregistered systematic review of neuropsychological findings. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2024; 1532:37-49. [PMID: 38197226 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Traditional mindfulness interventions have been frequently reported to be effective in improving cognitive functions. In recent years, however, traditional programs are being increasingly replaced by technology-enabled mindfulness training programs. The aim of the present systematic review (PROSPERO ID: CRD42021289480) is to evaluate the research evidence on their effects on cognitive functions. Empirical training studies in the realm of digital mindfulness training that fulfilled the inclusion criteria led to 19 studies and 1654 participants being included in this review from among the papers searched in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge. Results support previous assumptions on the potential of digital mindfulness training, with the most robust effect on attention control, followed by executive regulation, memory, cognitive flexibility, and other cognitive functions. However, the number of studies that did not find significant changes at least equaled, if not exceeded, the number of studies that found increases. The heterogeneity of identified studies prompted us to discuss several aspects in order to help the future development of digital applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magnus Liebherr
- General Psychology: Cognition and Center for Behavioral Addiction Research (CeBAR), University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
- Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Essen, Germany
| | - Annika Brandtner
- General Psychology: Cognition and Center for Behavioral Addiction Research (CeBAR), University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
- Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Essen, Germany
| | - Matthias Brand
- General Psychology: Cognition and Center for Behavioral Addiction Research (CeBAR), University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
- Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Essen, Germany
| | - Yi-Yuan Tang
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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3
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Price CJ, Sevinc G, Farb NAS. Within-Person Modulation of Neural Networks following Interoceptive Awareness Training through Mindful Awareness in Body-Oriented Therapy (MABT): A Pilot Study. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1396. [PMID: 37891765 PMCID: PMC10605589 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13101396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Interoception, the representation of the body's internal state, is increasingly recognized for informing subjective wellbeing and promoting regulatory behavior. However, few empirical reports characterize interoceptive neural networks, and fewer demonstrate changes to these networks in response to an efficacious intervention. Using a two-group randomized controlled trial, this pilot study explored within-participant neural plasticity in interoceptive networks following Mindful Awareness in Body-oriented Therapy (MABT). Participants (N = 22) were assigned to either 8 weeks of MABT or to a no-treatment control and completed baseline and post-intervention assessments that included subjective interoceptive awareness (MAIA) and neuroimaging of an interoceptive awareness task. MABT was uniquely associated with insula deactivation, increased functional connectivity between the dorsal attention network and the somatomotor cortex, and connectivity changes correlated positively with changes in subjective interoception. Within the MABT group, changes in subjective interoception interacted with changes in a predefined anterior cingulate seed region to predict changes in right middle insula activity, a putative primary interoceptive representation region. While the small sample size requires the replication of findings, results suggest that interoceptive training enhances sensory-prefrontal connectivity, and that such changes are commensurate with enhanced interoceptive awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gunes Sevinc
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA;
- Ardea Outcomes, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Norman A. S. Farb
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada;
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4
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Janssen LK, Duif I, Speckens AEM, van Loon I, Wegman J, de Vries JHM, Cools R, Aarts E. The effects of an 8-week mindful eating intervention on anticipatory reward responses in striatum and midbrain. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1115727. [PMID: 37637944 PMCID: PMC10457123 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1115727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Accumulating evidence suggests that increased neural responses during the anticipation of high-calorie food play an important role in the tendency to overeat. A promising method for counteracting enhanced food anticipation in overeating might be mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs). However, the neural mechanisms by which MBIs can affect food reward anticipation are unclear. In this randomized, actively controlled study, the primary objective was to investigate the effect of an 8-week mindful eating intervention on reward anticipation. We hypothesized that mindful eating would decrease striatal reward anticipation responses. Additionally, responses in the midbrain-from which the reward pathways originate-were explored. Methods Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we tested 58 healthy participants with a wide body mass index range (BMI: 19-35 kg/m2), motivated to change their eating behavior. During scanning they performed an incentive delay task, measuring neural reward anticipation responses to caloric and monetary cues before and after 8 weeks of mindful eating or educational cooking (active control). Results Compared with the educational cooking intervention, mindful eating affected neural reward anticipation responses, with reduced caloric relative to monetary reward responses. This effect was, however, not seen in the striatum, but only in the midbrain. The secondary objective was to assess temporary and long-lasting (1 year follow-up) intervention effects on self-reported eating behavior and anthropometric measures [BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip-ratio (WHR)]. We did not observe effects of the mindful eating intervention on eating behavior. Instead, the control intervention showed temporary beneficial effects on BMI, waist circumference, and diet quality, but not on WHR or self-reported eating behavior, as well as long-lasting increases in knowledge about healthy eating. Discussion These results suggest that an 8-week mindful eating intervention may have decreased the relative salience of food cues by affecting midbrain but not striatal reward responses, without necessarily affecting regular eating behavior. However, these exploratory results should be verified in confirmatory research.The primary and secondary objectives of the study were registered in the Dutch Trial Register (NTR): NL4923 (NTR5025).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lieneke K. Janssen
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Iris Duif
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Anne E. M. Speckens
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Ilke van Loon
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Joost Wegman
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Jeanne H. M. de Vries
- Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Roshan Cools
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Esther Aarts
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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Guidotti R, D'Andrea A, Basti A, Raffone A, Pizzella V, Marzetti L. Long-Term and Meditation-Specific Modulations of Brain Connectivity Revealed Through Multivariate Pattern Analysis. Brain Topogr 2023; 36:409-418. [PMID: 36977909 PMCID: PMC10164028 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-023-00950-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies have provided evidence that extensive meditation practice modifies the functional and structural properties of the human brain, such as large-scale brain region interplay. However, it remains unclear how different meditation styles are involved in the modulation of these large-scale brain networks. Here, using machine learning and fMRI functional connectivity, we investigated how focused attention and open monitoring meditation styles impact large-scale brain networks. Specifically, we trained a classifier to predict the meditation style in two groups of subjects: expert Theravada Buddhist monks and novice meditators. We showed that the classifier was able to discriminate the meditation style only in the expert group. Additionally, by inspecting the trained classifier, we observed that the Anterior Salience and the Default Mode networks were relevant for the classification, in line with their theorized involvement in emotion and self-related regulation in meditation. Interestingly, results also highlighted the role of specific couplings between areas crucial for regulating attention and self-awareness as well as areas related to processing and integrating somatosensory information. Finally, we observed a larger involvement of left inter-hemispheric connections in the classification. In conclusion, our work supports the evidence that extensive meditation practice modulates large-scale brain networks, and that the different meditation styles differentially affect connections that subserve style-specific functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Guidotti
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "Gabriele d'Annunzio" University Chieti- Pescara, Via dei Vestini 33, 66013, Chieti, Italy
| | - Antea D'Andrea
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "Gabriele d'Annunzio" University Chieti- Pescara, Via dei Vestini 33, 66013, Chieti, Italy
| | - Alessio Basti
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "Gabriele d'Annunzio" University Chieti- Pescara, Via dei Vestini 33, 66013, Chieti, Italy
| | - Antonino Raffone
- Department of Psychology, "La Sapienza" University Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Vittorio Pizzella
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "Gabriele d'Annunzio" University Chieti- Pescara, Via dei Vestini 33, 66013, Chieti, Italy.
- Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, "Gabriele d'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, 66013, Chieti, Italy.
| | - Laura Marzetti
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "Gabriele d'Annunzio" University Chieti- Pescara, Via dei Vestini 33, 66013, Chieti, Italy
- Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, "Gabriele d'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, 66013, Chieti, Italy
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6
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Cooper AC, Ventura B, Northoff G. Beyond the veil of duality-topographic reorganization model of meditation. Neurosci Conscious 2022; 2022:niac013. [PMID: 36237370 PMCID: PMC9552929 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niac013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Meditation can exert a profound impact on our mental life, with proficient practitioners often reporting an experience free of boundaries between a separate self and the environment, suggesting an explicit experience of "nondual awareness." What are the neural correlates of such experiences and how do they relate to the idea of nondual awareness itself? In order to unravel the effects that meditation has on the brain's spatial topography, we review functional magnetic resonance imaging brain findings from studies specific to an array of meditation types and meditator experience levels. We also review findings from studies that directly probe the interaction between meditation and the experience of the self. The main results are (i) decreased posterior default mode network (DMN) activity, (ii) increased central executive network (CEN) activity, (iii) decreased connectivity within posterior DMN as well as between posterior and anterior DMN, (iv) increased connectivity within the anterior DMN and CEN, and (v) significantly impacted connectivity between the DMN and CEN (likely a nonlinear phenomenon). Together, these suggest a profound organizational shift of the brain's spatial topography in advanced meditators-we therefore propose a topographic reorganization model of meditation (TRoM). One core component of the TRoM is that the topographic reorganization of DMN and CEN is related to a decrease in the mental-self-processing along with a synchronization with the more nondual layers of self-processing, notably interoceptive and exteroceptive-self-processing. This reorganization of the functionality of both brain and self-processing can result in the explicit experience of nondual awareness. In conclusion, this review provides insight into the profound neural effects of advanced meditation and proposes a result-driven unifying model (TRoM) aimed at identifying the inextricably tied objective (neural) and subjective (experiential) effects of meditation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin Clinton Cooper
- Integrated Program of Neuroscience, Room 302, Irving Ludmer Building, 1033 Pine Avenue W., McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Bianca Ventura
- Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics Research Unit, Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, 1145 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1Z 7K4, Canada
| | - Georg Northoff
- Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics Research Unit, Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, 1145 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1Z 7K4, Canada
- Mental Health Center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China
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7
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Bremer B, Wu Q, Mora Álvarez MG, Hölzel BK, Wilhelm M, Hell E, Tavacioglu EE, Torske A, Koch K. Mindfulness meditation increases default mode, salience, and central executive network connectivity. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13219. [PMID: 35918449 PMCID: PMC9346127 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17325-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research has begun to identify the neural mechanisms underlying the beneficial impact of mindfulness meditation training (MMT) on health and cognition. However, little is known about the effects of MMT on the global interplay of large-scale networks (LSNs) in the brain. In the present study, healthy, meditation-naïve adults (N = 46) underwent resting state fMRI prior to and upon completing 31 days of MMT or an active control intervention. Independent component analysis, sliding time window, and seed-based correlation analyses were performed to assess training-related changes in functional connectivity (FC) within and between networks with relevance to mindfulness meditation. Across sliding time window analyses and seed-based correlation analyses, we found increased FC between nodes of the default mode network (DMN) and nodes of the salience network (SN) in participants of the MMT. Seed-based correlation analyses revealed further connectivity increases between the SN and key regions of the central executive network (CEN). These results indicate, that, among multiple LSNs, one month of mindfulness meditation effectively increases interconnectivity between networks of the triple network model (DMN, SN, CEN), hereby introducing a potential mechanistic concept underlying the beneficial impact of MMT. Clinical trial registration: This study is listed as a clinical trial on the ISRCTN registry with trial ID ISRCTN95197731 (date of first registration: 15/02/2022).
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Affiliation(s)
- Benno Bremer
- Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany. .,TUM-Neuroimaging Center (TUM-NIC), Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
| | - Qiong Wu
- Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany.,TUM-Neuroimaging Center (TUM-NIC), Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - María Guadalupe Mora Álvarez
- Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany.,TUM-Neuroimaging Center (TUM-NIC), Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Britta Karen Hölzel
- Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany.,TUM-Neuroimaging Center (TUM-NIC), Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Maximilian Wilhelm
- TUM-Neuroimaging Center (TUM-NIC), Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Elena Hell
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Ebru Ecem Tavacioglu
- TUM-Neuroimaging Center (TUM-NIC), Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Alyssa Torske
- Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany.,TUM-Neuroimaging Center (TUM-NIC), Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Kathrin Koch
- Department of Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany.,TUM-Neuroimaging Center (TUM-NIC), Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried, Germany
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8
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Savanth AS, Vijaya PA, Nair AK, Kutty BM. Classification of Rajayoga Meditators Based on the Duration of Practice Using Graph Theoretical Measures of Functional Connectivity from Task-Based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Int J Yoga 2022; 15:96-105. [PMID: 36329777 PMCID: PMC9623885 DOI: 10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_17_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
CONTEXT Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies on mental training techniques such as meditation have reported benefits like increased attention and concentration, better emotional regulation, as well as reduced stress and anxiety. Although several studies have examined functional activation and connectivity in long-term as well as short-term meditators from different meditation traditions, it is unclear if long-term meditation practice brings about distinct changes in network properties of brain functional connectivity that persist during task performance. Indeed, task-based functional connectivity studies of meditators are rare. AIMS This study aimed to differentiate between long-term and short-term Rajayoga meditators based on functional connectivity between regions of interest in the brain. Task-based fMRI was captured as the meditators performed an engaging task. The graph theoretical-based functional connectivity measures of task-based fMRI were calculated using CONN toolbox and were used as features to classify the two groups using Machine Learning models. SUBJECTS AND METHODS In this study, we recruited two age and sex-matched groups of Rajayoga meditators from the Brahma Kumaris tradition that differed in the duration of their meditation experience: Long-term practitioners (n = 12, mean 13,596 h) and short-term practitioners (n = 10, mean 1095 h). fMRI data were acquired as they performed an engaging task and functional connectivity metrics were calculated from this data. These metrics were used as features in training machine learning algorithms. Specifically, we used adjacency matrices generated from graph measures, global efficiency, and local efficiency, as features. We computed functional connectivity with 132 ROIs as well as 32 network ROIs. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED Five machine learning models, such as logistic regression, SVM, decision tree, random forest, and gradient boosted tree, were trained to classify the two groups. Accuracy, precision, sensitivity, selectivity, area under the curve receiver operating characteristics curve were used as performance measures. RESULTS The graph measures were effective features, and tree-based algorithms such as decision tree, random forest, and gradient boosted tree yielded the best performance (test accuracy >84% with 132 ROIs) in classifying the two groups of meditators. CONCLUSIONS Our results support the hypothesis that long-term meditative practices alter brain functional connectivity networks even in nonmeditative contexts. Further, the use of adjacency matrices from graph theoretical measures of high-dimensional fMRI data yields a promising feature set for machine learning classifiers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashwini S. Savanth
- Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, BNM Institute of Technology, Bangalore and Affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi, Karnataka, India,Address for correspondence: Prof. Ashwini S. Savanth, Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, BNM Institute of Technology, Banashankari 2nd Stage, Bengaluru - 560 070, Karnataka, India. E-mail:
| | - P. A. Vijaya
- Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, BNM Institute of Technology, Bangalore and Affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi, Karnataka, India
| | - Ajay Kumar Nair
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Bindu M. Kutty
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
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9
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Kanel D, Vanes LD, Ball G, Hadaya L, Falconer S, Counsell SJ, Edwards AD, Nosarti C. OUP accepted manuscript. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac009. [PMID: 35178519 PMCID: PMC8846580 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Very preterm children are more likely to exhibit difficulties in socio-emotional processing than their term-born peers. Emerging socio-emotional problems may be partly due to alterations in limbic system development associated with infants’ early transition to extrauterine life. The amygdala is a key structure in this system and plays a critical role in various aspects of socio-emotional development, including emotion regulation. The current study tested the hypothesis that amygdala resting-state functional connectivity at term-equivalent age would be associated with socio-emotional outcomes in childhood. Participants were 129 very preterm infants (<33 weeks' gestation) who underwent resting-state functional MRI at term and received a neurodevelopmental assessment at 4–7 years (median = 4.64). Using the left and right amygdalae as seed regions, we investigated associations between whole-brain seed-based functional connectivity and three socio-emotional outcome factors which were derived using exploratory factor analysis (Emotion Moderation, Social Function and Empathy), controlling for sex, neonatal sickness, post-menstrual age at scan and social risk. Childhood Emotion Moderation scores were significantly associated with neonatal resting-state functional connectivity of the right amygdala with right parahippocampal gyrus and right middle occipital gyrus, as well as with functional connectivity of the left amygdala with the right thalamus. No significant associations were found between amygdalar resting-state functional connectivity and either Social Function or Empathy scores. The current findings show that amygdalar functional connectivity assessed at term is associated with later socio-emotional outcomes in very preterm children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Kanel
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Lucy D. Vanes
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Gareth Ball
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Laila Hadaya
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Shona Falconer
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Serena J. Counsell
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
| | | | - Chiara Nosarti
- Correspondence to: Chiara Nosarti Centre for the Developing Brain School of Bioengineering and Imaging Sciences King’s College London and Evelina Children’s Hospital London SE1 7EH, UK E-mail:
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10
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Gupta SS, Manthalkar RR, Gajre SS. Mindfulness intervention for improving cognitive abilities using EEG signal. Biomed Signal Process Control 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bspc.2021.103072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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11
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Guidotti R, Del Gratta C, Perrucci MG, Romani GL, Raffone A. Neuroplasticity within and between Functional Brain Networks in Mental Training Based on Long-Term Meditation. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11081086. [PMID: 34439705 PMCID: PMC8393942 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11081086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) The effects of intensive mental training based on meditation on the functional and structural organization of the human brain have been addressed by several neuroscientific studies. However, how large-scale connectivity patterns are affected by long-term practice of the main forms of meditation, Focused Attention (FA) and Open Monitoring (OM), as well as by aging, has not yet been elucidated. (2) Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and multivariate pattern analysis, we investigated the impact of meditation expertise and age on functional connectivity patterns in large-scale brain networks during different meditation styles in long-term meditators. (3) The results show that fMRI connectivity patterns in multiple key brain networks can differentially predict the meditation expertise and age of long-term meditators. Expertise-predictive patterns are differently affected by FA and OM, while age-predictive patterns are not influenced by the meditation form. The FA meditation connectivity pattern modulated by expertise included nodes and connections implicated in focusing, sustaining and monitoring attention, while OM patterns included nodes associated with cognitive control and emotion regulation. (4) The study highlights a long-term effect of meditation practice on multivariate patterns of functional brain connectivity and suggests that meditation expertise is associated with specific neuroplastic changes in connectivity patterns within and between multiple brain networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Guidotti
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “Gabriele D’Annunzio” University Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (C.D.G.); (M.G.P.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Cosimo Del Gratta
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “Gabriele D’Annunzio” University Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (C.D.G.); (M.G.P.)
- Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, “Gabriele D’Annunzio” University Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy;
| | - Mauro Gianni Perrucci
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “Gabriele D’Annunzio” University Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (C.D.G.); (M.G.P.)
- Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, “Gabriele D’Annunzio” University Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy;
| | - Gian Luca Romani
- Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, “Gabriele D’Annunzio” University Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy;
| | - Antonino Raffone
- Department of Psychology, “La Sapienza” University Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy;
- School of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions, Nalanda University, Rajgir 803116, India
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12
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Loganathan K, Ho ETW. Value, drug addiction and the brain. Addict Behav 2021; 116:106816. [PMID: 33453587 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.106816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Over the years, various models have been proposed to explain the psychology and biology of drug addiction, built primarily around the habit and compulsion models. Recent research indicates drug addiction may be goal-directed, motivated by excessive valuation of drugs. Drug consumption may initially occur for the sake of pleasure but may transition to a means of escaping withdrawal, stress and negative emotions. In this hypothetical paper, we propose a value-based neurobiological model for drug addiction. We posit that during dependency, the value-based decision-making system in the brain is not inactive but has instead prioritized drugs as the reward of choice. In support of this model, we consider the role of valuation in choice, its influence on pleasure and punishment, and how valuation is contrasted in impulsive and compulsive behaviours. We then discuss the neurobiology of value, beginning with the dopaminergic system and its relationship with incentive salience before moving to brain-wide networks involved in valuation, control and prospection. These value-based neurobiological components are then integrated into the cycle of addiction as we consider the development of drug dependency from a valuation perspective. We conclude with a discussion of cognitive interventions utilizing value-based decision-making, highlighting not just advances in recalibrating the valuation system to focus on non-drug rewards, but also areas for improvement in refining this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavinash Loganathan
- Centre for Intelligent Signal & Imaging, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Perak, Malaysia.
| | - Eric Tatt Wei Ho
- Centre for Intelligent Signal & Imaging, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Perak, Malaysia; Dept of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Perak, Malaysia
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13
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Spontaneous brain state oscillation is associated with self-reported anxiety in a non-clinical sample. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19754. [PMID: 33184367 PMCID: PMC7661527 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76211-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The anti-correlation relationship between the default-mode network (DMN) and task-positive network (TPN) may provide valuable information on cognitive functions and mental disorders. Moreover, maintaining a specific brain state and efficaciously switching between different states are considered important for self-regulation and adaptation to changing environments. However, it is currently unclear whether competitions between the DMN and TPN are associated with negative affect (here, anxiety and depression) in non-clinical samples. We measured the average dwell time of DMN dominance over the TPN (i.e., the average state duration before transition to another state, indicating persistent DMN dominance) with a sample of 302 non-clinical young adults. Subsequently, we explored individual differences in this persistent DMN dominance by examining its correlations with subjective depression and anxiety feelings. Moreover, we linked state transition between DMN/TPN dominance with right fronto-insular cortex (RFIC) blood oxygen-level dependent signal variability. We found that the average dwell time of DMN dominance was positively associated with self-reported anxiety. Furthermore, state transition between DMN or TPN dominance was positively linked to RFIC activity. These findings highlight the importance of investigating the complex and dynamic reciprocal inhibition patterns of the DMN and TPN and the important role of the RFIC in the association between these networks.
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14
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Quinones MM, Gallegos AM, Lin FV, Heffner K. Dysregulation of inflammation, neurobiology, and cognitive function in PTSD: an integrative review. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 20:455-480. [PMID: 32170605 PMCID: PMC7682894 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-020-00782-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Compelling evidence from animal and human research suggest a strong link between inflammation and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Furthermore, recent findings support compromised neurocognitive function as a key feature of PTSD, particularly with deficits in attention and processing speed, executive function, and memory. These cognitive domains are supported by brain structures and neural pathways that are disrupted in PTSD and which are implicated in fear learning and extinction processes. The disruption of these supporting structures potentially results from their interaction with inflammation. Thus, the converging evidence supports a model of inflammatory dysregulation and cognitive dysfunction as combined mechanisms underpinning PTSD symptomatology. In this review, we summarize evidence of dysregulated inflammation in PTSD and further explore how the neurobiological underpinnings of PTSD, in the context of fear learning and extinction acquisition and recall, may interact with inflammation. We then present evidence for cognitive dysfunction in PTSD, highlighting findings from human work. Potential therapeutic approaches utilizing novel pharmacological and behavioral interventions that target inflammation and cognition also are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria M Quinones
- Elaine C. Hubbard Center for Nursing Research on Aging, School of Nursing, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
| | - Autumn M Gallegos
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Feng Vankee Lin
- Elaine C. Hubbard Center for Nursing Research on Aging, School of Nursing, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Kathi Heffner
- Elaine C. Hubbard Center for Nursing Research on Aging, School of Nursing, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
- Division of Geriatrics & Aging, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
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15
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Bauer CCC, Okano K, Gosh SS, Lee YJ, Melero H, de los Angeles C, Nestor PG, del Re EC, Northoff G, Niznikiewicz MA, Whitfield-Gabrieli S. Real-time fMRI neurofeedback reduces auditory hallucinations and modulates resting state connectivity of involved brain regions: Part 2: Default mode network -preliminary evidence. Psychiatry Res 2020; 284:112770. [PMID: 32004893 PMCID: PMC7046150 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 01/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Auditory hallucinations (AHs) are one of the most distressing symptoms of schizophrenia (SZ) and are often resistant to medication. Imaging studies of individuals with SZ show hyperactivation of the default mode network (DMN) and the superior temporal gyrus (STG). Studies in SZ show DMN hyperconnectivity and reduced anticorrelation between DMN and the central executive network (CEN). DMN hyperconnectivity has been associated with positive symptoms such as AHs while reduced DMN anticorrelations with cognitive impairment. Using real-time fMRI neurofeedback (rt-fMRI-NFB) we trained SZ patients to modulate DMN and CEN networks. Meditation is effective in reducing AHs in SZ and to modulate brain network integration and increase DMN anticorrelations. Consequently, patients were provided with meditation strategies to enhance their abilities to modulate DMN/CEN. Results show a reduction of DMN hyperconnectivity and increase in DMNCEN anticorrelation. Furthermore, the change in individual DMN connectivity significantly correlated with reductions in AHs. This is the first time that meditation enhanced through rt-fMRI-NFB is used to reduce AHs in SZ. Moreover, it provides the first empirical evidence for a direct causal relation between meditation enhanced rt-fMRI-NFB modulation of DMNCEN activity and post-intervention modulation of resting state networks ensuing in reductions in frequency and severity of AHs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clemens C. C. Bauer
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cambridge, MA 02139, USA,Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02139, USA,Please address correspondence to Clemens Bauer, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, 43 Vassar St. 46-4037C Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cambridge, MA 02139, USA Telephone: +1 (617) 324 5124,
| | - Kana Okano
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Satrajit S. Gosh
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Yoon Ji Lee
- Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02139, USA
| | - Helena Melero
- Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02139, USA,Medical Image Analysis Laboratory (LAIMBIO), Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlo de los Angeles
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Paul G. Nestor
- Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA 02115, USA,Boston VA Healthcare System. Boston, MA 02130, USA,University of Massachusetts, Boston, Boston MA 02215, USA
| | - Elisabetta C. del Re
- Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA 02115, USA,Boston VA Healthcare System. Boston, MA 02130, USA,Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Georg Northoff
- Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics Research Unit, The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Margaret A. Niznikiewicz
- Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA 02115, USA,Boston VA Healthcare System. Boston, MA 02130, USA,Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cambridge, MA 02139, USA,Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02139, USA
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16
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Beerse ME, Van Lith T, Pickett SM, Stanwood GD. Biobehavioral utility of mindfulness-based art therapy: Neurobiological underpinnings and mental health impacts. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019; 245:122-130. [PMID: 31635490 DOI: 10.1177/1535370219883634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT) combines mindfulness practices with art therapy to promote health, wellness, and adaptive responses to stress. Mindfulness-based stress reduction programs have been demonstrated to reduce anxiety symptoms in people with generalized anxiety disorder and serious medical conditions such as cancer. However, the benefits of MBAT specifically—not just in clinical anxiety disorders, but also for routine day-to-day anxiousness—have received little attention until recently. In this mini-review, we summarize how several established mindfulness-based interventions affect mental health with a specific focus on MBAT. We also describe and evaluate data indicating involvement of specific neural circuits and neuroendocrine markers of stress and/or anxiety. Lastly, we suggest areas of focus for future rigorous research on MBAT interventions and propose multiple biobehavioral and physiological mechanisms through which therapeutic benefits may be achieved.Impact statementRecent studies demonstrate the therapeutic potential of intensive MBAT and other mindfulness-based interventions for severe health conditions including cancer, heart disease, and anxiety, with effectiveness that rivals and sometimes even exceeds cognitive behavior therapy. MBAT-based approaches appear to be poised to mature into large-scale, cost-effective therapies for mental health disorders and symptoms comorbid with other serious health issues. However, the field currently suffers from inconsistent deployment protocols and needs additional validation data—at the behavioral, neuroendocrine, and neural levels—in order to establish best practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E Beerse
- Department of Art Education, Florida State University College of Fine Arts, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Theresa Van Lith
- Department of Art Education, Florida State University College of Fine Arts, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Scott M Pickett
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Gregg D Stanwood
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.,Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
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17
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Lopez-Montoyo A, Quero S, Montero-Marin J, Barcelo-Soler A, Beltran M, Campos D, Garcia-Campayo J. Effectiveness of a brief psychological mindfulness-based intervention for the treatment of depression in primary care: study protocol for a randomized controlled clinical trial. BMC Psychiatry 2019; 19:301. [PMID: 31619196 PMCID: PMC6796394 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-019-2298-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depressive symptoms are quite prevalent in Primary Care (PC) settings. The treatment as usual (TAU) in PC is pharmacotherapy, despite the high relapse rates it produces. Many patients would prefer psychotherapy, but specialized services are overloaded. Studies that apply Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) for the treatment of depression have obtained significant improvements. Brief low-intensity approaches delivered from PC could be a promising approach. This study aims to compare a low-intensity mindfulness intervention for the treatment of depression in PC using different intervention formats - a face-to-face MBI delivered in a group and the same MBI individually applied on the Internet - to a control group that will receive PC medical treatment as usual. METHODS A randomized controlled clinical trial will be conducted in PC, with about 120 depressed patients allocated (1:1:1) to three groups: "face-to-face MBI + TAU", "Internet-delivered MBI + TAU", and "TAU alone". The MBI programs will be composed of four modules. The primary outcome will be depressive symptoms, measured through the Beck Depression Inventory, assessed at pre- and post-treatment and 6- and 12-month follow-ups. Other outcomes will be mindfulness, happiness, affectivity, quality of life, and the use of healthcare services. Intention-to-treat analysis using linear mixed models adjusted for baseline scores and routine sociodemographic analysis that could show baseline differences will be conducted. Per-protocol secondary outcome analyses will also be performed. DISCUSSION This is the first Spanish RCT to apply a low-intensity face-to-face MBI (plus TAU) to treat depression in PC settings compared to TAU (alone). Moreover, this study will also make it possible to evaluate the same MBI program (plus TAU), but Internet-delivered, considering their cost-effectiveness. Positive results from this RCT might have an important impact on mental health settings, helping to decrease the overload of the system and offering treatment alternatives beyond antidepressant medication through high-quality, flexible PC interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinical Trials.gov NCT03034343 . Trial Registration date 24 January 2017, retrospectively registered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Lopez-Montoyo
- 0000 0001 1957 9153grid.9612.cUniversitat Jaume I, Av. Vicente Sos Baynat s/n, 12006 Castellón, Spain
| | - Soledad Quero
- Universitat Jaume I, Av. Vicente Sos Baynat s/n, 12006, Castellón, Spain. .,CIBER de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Jesus Montero-Marin
- Primary Care Prevention and Health Promotion Research Network (RedIAPP), Zaragoza, Spain ,0000 0001 2152 8769grid.11205.37University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Alberto Barcelo-Soler
- 0000 0001 2152 8769grid.11205.37University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain ,0000000463436020grid.488737.7Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Maria Beltran
- 0000 0001 2152 8769grid.11205.37University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Daniel Campos
- 0000 0001 1957 9153grid.9612.cUniversitat Jaume I, Av. Vicente Sos Baynat s/n, 12006 Castellón, Spain ,0000000463436020grid.488737.7Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Javier Garcia-Campayo
- 0000 0001 2152 8769grid.11205.37Department of Psychiatry, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain ,0000 0000 9854 2756grid.411106.3Psychiatry Service, Miguel Servet Hospital, Zaragoza, Spain
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18
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Clancy KJ, Baisley SK, Albizu A, Kartvelishvili N, Ding M, Li W. Lasting connectivity increase and anxiety reduction via transcranial alternating current stimulation. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2019; 13:1305-1316. [PMID: 30380131 PMCID: PMC6277743 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsy096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Growing evidence of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) modulating intrinsic neural oscillations has spawned interest in applying tACS to treat psychiatric disorders associated with aberrant neural oscillations. The alpha rhythmic activity is known to dominate neural oscillations at the awake, restful state, while attenuated resting-state alpha activity has been implicated in anxious mood. Administering repeated alpha-frequency tACS (α-tACS; at individual peak alpha frequency; 8–12 Hz) over four consecutive days (in the experiment group, sham stimulation in the control group), we demonstrated immediate and lasting (>24 h) increases in resting-state posterior ➔frontal connectivity in the alpha frequency, quantified by Granger causality. Critically, this connectivity enhancement was accompanied by sustained reductions in both anxious arousal and negative perception of sensory stimuli. Resting-state alpha power also increased, albeit only transiently, reversing to the baseline level within 24 h after tACS. Therefore, the lasting enhancement of long-range alpha connectivity due to α-tACS differs from local alpha activity that is nonetheless conserved, highlighting the adaptability of alpha oscillatory networks. In light of increasing recognition of large-scale network dysfunctions as a transdiagnostic pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders, this enduring connectivity plasticity, along with the behavioral improvements, paves the way for tACS applications in clinical interventions of psychiatric ‘oscillopathies’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J Clancy
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Sarah K Baisley
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Alejandro Albizu
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | | | - Mingzhou Ding
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Wen Li
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
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19
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A neurobehavioral account for decentering as the salve for the distressed mind. Curr Opin Psychol 2019; 28:285-293. [PMID: 31059966 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Distress is commonly characterized by prolonged internal suffering that can range from self-focused processing of negative emotions and stressors, to highly intensely aversive and prolonged emotional states, thereby, worsening or complicating emotional and physical conditions. Decentering represents a metacognitive capacity thought to reflect three interrelated processes: meta-awareness, disidentification from internal experience, and reduced reactivity to thought content-which is reliably increased with mindfulness-based interventions. In this essay, we seek to link the clinical presentation of distress disorders to known or hypothesized disruptions in neural networks that underlie emotion, cognition, and goal directed behavior, and offer a neurobehavioral account for how and why treatments imbued with mindfulness meditation might ameliorate these conditions, in part through increases in decentering.
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20
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Kakumanu RJ, Nair AK, Sasidharan A, John JP, Mehrotra S, Panth R, Kutty BM. State-trait influences of Vipassana meditation practice on P3 EEG dynamics. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2019; 244:115-136. [PMID: 30732834 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Several studies have demonstrated that meditation naïve subjects can, in just a few weeks, become proficient enough in meditation to show cognitive improvements accompanied with functional and structural changes in the brain. Would long-term exposure to qualitatively different levels of meditative training bring about differences in cognitive processing? Would meditation prior to task performance help separate out these differences? Could the nature of the task influence the findings related to cognitive enhancements? To address these questions, we evaluated cognitive functions in three groups of experienced Vipassana practitioners (Novices: n=22, Mean±SD meditation experience=989±595h; Senior practitioners: 21, 10,510±5313; Teachers: 16, 14,648±9623) who differed in terms of duration and quality of meditative practice. Specifically, we employed "ANGEL" a gamified multilevel oddball paradigm, to assess P3 event-related potentials (ERPs) and associated EEG dynamics-power spectra, event related spectral perturbations (ERSP) and inter-trial coherence (ITC). In order to elicit the state-trait influences of meditation, the cognitive task was performed after the participants had undergone an hour long traditional meditation session. All participants could perform the task well and the gross ERP waveforms were similar for the three groups. As hypothesized, we found distinct state-trait influences of meditation leading to graded differences in P3 EEG dynamics. Specifically, we found reduced theta synchrony, enhanced alpha de-synchrony and lesser theta-alpha coherence in the more proficient meditators. Post hoc analyses revealed several differences between the novice and teacher groups but not as many between novice and seniors suggesting that the senior meditators formed an intermediate group. Our study demonstrates that both quantity and quality of meditation influence EEG dynamics during cognitive processing and that meditation prior to a task can provide additional state-trait effects involved in meeting the specific cognitive demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ratna Jyothi Kakumanu
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India
| | - Ajay Kumar Nair
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India
| | - Arun Sasidharan
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India
| | - John P John
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India
| | - Seema Mehrotra
- Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India
| | - Ravindra Panth
- Department of Buddhist Philosophy, Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, Nalanda, Bihar, India
| | - Bindu M Kutty
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India.
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21
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Walsh KM, Saab BJ, Farb NA. Effects of a Mindfulness Meditation App on Subjective Well-Being: Active Randomized Controlled Trial and Experience Sampling Study. JMIR Ment Health 2019; 6:e10844. [PMID: 30622094 PMCID: PMC6329416 DOI: 10.2196/10844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Revised: 09/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mindfulness training (MT) includes a variety of contemplative practices aimed at promoting intentional awareness of experience, coupled with attitudes of nonjudgment and curiosity. Following the success of 8-week, manualized group interventions, MT has been implemented in a variety of modalities, including smartphone apps that seek to replicate the success of group interventions. However, although smartphone apps are scalable and accessible to a wider swath of population, their benefits remain largely untested. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate a newly developed MT app called Wildflowers, which was codeveloped with the laboratory for use in mindfulness research. It was hypothesized that 3 weeks of MT through this app would improve subjective well-being, attentional control, and interoceptive integration, albeit with weaker effects than those published in the 8 week, manualized group intervention literature. METHODS Undergraduate students completed 3 weeks of MT with Wildflowers (n=45) or 3 weeks of cognitive training with a game called 2048 (n=41). State training effects were assessed through pre- and postsession ratings of current mood, stress level, and heart rate. Trait training effects were assessed through pre- and postintervention questionnaires canvassing subjective well-being and behavioral task measures of attentional control and interoceptive integration. State and trait training data were analyzed in a multilevel model using emergent latent factors (acceptance, awareness, and openness) to summarize the trait questionnaire battery. RESULTS Analyses revealed both state and trait effects specific to MT; participants engaging in MT demonstrated improved mood (r=.14) and a reduction of stress (r=-.13) immediately after each training session compared with before the training session and decreased postsession stress over 3 weeks (r=-.08). In addition, MT relative to cognitive training resulted in greater improvements in attentional control (r=-.24). Interestingly, both groups demonstrated increased subjective ratings of awareness (r=.28) and acceptance (r=.23) from pre- to postintervention, with greater changes in acceptance for the MT group trending (r=.21). CONCLUSIONS MT, using a smartphone app, may provide immediate effects on mood and stress while also providing long-term benefits for attentional control. Although further investigation is warranted, there is evidence that with continued usage, MT via a smartphone app may provide long-term benefits in changing how one relates to their inner and outer experiences. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03783793; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03783793 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/75EF2ehst).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Marie Walsh
- Department of Psychological Clinical Science, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Bechara J Saab
- Mobio Interactive Inc, Biomedical Zone, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Preclinical Laboratory for Translational Research into Affective Disorders, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Norman As Farb
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
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Basso JC, McHale A, Ende V, Oberlin DJ, Suzuki WA. Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators. Behav Brain Res 2019; 356:208-220. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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Kozasa EH, Balardin JB, Sato JR, Chaim KT, Lacerda SS, Radvany J, Mello LEAM, Amaro E. Effects of a 7-Day Meditation Retreat on the Brain Function of Meditators and Non-Meditators During an Attention Task. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:222. [PMID: 29942255 PMCID: PMC6004402 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Meditation as a cognitive enhancement technique is of growing interest in the field of health and research on brain function. The Stroop Word-Color Task (SWCT) has been adapted for neuroimaging studies as an interesting paradigm for the understanding of cognitive control mechanisms. Performance in the SWCT requires both attention and impulse control, which is trained in meditation practices. We presented SWCT inside the MRI equipment to measure the performance of meditators compared with non-meditators before and after a meditation retreat. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 7-day Zen intensive meditation training (a retreat) on meditators and non-meditators in this task on performance level and neural mechanisms. Nineteen meditators and 14 non-meditators were scanned before and after a 7-day Zen meditation retreat. No significant differences were found between meditators and non-meditators in the number of the correct responses and response time (RT) during SWCT before and after the retreat. Probably, due to meditators training in attention, their brain activity in the contrast incongruent > neutral during the SWCT in the anterior cingulate, ventromedial prefrontal cortex/anterior cingulate, caudate/putamen/pallidum/temporal lobe (center), insula/putamen/temporal lobe (right) and posterior cingulate before the retreat, were reduced compared with non-meditators. After the meditation retreat, non-meditators had reduced activation in these regions, becoming similar to meditators before the retreat. This result could be interpreted as an increase in the brain efficiency of non-meditators (less brain activation in attention-related regions and same behavioral response) promoted by their intensive training in meditation in only 7 days. On the other hand, meditators showed an increase in brain activation in these regions after the same training. Intensive meditation training (retreat) presented distinct effects on the attention-related regions in meditators and non-meditators probably due to differences in expertise, attention processing as well as neuroplasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - João Ricardo Sato
- Center of Mathematics, Computation and Cognition, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, Brazil
| | | | | | - João Radvany
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Edson Amaro
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
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Lim J, Teng J, Patanaik A, Tandi J, Massar SAA. Dynamic functional connectivity markers of objective trait mindfulness. Neuroimage 2018; 176:193-202. [PMID: 29709625 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.04.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
While mindfulness is commonly viewed as a skill to be cultivated through practice, untrained individuals can also vary widely in dispositional mindfulness. Prior research has identified static neural connectivity correlates of this trait. Here, we use dynamic functional connectivity (DFC) analysis of resting-state fMRI to study time-varying connectivity patterns associated with naturally varying and objectively measured trait mindfulness. Participants were selected from the top and bottom tertiles of performers on a breath-counting task to form high trait mindfulness (HTM; N = 21) and low trait mindfulness (LTM; N = 18) groups. DFC analysis of resting state fMRI data revealed that the HTM group spent significantly more time in a brain state associated with task-readiness - a state characterized by high within-network connectivity and greater anti-correlations between task-positive networks and the default-mode network (DMN). The HTM group transitioned between brain states more frequently, but the dwell time in each episode of the task-ready state was equivalent between groups. These results persisted even after controlling for vigilance. Across individuals, certain connectivity metrics were weakly correlated with self-reported mindfulness as measured by the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, though these did not survive multiple comparisons correction. In the static connectivity maps, HTM individuals had greater within-network connectivity in the DMN and the salience network, and greater anti-correlations between the DMN and task-positive networks. In sum, DFC features robustly distinguish HTM and LTM individuals, and may be useful biological markers for the measurement of dispositional mindfulness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Lim
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Neurosciences and Behavioral Disorders Department, Duke-NUS Medical School, 169857, Singapore.
| | - James Teng
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Neurosciences and Behavioral Disorders Department, Duke-NUS Medical School, 169857, Singapore
| | - Amiya Patanaik
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Neurosciences and Behavioral Disorders Department, Duke-NUS Medical School, 169857, Singapore
| | - Jesisca Tandi
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Neurosciences and Behavioral Disorders Department, Duke-NUS Medical School, 169857, Singapore
| | - Stijn A A Massar
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Neurosciences and Behavioral Disorders Department, Duke-NUS Medical School, 169857, Singapore
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Winnebeck E, Fissler M, Gärtner M, Chadwick P, Barnhofer T. Brief training in mindfulness meditation reduces symptoms in patients with a chronic or recurrent lifetime history of depression: A randomized controlled study. Behav Res Ther 2017; 99:124-130. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2017.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Revised: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Tang YY, Bruya B. Mechanisms of Mind-Body Interaction and Optimal Performance. Front Psychol 2017; 8:647. [PMID: 28536540 PMCID: PMC5422480 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Yuan Tang
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX, USA
| | - Brian Bruya
- History and Philosophy Department, Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MI, USA
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