Mindfulness-based stress reduction in Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review

Background: Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) is increasingly being used to improve outcomes such as stress and depression in a range of long-term conditions (LTCs). While systematic reviews on MBSR have taken place for a number of conditions there remains limited information on its impact on individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods: Medline, Central, Embase, Amed, CINAHAL were searched in March 2016. These databases were searched using a combination of MeSH subject headings where available and keywords in the title and abstracts. We also searched the reference lists of related reviews. Study quality was assessed based on questions from the Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool. Results: Two interventions and three papers with a total of 66 participants were included. The interventions were undertaken in Belgium (n = 27) and the USA (n = 39). One study reported significantly increased grey matter density (GMD) in the brains of the MBSR group compared to the usual care group. Significant improvements were reported in one study for a number of outcomes including PD outcomes, depression, mindfulness, and quality of life indicators. Only one intervention was of reasonable quality and both interventions failed to control for potential confounders in the analysis. Adverse events and reasons for drop-outs were not reported. There was also no reporting on the costs/benefits of the intervention or how they affected health service utilisation. Conclusion: This systematic review found limited and inconclusive evidence of the effectiveness of MBSR for PD patients. Both of the included interventions claimed positive effects for PD patients but significant outcomes were often contradicted by other results. Further trials with larger sample sizes, control groups and longer follow-ups are needed before the evidence for MBSR in PD can be conclusively judged

Unwanted effects: Is there a negative side of meditation? A multicentre survey

Objectives Despite the long-term use and evidence-based efficacy of meditation and mindfulness-based interventions, there is still a lack of data about the possible unwanted effects (UEs) of these practices. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of UEs among meditation practitioners, considering moderating factors such as the type, frequency, and lifetime duration of the meditation practices. Methods An online survey was developed and disseminated through several websites, such as Spanish-, English- and Portuguese-language scientific research portals related to mindfulness and meditation. After excluding people who did not answer the survey correctly or completely and those who had less than two months of meditation experience, a total of 342 people participated in the study. However, only 87 reported information about UEs. Results The majority of the practitioners were women from Spain who were married and had a University education level. Practices were more frequently informal, performed on a daily basis, and followed by focused attention (FA). Among the participants, 25.4% reported UEs, showing that severity varies considerably. The information requested indicated that most of the UEs were transitory and did not lead to discontinuing meditation practice or the need for medical assistance. They were more frequently reported in relation to individual practice, during focused attention meditation, and when practising for more than 20 minutes and alone. The practice of body awareness was associated with UEs to a lesser extent, whereas focused attention was associated more with UEs. Conclusions This is the first large-scale, multi-cultural study on the UEs of meditation. Despite its limitations, this study suggests that UEs are prevalent and transitory and should be further studied. We recommend the use of standardized questionnaires to assess the UEs of meditation practices

Development of an educational intervention for patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) – a pilot study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Many IBS patients experience that they receive limited information and that the health care system does not take their complaints seriously. We aimed to develop a structured patient education, an 'IBS school', and investigate if the efficacy could be evaluated in terms of improved knowledge, symptom severity and health related quality of life (HRQOL).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The IBS school consisted of six weekly two hour sessions in a group setting. Five different health care professionals were responsible for one session each. Questionnaires covering patients' experience of the education, perceived knowledge about IBS, gastrointestinal symptoms, and HRQOL, were used for evaluation at baseline and at three, six, and twelve months after education.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Twelve IBS patients were included. The patients were overall satisfied with the IBS school. In line with this, the gastrointestinal symptoms, HRQOL, and perceived knowledge about IBS improved significantly after the education.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>An IBS school seems to be a proper method to meet the patients' need of information about IBS and also to improve the patients' gastrointestinal symptoms, HRQOL, and knowledge about IBS. Further controlled studies are now needed in larger numbers of patients to confirm these preliminary results in order to implement this intervention in clinical practice.</p

Mindful Living in Older Age: a Pilot Study of a Brief, Community-Based, Positive Aging Intervention

Although mindfulness-based interventions have been successfully used with older adults, there have been few interventions that, (a) are created specifically for older adults, (b) are delivered in the community, and (c) aim to promote ‘successful aging’ (rather than just treating dysfunction/disorder). To this end, the current study piloted a brief ‘positive aging’ intervention, comprising two 150 minute sessions, with six female older adults living in the community. Data were gathered through focus groups that were interwoven throughout the intervention. Using thematic analysis, four main themes were identified: (a) aging as a mixed blessing; (b) understanding mindfulness; (c) the challenges of mindfulness; and (d) the benefits of mindfulness. Overall, the intervention was successful in introducing participants to mindfulness and potentially forming the basis of a longer term practice. However, the study also highlighted important points on the challenges of practising mindfulness, in relation to which the paper makes recommendations pertaining to the teaching of mindfulness with older adults

Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression and Suicidal Behavior in College Students: Conditional Indirect Effects of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Self-Compassion

Adults of college age are at particular risk for psychopathology, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and suicidal behavior, but protective factors (e.g., self-compassion) may buffer risk. We examined the mediating effect of NSSI on the relation between anxiety/depressive symptoms and suicide risk, and the moderating role of self-compassion. Students (N = 338) with greater psychopathology reported more engagement in NSSI and, consequently, more suicide risk; self-compassion weakened the psychopathology-NSSI linkage. Therapeutically addressing psychopathology and NSSI, perhaps via Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and promoting self-compassion via compassion-focused and mindful self-compassion therapy, may halt progression from symptomology to self-harm, ultimately reducing suicide risk in college students

Genomic structure of Hstx2 modifier of Prdm9-dependent hybrid male sterility in mice

F1 hybrids between mouse inbred strains PWD and C57BL/6 represent the most thoroughly genetically defined model of hybrid sterility in vertebrates. Hybrid male sterility can be fully reconstituted from three components of this model, namely the Prdm9 hybrid sterility gene, intersubspecific homeology of Mus musculus musculus and Mus musculus domesticus autosomes, and the X-linked Hstx2 locus. Hstx2 modulates the extent of Prdm9-dependent meiotic arrest and harbors two additional genetic factors responsible for intersubspecific introgression-induced oligospermia (Hstx1) and reduced global meiotic recombination rate (Meir1). To facilitate positional cloning and to overcome the recombination suppression within the 4.3 Mb genomicDob interval encompassing the Hstx2 locus we designed Hstx2-CRISPR and SPO11/Cas9 transgenes aimed to induce DNA double-strand breaks specifically within the Hstx2 locus. The resulting recombinant reduced the Hstx2 locus to 2.70 Mb (Chr X:66.51-69.21 Mb). The newly defined Hstx2 still operates as the major X-linked factor of the F1 hybrid sterility, controls meiotic chromosome synapsis, and modifies meiotic recombination rate. Despite extensive further crosses, the 2.70 Mb Hstx2 interval behaved as a recombination cold spot with reduced PRDM9-mediated H3K4 hotspots and absence of DMC1-defined DNA DSB hotspots. To search for structural anomalies as a possible cause of recombination suppression we used optical mapping of the Hstx2 interval and observed high incidence of subspecies-specific structural variants along the X chromosome, with a striking copy number polymorphism of the microRNA Mir465 cluster. Finally, we analyzed the role of one of the Hstx2 candidate genes, the Fmr1 neighbor (Fmr1nb) gene in male fertility.Article summary Early meiotic arrest of mouse intersubspecific hybrids depends on the interaction between the Prdm9 gene and Hybrid sterility X2 (Hstx2) locus on chromosome X. Lustyk et al. conducted high-resolution genetic and physical mapping of the Hstx2 locus, reduced it to 2.7 Mb interval within a constitutive recombination cold spot and found that the newly defined Hstx2 still operates as the X-linked hybrid sterility factor, controls meiotic chromosome synapsis, and modifies recombination rate. Optical mapping of the Hstx2 genomic region excluded inversion as a cause of recombination suppression and revealed a striking copy number polymorphism of the microRNA Mir465 cluster