What contributes to wellbeing gains – proficiency or duration of meditation related practices?

Several studies have shown physical and mental health benefits associated with different schools of meditation. However, reviews have recommended interpretation of study outcomes in the context of school specific traditional practices. In the literature, practice proficiency is often conflated with hours or years of meditation practice and it is difficult to attribute wellbeing gains directly to the proficiency of practice. We carried out two studies to examine wellbeing, practice proficiency, and duration of practice amongst Brahma Kumaris Rajayoga (BKRY) practitioners from India. In Study 1, we surveyed participants (n = 1009) to record the socio-demographics, spiritual lifestyle components, and wellbeing enhancement attributed to their spiritual practice. We developed new measures for evaluating proficiency of BKRY practice and for assessment of progress in wellbeing attributed to BKRY practice. Both measures had high internal consistency scores (alphas 0.95, 0.93). Block-wise hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that after accounting for demographic variables, BKRY practice proficiency strongly predicted progress in wellbeing, explaining over 51.6% of the total variance. In Study 2, we took three well-matched groups (n = 86) that were distinct on the basis of duration of practice (long term, short term and zero term). We examined wellbeing differences in these three groups and the extent of correlation of wellbeing with practice proficiency, progress in wellbeing and duration of practice. We conclude that meditation practice does improve wellbeing and that proficiency of practice is better correlated with most aspects of wellbeing than duration of practice but there are a few aspects of wellbeing that increase with sustained practice over a long time. We recommend that studies involving other schools of spiritual/religious practice incorporate tradition-specific proficiency assessment (instead of using years of practice as a proxy) and also use the Progress in Wellbeing scale for assessing practice-aided improvements in wellbeing

Newborn friendly thermometry – Comparative study of body temperature with an infrared versus digital thermometer

Background: Accurate measurement of body temperature is of great importance in day to day neonatology practice. One touch infraredthermometry is safe, accurate, and easy to use. Objective: We aimed at comparing infrared forehead thermometer with an axillary digitalthermometer to assess the accuracy. Methods: Axillary and forehead temperatures were measured simultaneously in normal newbornbabies using digital and infrared thermometers respectively at a tertiary level teaching hospital in northern Kerala, India and the meantemperature measured by these two methods were compared. Those babies with fever or admitted at Neonatal Intensive Care Unit werenot included in the study. Results: Totally, 193 newborns were included in the study with the mean birth weight of 2600±400 g. Therewas no significant difference in temperature measured by digital and infrared thermometers (97.74±0.91°F vs. 97.81±0.89°F, p=0.44).There was a significant positive correlation between axillary and forehead temperature (r=0.94) and mean difference between two readingswas 0.07±0.25°F (p=0.11). Conclusion: Infrared forehead thermometry is as reliable and accurate as axillary digital thermometry. Thus,infrared forehead thermometry can be used in clinical practice, especially in neonatal and postnatal wards where ease of use and speed ofobtaining the temperature readings are important

Enhanced dehydroepiandrosterone levels are positively correlated with N3 sleep stage in long-term mindfulness meditation practitioners

Objectives: Meditation practices positively influence the neural, hormonal and autonomic systems. We have demonstrated that long-term practice of mindfulness meditation increases N3 and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stages and bring efficient autonomic modulation during sleep. In the present study, the probable humoral correlation that could bring about these changes is evaluated. Material and Methods: Long-term Vipassana meditators (n=41) and controls (n=24) (males, 30-60 years of age) underwent a two-day consecutive whole night polysomnography recording. During the second day, with exposure to 100Lux brightness, blood was sampled from the antecubital vein between 8-9 PM and in subsequent early morning. Sleep stage was scored as per American Society of Sleep Medicine (ASSM) guidelines for the second-day recording. Sleep-related hormones were estimated - melatonin by radioimmunoassay; dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), cortisol, growth hormone (GH) and prolactin with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); DHEA/cortisol ratio was calculated. Percentage of sleep stages and hormonal levels were compared between both groups using independent ‘t’ test and Pearson’s correlation was estimated between sleep stages and hormonal levels. Results: Meditators showed increased N3, REM sleep stages. Though evening cortisol was comparable between the two groups; early morning cortisol, diurnal DHEA and melatonin were significantly higher in meditators. Diurnal DHEA correlated significantly with the N3 sleep stage in meditators. Discussion: Higher diurnal DHEA despite variations in corresponding cortisol in meditators demonstrates that long-term Vipassana meditation practice modulates the hypothalamicpituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and thereby influences sleep. Thus, the study provides evidence to explore the mechanism most likely involved with mindfulness meditation intervention in insomnia

Practice and proficiency of Isha Yoga for better mental health outcomes: insights from a COVID-19 survey

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unparalleled suffering on a global scale, affecting both physical and mental well-being. In such challenging times, it becomes crucial to identify interventions that can alleviate negative mental health outcomes, such as stress, while promoting positive mental health outcomes, like well-being. We report the effectiveness of a mind–body practise, Isha Yoga, in promoting well-being.MethodsWe conducted an online survey, during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Yoga practitioners (n = 1,352) from the Isha Yoga tradition in Karnataka, India. We evaluated stress and well-being attributes using conventional psychometric questionnaires. Subsequently, we requested the Isha Yoga practitioners to share another survey with their friends and family members, assessing similar outcomes. From the respondents of this shared survey (n = 221), we identified individuals who currently did not engage in any form of Yoga or meditation, constituting the non-Yoga control group (n = 110). To enhance the reliability and validity of our study and minimize the limitations commonly associated with online surveys, we adhered to the CHERRIES guidelines for reporting survey studies.ResultsIsha Yoga practitioners had significantly lower levels of stress (p < 0.001, gHedges = 0.94) and mental distress (p < 0.001, gHedges = 0.75) while reporting significantly higher levels of well-being (p < 0.001, gHedges = 0.78) and affective balance (p < 0.001, gHedges = 0.80) compared to the control group. Furthermore, expertise-related improvements were observed in these outcomes, and a dose–response relationship was found between regularity of Isha Yoga practice and outcome changes. A minimum 3–4 days of weekly practice showed significant differences with the control group. In addition, we investigated the effect of Isha Yoga on stress and well-being among the healthcare workers (HCWs) in our sample and observed better mental health outcomes.DiscussionThese findings collectively underscore the benefits of Mind and Body practices like Isha Yoga on various aspects of mental health and well-being, emphasizing its potential as an effective and holistic approach for promoting a healthy lifestyle among diverse populations, including healthcare workers, even in difficult circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic

Presented at the World Federation of Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine Societies 2nd Interim Congress

Abstract Yoga is an ancient Indian science and way of life that has been described in the traditional texts as a systematic method of achieving the highest possible functional harmony between body and mind. Yogic practices are claimed to enhance the quality of sleep. Electrophysiological correlates associated with the higher states of consciousness have been reported in long-term practitioners of transcendental meditation during deep sleep states. The present study was carried out to assess sleep architecture in Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) and Vipassana meditators. This was to ascertain the differences, if any, in sleep architecture following yogic practices. Whole night polysomnographic recordings were carried out in 78 healthy male subjects belonging to control and yoga groups. The groups studied were aged between 20 and 30-years-old (younger) and 31 to 55-years-old (middleaged). The sleep architecture was comparable among the younger control and yoga groups. While slow wave sleep (non-REM (rapid eye movement) S 3 and S 4 ) had reduced to 3.7 percent in the middleaged control group, participants of the middle-aged yoga groups (both SKY and Vipassana) showed no such decline in slow wave sleep states, which was experienced by 11.76 and 12.76 percent, respectively, of the SKY and Vipassana groups. However, Vipassana practitioners showed a significant enhancement (P < 0.001) in their REM sleep state from that of the age-matched control subjects and also from their SKY counterparts. Yoga practices help to retain slow wave sleep and enhance the REM sleep state in the middle age; they appear to retain a younger biological age as far as sleep is concerned. Overall, the study demonstrates the possible beneficial role of yoga in sleepwakefulness behavior

Exposure to enriched environment improves spatial learning performances and enhances cell density but not choline acetyltransferase activity in the hippocampus of ventral subicular-lesioned rats

The authors demonstrated the efficacy of enriched housing conditions in promoting the behavioral recovery and neuronal survival following subicular lesion in rats. Chemical lesioning of the ventral subiculum impaired the spatial learning performances in rats. The lesion also induced a significant degree of neurodegeneration in the CA1 and CA3 areas of the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. Exposure to enriched housing conditions improved the behavioral performance and partially attenuated the neurodegeneration in the hippocampus. The choline acetyl transferase (ChAT) activity in the hippocampus remained unchanged following ventral subicular lesion and also following exposure to an enriched environment. The study implicates the effectiveness of activity-dependent neuronal plasticity induced by environmental enrichment in adulthood following brain insult

Amyloid ß lowering and cognition enhancing effects of ghrelin receptor analog [D-Lys (3)] GHRP-6 in rat model of obesity

257-262Obesity arising due to the dietary and life style changes is fast reaching epidemic proportions all over the world. There is increasing evidence that the incidence of Alzheimer disease (AD) is significantly influenced by a cluster of metabolic diseases, including diabetes and obesity. This study was aimed to test the suitability of experimentally-induced obesity in rats as an experimental animal model of AD. We used the procedure of neonatal administration of rats with monosodium L-glutamate (MSG), which generates adult obese animals as our study design and assessed the AD-like changes by measuring amyloid ß (1-42) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) levels in the hippocampal extracts and cognitive impairments by Barnes maze task. Further, we investigated the influence of anti-obesity substance [D-Lys (3)] GHRP-6 on blood glucose, hippocampal Aß, AChE levels and restoration of cognitive deficits. Results revealed that administration of MSG to neonatal rats exhibited increased body mass index and serum glucose levels over the controls. Measurement of markers for AD-like molecular changes i.e. amyloid ß (Aß) and AChE levels showed marked elevation in these two parameters in the hippocampus of MSG-treated rats. Assessment of cognitive abilities by Barnes maze revealed spatial disorientation characteristic of AD. Administration of ghrelin receptor analog [D-Lys (3)] GHRP-6 to obese rats resulted in significant restoration of serum cholesterol, glucose, leptin and ghrelin levels to that of control with concomitant reduction in hippocampal Aß and AChE levels. In addition, the treated animals exhibited marked improvement in Barne’s maze task. These findings suggest that MSG-induced obese rats may serve as non-transgenic animal model for AD research. Further, the results indicate the potential of [D-Lys (3)] GHRP-6 as a promising anti-Alzheimer candidate

Meditation and its regulatory role on sleep

Intense meditation practices help to achieve a harmony between body and mind. Meditation practices influence brain functions, induce various intrinsic neural plasticity events, modulate autonomic, metabolic, endocrine and immune functions and thus mediate global regulatory changes in various behavioural states including sleep. This brief review focuses on the effect of meditation as a self regulatory phenomenon on sleep

Selective neurodegeneration of hippocampus and entorhinal cortex correlates with spatial learning impairments in rats with bilateral ibotenate lesions of ventral subiculum

Rats with bilateral ibotenic acid lesions of ventral subiculum were tested in an eight-arm radial maze task for spatial learning and memory functions. The performance of the lesioned rats was severely impaired relative to control rats in both acquisition and retention of the spatial task. Following subicular lesions, profound neurodegeneration of the CA1 and CA3 sub sectors of hippocampus and entorhinocortical layers I, II, III, V and VI was observed. These results support the concept that neurons in the ventral subiculum are a part of the neural network along with the above neurons, which could be involved in the processing of spatial information

Olfactory tract transection in neonatal rats: Evidence for Mitral cell regeneration and restoration of functional connectivity with its targets

755-764  Central Nervous System (CNS) regeneration and repair mechanism are two important aspects of functional recovery in the adult central nervous system following brain and spinal cord injury. Following olfactory tract transection in neonatal rats, functional connectivity between the olfactory bulb and the piriform cortex gets re-established by 120 days. The recovery of the dendritic morphology was associated with the synchronized oscillatory activity between olfactory bulb and piriform cortex. Mitral cells which were regenerated after the transection showed profuse branching, indicative of their undifferentiated state. However, normal dendritic morphology could be seen by 120 days after olfactory tract transection. These results thus provide a supportive evidence for the restoration of the functional connections between the olfactory bulb and the piriform cortex at 120 days