Exploring Mindfulness Training Effects on Cognition and Psychological Wellbeing in Young and Older Adults

Previous investigations have revealed a range of cognitive, physiological, and psychological benefits following mindfulness training in young, middle-aged, and older adults. The aim of this thesis was to provide new insights into three issues that have not been adequately addressed in the extant literature. First, the application and integration of mindfulness training within conventional educational contexts is limited. In study 1, I provide evidence of the utility and effectiveness of mindfulness training incorporated as a part of traditional college curriculum. Second, although mindfulness training has been shown to offset age-related cognitive declines, studies have yet to combine mindfulness training with other forms training to together capitalize training-induced benefits against prominent cognitive declines for older adults. In Study 2, mindfulness training was combined with physical exercise, which is another promising training that enhances cognitive functions, to together promote cognitive benefits in in older adults. Third, individual differences in dispositional qualities of mindfulness have been linked with variability in cognitive performance, yet the underlying neural basis through which trait mindfulness relates to cognition remains elusive. In Study 3, a novel index based on network neuroscience methods is utilized to shed lights on putative neural correlates that might give rise to the relationship between trait mindfulness and cognitive functions

Mindfulness Meditation — A New Preventive Intervention for ADHD

Medication and behavioral treatments have been used for ADHD treatments; however, both have limitations. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to improve attention and self-control, (or self-regulation), which could help the core ADHD symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. This chapter aims to review the latest literature on the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation on ADHD, to explore the brain mechanism underlying ADHD intervention, and to propose a mindfulness-based preventive intervention for ADHD symptoms and treatments

Regulatory Effect of High-Protein Diet on Circadian Rhythm of Lipid Metabolism in Obese Mice

This study aimed to investigate the regulatory effect of high-protein diet on circadian rhythm disturbances of lipid metabolism in obese mice induced by high-fat diet. Totally 120 specific pathogen-free (SPF)-grade C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into normal, high-fat and high-fat/high-protein groups. The metabolic status of mice was monitored at the 4th and 12th week of intervention, and mice were sacrificed at 2, 8, 14, and 20 o’clock after completion of feeding. Lipid levels in blood and liver, the expression of genes related to fat anabolism and catabolism and the expression of circadian rhythm-related genes were measured, and circadian rhythm changes were analyzed. The results showed that high-fat feeding caused an increase in body mass and obesity index and a decrease in voluntary activity and caloric expenditure during the active period. The changes were accompanied by dyslipidemia and an abnormal increase in liver lipid levels, manifested by continuous gene expression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthetase, key enzymes involved in fat anabolism in liver, at high levels during the active and resting periods, a slow increase in the gene expression of sensitive lipase and acetyl-CoA oxidase, key enzymes involved in fat catabolism in liver, and changes in the diurnal variation pattern. Compared with high-fat intervention, high-protein intervention significantly increased the amount of voluntary activity and energy expenditure during the active period, restored the expression rhythm of fat synthase that was higher during the active period and lower during the rest period, and resulted in high-level expression of ACOX, a key enzyme gene involved in fat catabolism, after ingestion, showing obvious circadian rhythms. Further analysis showed that the improvement effects of high-protein intervention on circadian rhythm disorders of lipid metabolism caused by high-fat diet were closely related to the regulation of the expression of two clock genes in liver, circadian locomotor output cycle kaput (CLOCK) and brain and muscle-Arnt-like protein 1 (BMAL1). In conclusion, high-protein diets can alleviate biological clock disorders in liver induced by high-fat diets and ameliorate hepatic lipid metabolism disorders in mice by stabilizing circadian rhythms

Comparing oil based ointment versus standard practice for the treatment of moderate burns in Greece: a trial based cost effectiveness evaluation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The local treatment of burn wounds has long been a subject of debate. The objective of this study was to compare the cost and the effectiveness of Moist Exposed Burn Ointment -MEBO versus a combination of <it>povidone iodine </it>plus <it>bepanthenol </it>cream for partial thickness burns.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study was carried out in the Burn Center of a state hospital in Athens, Greece. 211 patients needing conservative therapy were prospectively selected according to the depth of the burn wound. The treatment was allocated according to the Stratified Randomization Design. The outcomes measured were mean cost of in-hospital stay, rate of complications, time of 50% wound healing, pain scores, in hospital stay diminution. We have adopted a societal perspective.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the total groups MEBO presented lower cost, (although not significantly different: p = 0.10) and better effectiveness. The data suggest that MEBO is the dominant therapy for superficial partial burn wound with significantly lower costs and significantly higher effectiveness due to a lesser time of recovery and consequently lower time of hospitalization and follow-up. MEBO presented similar percentages of complications with the comparator, lower pain levels and smaller time of no healthy appearance of the burn limits for superficial partial thickness burns.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The data suggested that topical application of MEBO may be considered for further investigation as a potential first-line treatment modality for superficial partial thickness burns.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>The trial has been registered on the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Register (ISRCTN) and given the registration number <a href="http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN74058791">ISRCTN74058791</a>.</p

Examining Mindfulness Training Effects and Mechanisms on Cognitive Control

Mindfulness training (MT) has been shown to be a promising psychological intervention that systematically fosters attention, awareness, and self-control capacities. Initial evidence has also suggested the utility of MT for enhancing cognitive function, yet mixed results regarding its cognitive benefits are observed, suggesting the need for more rigorous investigation. In particular, prior literature has not clarified the mechanism of action by which MT exerts its beneficial effects on cognitive function, given that most MT studies have examined cognitive function with a scattered selection of tasks, and without a coherent theoretical framework that can systematically explain potential cognitive improvement and their relation to brain functional changes. The current study aims to address these critical research gaps through a powerful discordant twin design with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the first ever to be employed in MT research, to systematically evaluate MT effects on cognitive function and their neural mechanisms in both resting and task states. Importantly, this design not only reduces the potentially confounding control-group differences (monozygotic twins share the same genes), but also allow for stronger causal inferences on the mechanisms and effects of MT than previous studies that used poorly matched controls or no controls. The study had three specific aims. First, to examine the cognitive effects of MT with a comprehensive and theoretically-driven task battery that assesses general cognitive control capacity, as well as two modes of cognitive control (proactive and reactive) (Aim 1). Second, to exploit recent advances in network neuroscience in investigating the effects and mechanisms of MT at the level of large-scale brain networks during resting state (Aim 2). Third, to apply a novel multivariate pattern similarity approach in order to explore potential changes in neural activation patterns during cognitive task performance, comparing across twins to understand the neurocognitive effects of MT. The behavioral task performance provided some evidence of an improvement in proactive control function with medium effect sizes in the MT group. Furthermore, greater resting state within-network functional connectivity and integration were detected in the cinguolo-opercular/salience network associated with cognitive control in the MT group relative to the control group. Finally, within-person neural activation pattern similarity during cognitive task performance was lower in the MT group than in the control group, indicating putative systematic changes in the brain’s response to increased cognitive control demand after MT. Taken together, the results of this small-scale yet comprehensive investigation provide initial support for an enhancement in cognitive control function following MT in both brain and behavior, with some evidence suggesting a bias toward increased proactive control. Critically, these findings advance the understanding of MT effects and mechanisms on cognitive control and inform future investigations, development, optimization, and implementation of mindfulness training programs to enhance cognitive control both in public and in scientific domains

Brief Mindfulness Meditation Induces Gray Matter Changes in a Brain Hub

Previous studies suggest that the practice of long-term (months to years) mindfulness meditation induces structural plasticity in gray matter. However, it remains unknown whether short-term (<30 days) mindfulness meditation in novices could induce similar structural changes. Our previous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) identified white matter changes surrounding the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) within 2 to 4 weeks, following 5-10 h of mindfulness training. Furthermore, these changes were correlated with emotional states in healthy adults. The PCC is a key hub in the functional anatomy implicated in meditation and other perspectival processes. In this longitudinal study using a randomized design, we therefore examined the effect of a 10 h of mindfulness training, the Integrative Body-Mind Training (IBMT) on gray matter volume of the PCC compared to an active control—relaxation training (RT). We found that brief IBMT increased ventral PCC volume and that baseline temperamental trait—an index of individual differences was associated with a reduction in training-induced gray matter increases. Our findings indicate that brief mindfulness meditation induces gray matter plasticity, suggesting that structural changes in ventral PCC—a key hub associated with self-awareness, emotion, cognition, and aging—may have important implications for protecting against mood-related disorders and aging-related cognitive declines

Improving creativity performance by short-term meditation

Xiaoqian Ding is with the Institute of Neuroinformatics and Laboratory for Body and Mind, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China -- Yi-Yuan Tang is with the Department of Psychology, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA -- Yi-Yuan Tang and Michael I. Posner are with the Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA -- Rongxiang Tang is with the Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78705, USABackground: One form of meditation intervention, the integrative body-mind training (IBMT) has been shown to improve attention, reduce stress and change self-reports of mood. In this paper we examine whether short-term IBMT can improve performance related to creativity and determine the role that mood may play in such improvement. Methods: Forty Chinese undergraduates were randomly assigned to short-term IBMT group or a relaxation training (RT) control group. Mood and creativity performance were assessed by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) questionnaire respectively. Results: As predicted, the results indicated that short-term (30 min per day for 7 days) IBMT improved creativity performance on the divergent thinking task, and yielded better emotional regulation than RT. In addition, cross-lagged analysis indicated that both positive and negative affect may influence creativity in IBMT group (not RT group). Conclusions: Our results suggested that emotion-related creativity-promoting mechanism may be attributed to short-term [email protected]