Biological Approach 3 - Holzel et al. Flashcards
When was Holzel et al.?
2011
What is Phrenology?
The (false) science that people’s skull shape determines their personality, etc.
In the past, how was the brain studied?
Autopsies or brain surgery.
How are brains studied today?
Brain scans.
What do brain scans measure?
Structure and function.
What specific part of the brain is being studied in Holzel?
The hippocampal region.
What is the hippocampus responsible for?
Memory, spatial awareness, controlling emotions.
What is plasticity?
The ability to create new neurons and connections in the brain.
What is mindfulness?
A person becoming more aware of their current experience, thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations.
What type of brain scan is used in this study?
MRI
Why is the MRI used?
It is able to detect small structural changes in the concentration of grey matter over time.
Why have previous studies done about mindfulness and grey matter concentration been iffy?
Because they were cross-sectional and differences between the groups could have been pre-existing and not necessarily a result of mindfulness.
What is a cross-sectional study?
One that compares different groups of people.
What was the aim of Holzel?
To identify changes in specific brain regions and the whole brain by comparing grey matter concentration before and after a mindfulness course.
How did Holzel fix the cross-sectional problem in previous studies for his own?
He used a longitudinal design.
What was the IV?
Exposure to an 8 week mindfulness-based intervention (Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction MBSR).
How long were the mindfulness sessions each week?
2.5 hours
In what week was there a full day session?
Week 6
What are three exercises included in the MBSR?
Body scan
Sitting meditation
Mindful yoga
What is the Body Scan exercise?
Attention is guided in a sequence throughout the whole body to see the body as a ‘complete whole’.
What is the Mindful Yoga exercise?
Gentle stretching and slow movements, and breathing exercises which aim to raise awareness of the body’s moment-to-moment experience.
What is the Sitting Meditation exercise?
Focuses on the sensation of breathing, and progresses to sounds, sights, tastes, and other body sensations, as well as thoughts and emotions.
What was given to participants to practice at home?
A 45 minute recording.
How often were the participants supposed to practice at home?
Every day
What was the experimental design?
Independent measures design.
What was the DV?
The change in grey matter assessed in MRI scans.
What other method was used to measure and compare mindfulness in the participants?
A questionnaire to measure 5 mindfulness scales.
Where was the sample from?
People already enrolled in an MBSR course at the University of Massachusetts.
Why had participants enrolled in the MBSR course?
They chose to or had been referred by their doctor.
Was the sample healthy?
Yes, psychologically and physiologically. No metal in their bodies so they could take MRI scans and no medication was being taken.
How many meditation classes could the sample have had?
0 in the last 6 months
4 in the last 5 years
10 in their lifetime
What was the age range of the sample?
25-55
What was the initial experimental sample size and gender balance?
8 males and 10 females
What was the final experimental sample?
6 males and 10 females
Why did 2 males leave the study?
They left after the first MRI session because of discomfort.
What was the mean age of the remaining sample?
38.1 (SD 4.1 years)
What was the ethnic diversity of the sample?
13 Caucasians, 1 Asian, 1 African American, and 1 multi-ethnic
What was the sample size of the control group?
7 males and 10 females
What was the mean age of the control group?
39 (AD 9.2 years)
What was the ethnic diversity of the control group?
13 Caucasians, 2 Asians, 2 African Americans, 1 Hispanic
Did the sample and control group differ in terms of educational level?
No
Did participants give written consent?
Yes
What benefits did the participants get?
A reduced course fee
What does FFMQ stand for?
Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire
How many items were on the FFMQ?
39
What five facets did the FFMQ measure?
Observing
Describing
Acting with Awareness
Non-judging
Non-reactivity
What does Acting with Awareness mean?
Being attentive to current actions rather than responding automatically or absentmindedly.
How often was the FFMQ completed?
Once before and once after the experiment by both groups.
How many participants in each group provided usable data for both time points for the FFMQ?
14
How many brain scans did each participant have?
2
When were the MRI scans?
In the 2 week period before the course and the 2 week period after the course. Average of 56 days between the scans for experimental group and 66 days for control group.
What were the two ways that the data from the brain scans was used?
1 - To produce a ‘region of interest’ (RoI) analysis, of particular brain areas
2 - to provide a ‘whole brain analysis’
What were two regions of interest?
The bilateral hippocampi
Bilateral insulae
What was the average time and MBSR participant spent on mindfulness homework?
22.6 hours
27 minutes a day
Were any of the three measures significantly correlated?
No
Which 3 sub-scales of the FFMQ significantly increased for the experimental group compared to the control group?
Acting with awareness
Observing
Non-judgement
Were there differences between the groups in grey matter concentration in the left hippocampus at the start of the study?
No
Were there changes in grey matter concentrations for the control group between their tests?
No
Were there changes in grey matter concentration in the left hippocampus for the experimental group?
Yes
Did any changes in grey matter concentration correlate with amount of hw or changes in FFMQ scores?
No
Were there changes in the whole brain analysis?
Yes
What four regions of the brain also increased in grey matter concentration post-course?
Posterior cingulate cortex
Left temporo-parietal junction
Lateral cerebellum
Cerebellar vermis/brainstem
Were there any decreases in grey matter concentration?
Not for MBSR, but some small reductions for the control group.
What are 2 conclusions from this study?
- The results from the regions of interest findings show that structural changes
in the left hippocampus arise within an 8-week period of participation in a
mindfulness course. - The temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) is important in the way we see ourself, and when it is impaired, it can become faulty. This links to mindfulness training in perceiving the body as a complete whole.
What is the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) used for?
The way we judge the relevance of stimuli to ourself.
What are 6 strengths of this study?
Longitudinal study
High validity
High ethics
Control group
Quantitative and objective data
No demand characteristics
What are 4 weaknesses of this study?
Low ecological validity
Interpretation of MRI scans could be problematic
No correlation between grey matter concentration increase and amount of practice
Control group had to wait 8 weeks before getting help (ethics)
