Hölzel et al. Flashcards
What year did this case study take place
2011
2 key headings to remember in this case study
Mindfulness and Brain Scans
What kind of study is this
Longitudinal Study
How long did this study last and what was it
8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course
How many MRI scans were participants given, why, and when
2 MRI scans, (one 2 weeks before the course, one 2 weeks after the course), to measure the grey matter concentration
Why did Hölzel et al. originally plan their study
To overcome the potential problem experienced in earlier cross-sectional studies by using a longitudinal design
What was the aim of this experiment
The aim was to identify changes in specific brain regions and the whole brain by comparing grey matter concentration before and after a mindfulness course
How did the timing of the coursework work
2.5 hour sessions each week for 8 weeks, and a full day session in the 6th week
What were the participants tested on in their mindfulness exercises (2 basic points)
To develop awareness to present-moment experiences and a compassionate, non-judgemental view
What were the 3 mindfulness exercises
Body Scan (attention guided to each body part one at a time, to be able to perceive the body as a ‘complete whole), Mindful Yoga (includes gentle stretching, slow movements, and breathing exercises), and Sitting Meditation (focuses on sensations of all the senses)
What is an example of when standardization was used within this experiment (to ensure all participants got the same instructions and resources within the experiment)
A 45-minute recording of the guided mindfulness exercises was given to each participant to practice daily at home
What was an extra thing that was suggested for participants to do at home, and what instructions were given
Guidance was given for how to engage in mindfulness in everyday life (eating, walking, washing dishes, showering), and instructions were also given on how to use mindfulness to cope with stress in daily life
What type of design was this and what does that mean
This was an independent measures design, which is when you use different participants for each condition of the experiment
What was the main dependent variable within this experiment
The change in grey matter assessed in MRI scans
What did the questionnaires that the participants completed measure, and when did they complete these questionnaires
They measured 5 mindfulness scales, and they completed them before and after the intervention
What kind of people were part of the sample in this study
Recruited from people already enrolled in a MBSR course at the University of Massachusetts
Why were participants already enrolled in the MBSR course
Either because they chose to or had been referred by their doctor
How did all participants describe themselves as
Physically and psychologically healthy, not taking any medication
What kind of experience of meditation classes did the participants have
Limited, none in the last 6 months, and max of 4 in the last 5 years, or 10 in their lifetime
What were the ages of the participants
25-55 years old
Why were the participants safe for an MRI
None of them had metal in their bodies
What did participants commit to
Attending all sessions and completing homework exercises
What was the initial sample
8 males and 10 females - a total of 18
What happened to the sample and what did it end up as
2 males left after the first MRI session due to discomfort, and it fell to 6 males and 10 females- a total of 16 remained
What was the mean age of the remaining sample
38 years, SD 4.1 years
What were the ethnicities of the participants in the test sample
13 Caucasians, 1 Asian, 1 African American, and 1 multi-ethnic
Size of control sample and mean age (+SD)
7 males and 10 females, with a mean age of 39, SD 9.2 years
What were the ethnicities of the participants in the control sample
13 Caucasians, 2 Asians, 2 African Americans, 1 Hispanic
What was the same about the groups
their educational level
What was an issue that the control group had to face
They agreed to wait - wait-list control group
In what ways were ethics considered in this study by the university
The university ethical committee approved the study, all participants gave written consent and got a reduced course fee
What did the experimental and control groups both complete (?)
Both groups completed the 5 Facet mindfulness questionnaire (FFMQ) which had 39 items that measure 5 key things
What 5 things did the FFMQ measure, and how many items did the FFMQ have
39 items: measured-
1.observing
2.describing
3.acting with awareness, 4.nonjudging (of inner experience)
5.non-reactivity (of inner experience)
How was each item on the FFMQ scaled
low to high and high to low (reversed to ensure participants are paying attention) on a five points scale
When did the experimental group complete the questionnaire
Before and after the MBSR course
How many times did the control group complete the questionnaire
Twice, the same as the experimental group
How many participants provided usable data in each group
14 participants in each group
What was the average amount of hours of mindfulness homework that participants completed, and how many minutes per day was that (compared to what was asked of them)
average amount of hours of mindfulness homework: 22.6 hours, amount of minutes per day was 27 minutes on average per day, compared to the 45 minutes that was asked of them
Did the results from the whole brain analysis show changes
Yes
What four clusters in the brains of the participants in the MBSR group significantly increased in grey matter concentration between pre and post-tests
posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), the left of the temporoparietal junction (TPJ), And in 2 parts of the cerebellum
What were there no correlations between
there were no correlations between the changes in these 4 areas and the amount of homework done by the participant or the changes in the FFMQ scores
What results did the MBSR group get about the grey matter concentration in the brain
In the MBSR group, no parts of the brain had significant decreases in grey matter concentration after the intervention, but there were some small reductions in grey matter concentration in the control group during the study
What did the results show about the left hippocampus after participation in a mindfulness course
Structural changes in the left hippocampus arise with 8 weeks of participation in a mindfulness course
Based on what we know about the hippocampus, what does this suggest about what happened during the MBSR course
We know that the hippocampus plays a role in learning and memory, so this suggests that during the MBSR course participants had learning experiences that changed the hippocampal grey matter
What results were not specifically predicted
Although not specifically predicted, these findings reflect other research that shows the involvement of these areas in responses linked to mindfulness
What is the role of the TJP
The TJP is important in the way we see ourselves- ‘self-referential processing’, e.g. the unity of our sense of self and our physical body
What is the role of the PCC (and how does this connect to mindfulness)
The PCC has a role in the way we judge the relevance of stimuli to ourselves, e.g. assessing how important an experience is to our emotional or autobiographical context (these functions arise in mindfulness too)
What do both the PCC and TJP contribute to, and how does this relate to a mindful state
These areas contribute to the way that autobiographical information enables a person to consider alternate perspectives, and this is crucial for achieving a mindful state
Identify 5 strengths of this study
- Control group
- MRI scans (quantitative and objective data), -No demand characteristics
- High validity (not ecological)
- High ethics (mostly)
Identify 5 weaknesses of this study
- Low ecological validity (MRI scans)
- Interpretation of MRI scans could be problematic as we still don’t know about the specialization of the brain fully
- No correlations between increases in grey matter and the amount of practice
- The control group had to wait 8 weeks before getting help (ethics)
State the grave analysis of this study
G: Generalisability - Medium
R: Reliability - High
A: Application - High
V: Validity - High
E: Ethics - High / medium
