holzel et al - mindfullness and brain scans Flashcards
what does MBSR courses stand for in the study by Holzel
mindfulness, based stress reduction courses
what was the experimental method in the study by Holzel
it is a laboratory experiment using longitudinal design
what was the experimental design in the study by Holzel
independent measures design
what was the sample in the study by Holzel
- 16 healthy right handed individuals , 10 females 6 males
- participants were recruited from four MBSR courses held at the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School
- the participants were self-reported as physically and psychologically healthy and not taking any medications
- aged between 25-55 years
-not claustrophobic
-they were safe to go through the scanner - they had no metal in their bodies
Describe the control group in the study by Holzel
17 participants
11 males , 6 females
13 caucasians , two asians , two african american , one hispanic
What is the sampling method in the study by Holzel
opportunity sampling
because they were participants available at the university
Describe the experimental group in the study by Holzel
6 male , 10 females
13 Caucasians , 1 Asian , 1 African American, One multiethnic
in the study by Holzel why did 2 males leave the study reducing the sample from 8 males to 6
left after the first MRI scan due to discomfort
how many meditation classes were the participants supposed to have in the study by Holzel
none in the last 6 months , no more than four classes in the past 5 years , or 10 classes in their lifetime
what was the psychology being investigated in the study by Holzel
1)plasticity of the brain
this is the idea that regions of the brain increase in weight/size/complexity after exercise/ practice e.g mindfulness training
2)localisation of the brain
this is the idea that certain functions e.g language and emotion proceed predominantly in specific structures of the brain
3) Mindfulness -
a state of mind that is achieved through meditation that aims to increase awareness of the present moment experience and enables a person to look at themselves in a compassionate way
an example of localisation in the study by Holzel
emotions predominantly proceed in the limbic system
how is grey matter density measured in the study by Holzel
through the use of MRI techniques like BOLD (blood oxygen level dependent contrast)
what is BOLD in the study by Holzel
this is an MRI technique that is used to detect grey matter density changes of structures after practices/exercises
what is the aim of the study by Holzel
to identify changes in specific brain region (TJP, PCC , cerebellum) by comparing brain matter concentration before and after mindfulness courses.
what is the background in the study by Holzel
- studies have compared individuals who have engaged in mindfulness meditation and those who haven’t and found differences in grey matter in the areas that appear to be associated with meditation
- however these studies are cross-sectional they compare different groups of people who have meditated and those who haven’t
. therefore the brain differences found between the participants may be due to individual differences
why is it a lab experiment Holzel
because the participants were tested in an artificial environment with strict controls and standardisation
why is it a longitudinal design Holzel
because the subjects in the experimental group were scanned pre and post MBSR course
why is it an independent measures design in the study by Holzel
because separate subjects were used in the control and experimental group
what is the IV in the study by Holzel
whether subjects undertook the MBSR course
what is the DV in the study by Holzel
- changes in grey matter concentration of the ROI (regions of interest)
-cerebellum - TJP
-left hippocampus
-PCC
-Insula
what is the PCC in the study by Holzel
posterior cingulate cortex
what are the regions of interest in the brain in the study by holzel
left hippocampus
insula
what were the exercises done during the MBSR course in the study by Holzel
1) body scan
2) mindfulness yoga
3)sitting meditation
what is body scan in the study by Holzel
- attention is guided through the entire body observing with non-judgemental awareness the sensation in each region and ending with awareness of the body as a whole
in the study by Holzel what is sitting meditation
begins with the awareness of breathing then evolves to include awareness of sound , sight , taste , thoughts and emotions. and later ones presence in the here and now
in the study by Holzel what is mindfulness yoga
contains gentle stretching exercises and slow movements that are often coordinated with breath
brings full awareness to the moment-to-moment experience and a non-harming attitude towards the body
in the study by Holzel how long do the meetings last
2 1/2 hours per day
what was the participants homework in the study by Holzel
they received audio recordings that contained 45 min guided mindfulness exercises (body scan etc)
in the study by Holzel during what everyday activities did they practice mindfulness
- eating , walking , washing dishes , taking a shower
Describe the general procedure in the study by Holzel
Participants were scanned two weeks before and two weeks after participating in the MBSR course
The control ss were scanned twice approximately two months apart
The average time was 56.25 days in between scanning sessions for the experimental group
the scanning was done using a 1.5T scanner with a standard head coil for each subject
in the study by Holzel what was used to scan the participants
a fMRI scanner
In the study by Holzel describe the procedure before and after scanning
-The participants answered the ffmq
to provide data about 5 subscales of mindfulness
-
in the study by Holzel how were the data in the MRI scans used
To analyze the regions of interest- Hippocampus and Insula
To analyze the whole brain to explore other areas affected by the mindfulness course
what were the controls in the study by Holzel
- all subjects went through the same MBSR course which eliminated any unfair advantages or disadvantages
- all subjects were psychologically healthy
- ## items in the FFMQ were reverse scored to reduce demand characteristics
Describe the FFMQ in the study by Holzel 5mks
it had 39 questions and measured 5 factors of mindfulness ;
- observing,
-describing,
-acting with awareness,
- non-judging of inner experience
- non-reactivity to inner experience.
Each statement was answered on a 5 point rating scale.
Participants rated the 39 statements from 1 (‘never or very rarely true’) to 5 (‘always true’).
Some questions were reverse scored
From the study by Holzel give an example of one of the statements from the FFMQ
“I criticise myself for having irrational or inappropriate emotions”
what were the five factors of mindfulness being measured in the FFMQ in the study by Holzel
- observing ; attending or noticing external and internal stimuli e.g sensations and emotions
-describing ; noting or mentally labelling these stimuli with words
- acting with awareness ; attending to one’s current actions as opposed to responding absentmindedly
-non-judging of inner experience ; not evaluating sensations , emotions and cognitions
- non reactivity to inner experience ; allowing thoughts to come and go without attention getting caught up in them.
Results regarding amount of mindfulness practice - how long did the MBSR group spend doing the homework in the study by Holzel
they reported spending an average of 22.6 hours (27 minutes a day)
were the three measures (body scan , sitting meditation , mindfulness yoga) correlated?
they were correlated but not significantly correlated
were there improvements in mindfulness ?
in the study by Holzel
the MBSR subjects significantly increased their scores in all five subscales post training
changes in mindfulness scores were significantly higher for the MBSR group compared to the control group
Results regarding grey matter changes in the regions of interest - Hippocampus
-there were significant changes in the grey matter concentration in the MBSR group pre and post tests
-There was a 1% increase in grey matter concentration in the left hippocampus of the MBSR group compared to a 0.1% increase in the control group
Results regarding grey matter changes in the regions of interest - insula
holzel et al
There was an increase in grey matter concentration in the insula of the MBSR group post MBSR exercises , however the increase was insignificant
what were the TPJ results include data in the study by Holzel (whole brain analysis results)
there was a 0.7% increase in grey matter concentration in the MBSR group
there was a 0.2% decrease in the control group
give on result with data of the changes in grey matter concentration in the hippocampus in the study by Holzel
there was a 1% increase in grey matter concentration in the MBSR group
there was a 0.1 % increase in the control group
what were the PCC results in the study by Holzel (whole brain analysis)
there was a significant interest in grey matter concentration in the MBSR group post training compared to pre training
there was a decrease in grey matter concentration in the control group during the second phase of scanning compared to the first
There was a 1% increase in grey matter concentration in the MBSR group and 0.5% decrease in the control group
What were the Lateral Cerebellum results in the study by Holzel (whole brain analysis)
-There was a significant increase in grey matter concentration in the cerebellum post MBSR training compared to pre MBSR training
There was a 1.5% increase in grey matter concentration in the MBSR group pre and post training and a 0.1% increase in the Control group
Cerebellar brainstem results in the study by Holzel
1.4% increase in the MBSR group and a 0.1% decrease in the control group
What are the useful applications to everyday life in the study by Holzel
1) Because there was a significant increase in grey matter concentration in the TPJ post MBSR intervention clinicians can use MBSR training to help fix impaired TPJ in patients
2)MRI scans are applicable to clinical settings to help clinicians to detect impairments in brain structures by scanning the brain while the individual is doing a task
List 4 advantages from the study by Holzel
-Lab based study -good internal validity
-Longitudinal design
-Objectivity
-Ethics - ethical guidelines were upheld
List 4 disadvantages from the study by Holzel
-Social desirability
-Ethics
-Low ecological validity
-Generalisability
Why is the study by Holzel from the biological approach
Nature vs Nurture debate Holzel
The idea that the brain structures can develop new neural connections as a response to MBSR training supports the nature side of the debate
Also the impact of the MBSR training supports the nurture side as the brain responds to mindfulness exercises
What are the conclusions of the study by Holzel
The concentration of grey matter increases in regions in the hippocampus, PCC , left temporoparietal junction (TJP) and cerebellum in those who practice an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction course (MBSR
