Browsing by keyword "meditation"
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Can Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment Build Cognitive Reserve and Learn Mindfulness Meditation? Qualitative Theme Analyses from a Small Pilot StudyBACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: High levels of chronic stress negatively impact the hippocampus and are associated with increased incidence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease. While mindfulness meditation may mitigate the effects of chronic stress, it is uncertain if adults with MCI have the capacity to learn mindfulness meditation. METHODS: 14 adults with MCI were randomized 2:1 to Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) or a wait-list control group. We conducted qualitative interviews with those who completed MBSR. Transcribed interviews were: a) coded using an emergent themes inductive approach informed by grounded theory; b) rated 0-10, with higher scores reflecting greater perceived benefit from, and understanding of, mindfulness meditation. Ratings were correlated with daily home practice times and baseline level of cognitive function. RESULTS: Seven themes emerged from the interviews: positive perceptions of class; development of mindfulness skills, including meta-cognition; importance of the group experience; enhanced well-being; shift in MCI perspective; decreased stress reactivity and increased relaxation; improvement in interpersonal skills. Ratings of perceived benefit and understanding ranged from 2-10 (mean = 7) and of 0-9.5 (mean = 6), respectively. Many participants experienced substantial benefit/understanding, some had moderate, and a few had minimal benefit/understanding. Understanding the key concepts of mindfulness was highly positively correlated with > /=20 minutes/day of home practice (r = 0.90) but not with baseline cognitive function (r = 0.13). CONCLUSIONS: Most adults with MCI were able to learn mindfulness meditation and had improved MCI acceptance, self-efficacy, and social engagement. Cognitive reserve may be enhanced through a mindfulness meditation program even in patients with MCI.
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Common and Dissociable Neural Activity After Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Relaxation Response ProgramsOBJECTIVE: We investigated common and dissociable neural and psychological correlates of two widely used meditation-based stress reduction programs. METHODS: Participants were randomized to the Relaxation Response (RR; n = 18; 56% female) or the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR; n = 16; 56% female) programs. Both programs use a "bodyscan" meditation; however, the RR program explicitly emphasizes physical relaxation during this practice, whereas the MBSR program emphasizes mindful awareness with no explicit relaxation instructions. After the programs, neural activity during the respective meditation was investigated using functional magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: Both programs were associated with reduced stress (for RR, from 14.1 +/- 6.6 to 11.3 +/- 5.5 [Cohen's d = 0.50; for MBSR, from 17.7 +/- 5.7 to 11.9 +/- 5.0 [Cohen's d = 1.02]). Conjunction analyses revealed functional coupling between ventromedial prefrontal regions and supplementary motor areas (p < .001). The disjunction analysis indicated that the RR bodyscan was associated with stronger functional connectivity of the right inferior frontal gyrus-an important hub of intentional inhibition and control-with supplementary motor areas (p < .001, family-wise error [FWE] rate corrected). The MBSR program was uniquely associated with improvements in self-compassion and rumination, and the within-group analysis of MBSR bodyscan revealed significant functional connectivity of the right anterior insula-an important hub of sensory awareness and salience-with pregenual anterior cingulate during bodyscan meditation compared with rest (p = .03, FWE corrected). CONCLUSIONS: The bodyscan exercises in each program were associated with both overlapping and differential functional coupling patterns, which were consistent with each program's theoretical foundation. These results may have implications for the differential effects of these programs for the treatment of diverse conditions.
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Effect of Different Meditation Types on Migraine Headache Medication UseSpiritual meditation has been found to reduce the frequency of migraines and physiological reactivity to stress. However, little is known about how introducing a spirituality component into a meditation intervention impacts analgesic medication usage. In this study, 92 meditation-naive participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups: (1) Spiritual Meditation, (n = 25), (2) Internally Focused Secular Meditation (n = 23), (3) Externally Focused Secular Meditation (n = 22), or (4) Progressive Muscle Relaxation (n = 22); and practiced their technique for 20 min/day over 30 days while completing daily diaries. Headache frequency, headache severity, and pain medication use were assessed. Migraine frequency decreased in the Spiritual Meditation group compared to other groups (p < 0.05). Headache severity ratings did not differ across groups (p = ns). After adjusting for headache frequency, migraine medication usage decreased in the Spiritual Meditation group compared to other groups (p < 0.05). Spiritual Meditation was found to not affect pain sensitivity, but it does improve pain tolerance with reduced headache related analgesic medication usage.
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Fish Discovering Water: Meditation as a Process of RecognitionThe momentary processes creating our experience of the world are adaptive but have an affective downside in everyday life. These processes of attending form implicitly as part of development. This means that even as they are shaping the valence of our lives, they remain invisible in the way water is invisible to fish. By bringing a curious attention to these default habits, meditation facilitates their experiential recognition. This occurs through psychological principles that are described using culturally familiar constructs rather than traditional and dharma-related language and assumptions. Explaining it in this way highlights the commonality of these principles across mind-body programs and therapeutic modalities and facilitates explanations to patients as to why something like meditation may be useful. The chapter also discusses misunderstandings in the terms “meditation” and “practice,” and suggests we examine the cultural and political values that may be embedded in meditation as it develops in the West.
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Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapies for Behavioral Health Disorders [English and Spanish versions]This issue brief provides a brief history of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) followed by a focus on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). An overview and literature review of MBCT describes the emergence of MBCT as an intervention addressing depression. This Issue Brief concludes with recent findings that call for further MBCT research in the areas of anxiety and addiction relapse. A Spanish translation of this publication is available for download.
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Using Mindfulness for Increasing Provider Capacity to Support Inner City Survivors of Violence [English and Spanish versions]Mindfulness is recognized as an evidence-based practice that can improve a person’s physical and emotional health and well-being. This research project examined the cultural relevance and potential acceptability of mindfulness practices by front-line providers working with a low-income community of color affected by gun homicide. A Spanish translation of this publication is available for download.
