Month: April 2021

Movement-Based Therapies are Affective for Rehabilitation from Disease

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Movement-Based Therapies are Affective for Rehabilitation from Disease

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Tai chi is often described as “meditation in motion,” but it might well be called “medication in motion.” There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice, which originated in China as a martial art, has value in treating or preventing many health problems.” – Havard Health

 

Mindful movement practices such as yoga and Tai Chi and Qigong have been used for centuries to improve the physical and mental health and well-being of practitioners. But only recently has the effects of these practices come under scientific scrutiny. This research has been accumulating. So, it makes sense to pause and examine what has been learned about the effectiveness of these practice for rehabilitation from disease.

 

In today’s Research News article “Movement-Based Therapies in Rehabilitation.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7476461/ ) Phuphanich and colleagues review and summarize the published research studies of the effects of mindful movement practices on rehabilitation from disease.

 

They report that published research has found that yoga practice reduces fatigue, sleep disturbances, depression, and anxiety and improves the immune system in cancer patients. Yoga has been found to be an effective treatment for mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Yoga has been found to reduce pain levels, fear avoidance, stress, and sleep disturbance and increases self-efficacy and quality of life in chronic pain patients. Yoga has been found to improve the symptoms of traumatic brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, Parkinson disease, dementia, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and neuropathies. In addition, yoga has been found to improve systolic and diastolic blood pressures, heart rate, respiratory rate, waist circumference, waist/hip ratio, cholesterol, triglycerides, hemoglobin A1c, and insulin resistance in cardiopulmonary diseases.

 

They report that the published research has found that Tai Chi and Qigong practices reduce falls in the elderly. Tai Chi and Qigong has been found to reduce pain levels and increase quality of life in chronic pain patients. In addition, there is evidence that Tai Chi and Qigong practices improves depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, sleep disturbance, schizophrenia, rheumatoid arthritis, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and immune disorders.

 

These are remarkable findings. The range of disorders that are positively affected by yoga, Tai Chi, and Qigong practices is breathtaking. These practices are also safe and can be widely implemented at relatively low cost and can be performed alone or in groups and at home or in a therapeutic setting. This suggests that these practices should be routinely implemented for rehabilitation from disease.

 

So,  movement-based therapies are affective for rehabilitation from disease.

 

“Being mindful through any physical activity can not only improve performance in the activity such as yoga, tennis, swimming, etc, but it can also increase flexibility, confidence in movement and generate a sense of body and mind connection that has the potential for improving your overall sense of well-being.“- Anupama Kommu

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

 

Phuphanich, M. E., Droessler, J., Altman, L., & Eapen, B. C. (2020). Movement-Based Therapies in Rehabilitation. Physical medicine and rehabilitation clinics of North America, 31(4), 577–591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmr.2020.07.002

 

Abstract

Movement therapy refers to a broad range of Eastern and Western mindful movement-based practices used to treat the mind, body, and spirit concurrently. Forms of movement practice are universal across human culture and exist in ancient history. Research demonstrates forms of movement therapy, such as dance, existed in the common ancestor shared by humans and chimpanzees, approximately 6 million years ago. Movement-based therapies innately promote health and wellness by encouraging proactive participation in one’s own health, creating community support and accountability, and so building a foundation for successful, permanent, positive change.

Key Points – Movement-based therapies

  • Decrease fear avoidance and empower individuals to take a proactive role in their own health and wellness.
  • Can benefit patients of any ability; practices are customizable to the individual’s needs and health.
  • Are safe, cost-effective, and potent adjunct treatments used to supplement (not replace) standard care.
  • Deliver patient-centered, integrative care that accounts for the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of health and illness.
  • Have diverse, evidence-based benefits, including reduction in pain, stress, and debility, and improvements in range of motion, strength, balance, coordination, cardiovascular health, physical fitness, mood, and cognition.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7476461/

 

Yoga Practice Improves the Symptoms of Restless Legs Syndrome

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Yoga Practice Improves the Symptoms of Restless Legs Syndrome

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“regular yoga poses and stretches can help ease those restless legs syndrome symptoms and help you sleep better, feel less stressed, and even lower blood pressure.” – Everyday Health

 

Restless legs syndrome, also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, is characterized by an urge to move the legs after rest. This occurs particularly at night but also after extended sitting such as in a car, airplane, or movie theatre. It produces unpleasant sensations in the legs or feet including crawling, creeping, pulling, throbbing, aching, itching, and electric sensations. It can involve twitching and kicking, possibly throughout the night, while you sleep. It is estimated that about 7% of the population experiences restless legs syndrome.

 

There is no known cause or cures for restless leg syndrome. The only treatments that seem to help are movements such as stretching, jiggling the legs, walking, or pacing. Yoga is a mindfulness practice and an exercise that involves stretching and movement. Hence, it would make sense to explore the ability of yoga practice to improve the symptoms of restless leg syndrome.

 

In today’s Research News article “Effects of a 12-week yoga versus a 12-week educational film intervention on symptoms of restless legs syndrome and related outcomes: an exploratory randomized controlled trial.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7053002/ ) Innes and colleagues recruited adult patients with restless legs syndrome and randomly assigned them to receive a 12-week program of either yoga training or to watch educational films on restless legs syndrome. Yoga training occurred for 75 minutes, 2 times per week for 4 weeks and then once a week for four more weeks. Participants were asked to practice at home for 30 minutes daily. The education class met once a week. The participants were measured before and after training for frequency, intensity, and impact of restless legs syndrome symptoms, sleep quality, health-related quality of life, mood, perceived stress, blood pressure, heart rate, social support, and physical activity.

 

They found that both the yoga and education groups had significant improvements in restless legs syndrome symptoms, and most secondary outcomes. The yoga group, however, had significantly greater reductions in restless legs syndrome symptoms, perceived stress, sleep quality, and mood. Additionally, the more yoga sessions attended and the greater the amount of home practice the greater the improvement in restless legs syndrome symptoms. This was not true for the education group.

 

The results suggest that yoga practice produced symptom relief for restless legs syndrome patients to a significantly greater extent than education about restless legs syndrome. Yoga provides exercise and stretching and it is not clear whether the benefits for restless legs syndrome are a result of the exercise or are specific to yoga practice. Future research should compare the effective of yoga practice relative to other exercises for restless legs syndrome. Regardless, it is clear from this study that practicing yoga is a safe, effective, and relatively inexpensive treatment for restless legs syndrome. It should be routinely recommended to relieve the suffering of these patients.

 

So, yoga practice improves the symptoms of restless legs syndrome.

 

“When restless legs syndrome keeps you up all night, yoga is a treatment option that helps both your mind and body relax.” – Diana Rodriguez

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

 

Innes, K. E., Selfe, T. K., Montgomery, C., Hollingshead, N., Huysmans, Z., Srinivasan, R., Wen, S., Hausmann, M. J., Sherman, K., & Klatt, M. (2020). Effects of a 12-week yoga versus a 12-week educational film intervention on symptoms of restless legs syndrome and related outcomes: an exploratory randomized controlled trial. Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 16(1), 107–119. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.8134

 

Abstract

Study Objectives:

To assess the effects of a yoga versus educational film (EF) program on restless legs syndrome (RLS) symptoms and related outcomes in adults with RLS.

Methods:

Forty-one community-dwelling, ambulatory nonpregnant adults with moderate to severe RLS were randomized to a 12-week yoga (n = 19) or EF program (n = 22). In addition to attending classes, all participants completed practice/treatment logs. Yoga group participants were asked to practice at home 30 minutes per day on nonclass days; EF participants were instructed to record any RLS treatments used on their daily logs. Core outcomes assessed pretreatment and posttreatment were RLS symptoms and symptom severity (International RLS Study Group Scale (IRLS) and RLS ordinal scale), sleep quality, mood, perceived stress, and quality of life (QOL).

Results:

Thirty adults (13 yoga, 17 EF), aged 24 to 73 (mean = 50.4 ± 2.4 years), completed the 12-week study (78% female, 80.5% white). Post-intervention, both groups showed significant improvement in RLS symptoms and severity, perceived stress, mood, and QOL-mental health (P ≤ .04). Relative to the EF group, yoga participants demonstrated significantly greater reductions in RLS symptoms and symptom severity (P ≤ .01), and greater improvements in perceived stress and mood (P ≤ .04), as well as sleep quality (P = .09); RLS symptoms decreased to minimal/mild in 77% of yoga group participants, with none scoring in the severe range by week 12, versus 24% and 12%, respectively, in EF participants. In the yoga group, IRLS and RLS severity scores declined with increasing minutes of homework practice (r = .7, P = .009 and r = .6, P = .03, respectively), suggesting a possible dose-response relationship.

Conclusions:

Findings of this exploratory RCT suggest that yoga may be effective in reducing RLS symptoms and symptom severity, decreasing perceived stress, and improving mood and sleep in adults with RLS.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7053002/

 

Mindfulness is Associated with Medication Adherence in Older Adults

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Mindfulness is Associated with Medication Adherence in Older Adults

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Keep a watch…on the faults of the patients, which often make them lie about the taking of things prescribed. For through not taking disagreeable drinks, purgative or other, they sometimes die.” – Hippocrates, Decorum

 

“Integrating mindfulness into our practices may help foster the therapeutic alliance and ultimately medication adherence.” – Michael Ascher

 

In order for prescriptive medications to be effective in treating disease they must be taken. But about 50% of older patients do not take their medications as prescribed and many do not even fill their prescriptions. This is a shockingly high degree of non-compliance that can lead to poorer health and potentially death. Indeed, it has been stated that “increasing the effectiveness of adherence interventions may have a far greater impact on the health of the population than any improvement in specific medical treatments” (R. Brian Haynes). Mindfulness, on the other hand has been shown to be associated with better compliance with therapy and greater health related behaviors. So, it makes sense to study the role of mindfulness in medication adherence in older individuals.

 

In today’s Research News article “Selected psychological predictors of medication adherence in the older adults with chronic diseases.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7729554/ ) Gruszczyńska and colleagues recruited older adults, over 60 year of age, who were diagnosed with a chronic disease. They completed measures of medication adherence, health locus of control, stress coping, and mindfulness.

 

They found that the higher the levels of medication adherence, the higher the levels of internal locus of control, influence of others locus of control, and mindfulness and the lower the levels of emotion-oriented coping and distraction seeking. Regression analysis revealed that the strongest positive predictors of medication adherence were influence of others locus of control, and mindfulness while the most powerful negative predictor was emotion-oriented coping.

 

It should be recognized that this study is correlational and as such causation cannot be determined. But these results make sense as ascribing the control of one’s health to other powerful people would suggest that the individual would be more likely to follow the direction of a physician and comply with the medicinal directions. That people who cope with stress emotionally would not adhere to medicinal directions also make sense as the invocation of strong emotions associated with the stress of the disease would be aversive and lead to avoidding or ignoring medicines associated with the source of stress.

 

Finally, mindfulness was found to be influential on medication adherence. Being more aware of and attentive to the needs of the body should lead to tending to those needs and taking prescribed medications to help. Indeed, mindfulness tends to promote health related behaviors in general. In other words, mindful people tend to do things that are beneficial for their health including taking prescribed medications as directed.

 

Since elderly people taking prescribed medications is one of the single most important contributors to their overall health and longevity, improving adherence is extremely important. Perhaps if training in mindfulness was prescribed along with medications, medication adherence may be improved leading to better health outcomes.

 

So, mindfulness is associated with medication adherence in older adults.

 

“Mindfulness interventions have been proven effective on several predictors of poor adherence (i.e., sleep, cognitive impairment, depression, and stress) and thus hold great potential to improve medication adherence.“ – Elena Salmoirago-Blotcher

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

 

Gruszczyńska, M., Wyszomirska, J., Daniel-Sielańczyk, A., & Bąk-Sosnowska, M. (2020). Selected psychological predictors of medication adherence in the older adults with chronic diseases. Nursing open, 8(1), 317–326. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.632

 

Abstract

Aim

The main goal of the study was to assess the significance of selected psychological factors related to the adherence to medication recommendations among the older adults with chronic diseases.

Design

It was designed as a cross‐sectional study, aimed at assessing the importance of selected psychological factors in complying with medication recommendations among older adults.

Methods

The study involved 345 older adults with chronic diseases, assessed the importance of selected psychological factors, such as: health locus of control, stress coping and mindfulness in adhering to medication recommendations older persons. To answer the research questions, we performed frequency analyses, basic descriptive statistics analyses together with the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, Student’s t tests for independent samples, monofactorial analysis of variance in the intergroup diagram, analysis correlation with the Pearson correlation coefficient, Spearman’s rank correlation ρ analysis and stepwise linear regression analysis.

Results

The study identified psychological predictors of medication adherence, which explained 12% of the variability. An emotion‐oriented coping proved to be the most important factor. Additionally, powerful other health locus of control and mindful attention were shown to have a positive effect.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7729554/

 

Mindful Eating is Related to Less Binge Eating and Fewer Mood Disorders

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Mindful Eating is Related to Less Binge Eating and Fewer Mood Disorders

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Paying attention to what you are eating is the most effective way to attain a positive relationship with food and therefore find your ideal healthy weight.” – UT Counseling

 

Around 30 million people in the United States of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder; either anorexia nervosa, bulimia, or binge eating disorder. 95% of those who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 26. So, college age students are particularly vulnerable. Eating disorders are not just troubling psychological problems, they can be deadly, having the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Binge eating disorder involves eating a large amount of food within a short time-period while experiencing a sense of loss of control over eating.

 

Eating disorders can be difficult to treat because eating is necessary and cannot be simply stopped as in smoking cessation or abstaining from drugs or alcohol. One must learn to eat appropriately not stop. So, it is important to find methods that can help prevent and treat eating disorders. Contemplative practices, mindfulness, and mindful eating have shown promise for treating eating disorders.

 

Mindful eating involves paying attention to eating while it is occurring, including attention to the sight, smell, flavors, and textures of food, to the process of chewing and may help reduce intake by affecting the individual’s response to non-homeostatic cues for eating. Indeed, high levels of mindfulness are associated with lower levels of obesity and mindful eating has been shown to improve eating behaviors. Hence, mindful eating may counter binge eating. So, it is important to investigate the relationship of mindful eating to mood and binge eating.

 

In today’s Research News article “Mindfulness in Eating Is Inversely Related to Binge Eating and Mood Disturbances in University Students in Health-Related Disciplines.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7071141/ ) Giannopoulou and colleagues recruited college students and had them complete online measures of mood, mindful eating, and binge eating. They then compared students with binge eating to non-binge eaters and the data were subjected to regression analysis.

 

They found that 41% of the students met the criterion for binge eating. In comparison to non-binge eating students, the binge eaters had significantly higher levels of tension, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion and significantly lower levels of vigor and mindful eating. Similarly, female students had significantly higher levels of tension, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion and significantly lower levels of vigor and mindful eating. In addition, the higher the level of mindful eating the higher the mood scores and the lower the binge eating score.

 

It should be noted that these results are correlational. So, conclusions about causation cannot be made directly. But prior research has demonstrated that training in mindfulness produces reductions in binge eating and improvements in mood. Including decreases in, depression, anger, and fatigue. So, the present results probably result from causal connections.

 

The results then suggest that binge eating is associated with negative mood states. College students are particularly vulnerable to negative moods and binge eating. The results also suggest that mindful eating may be an antidote to negative moods and binge eating. This suggests that training in mindful eating might work to lessen or prevent these problems so rampant in college students.

 

So, mindful eating is related to less binge eating and fewer mood disorders.

 

“Practicing mindfulness can help you recognize when you’re no longer hungry, which can improve your eating behaviors and reduce the incidence of binge eating.” – Rachel Link

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

 

Giannopoulou, I., Kotopoulea-Nikolaidi, M., Daskou, S., Martyn, K., & Patel, A. (2020). Mindfulness in Eating Is Inversely Related to Binge Eating and Mood Disturbances in University Students in Health-Related Disciplines. Nutrients, 12(2), 396. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12020396

 

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between mindful eating, disordered eating and mood in university students in health-related disciplines. A total of 221 university students participated in the study; 102 students studied sport and exercise science (SS), 54 students pharmacy sciences (PS), and 65 students health sciences (HS). Participants completed the Binge Eating Scale (BES), the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ), and the Profile of Mood State questionnaire (POMS). 41% of the students were classified as binge eaters and 57% were above the POMS threshold of depression. Binge eaters were found to have significantly lower MEQ score and significantly higher total mood disturbance scores (TMD) compared to non-binge eaters (p < 0.01). Students with a high depression score exhibited no differences in the MEQ score but a significantly higher BES score compared to non-depressed students (p < 0.01). Gender differences were found in the MEQ with females exhibiting significantly higher scores in the MEQ score and in all MEQ subscales compared to males, with the exception of the emotional subscale that females were noted to have a lower score compared to males (p < 0.01). The MEQ score was inversely related to the BES score (r = −0.30, p < 0.01) and TMD (r = −0.21, p < 0.05). The MEQ score was a significant negative predictor of the variance of the binge eating behavior of the students (B = −3.17, p < 0.001). In conclusion, mindfulness in eating is inversely related to the binge eating behavior and mood state of university students studying health-related subjects and is a significant negative predictor of disordered eating behavior in this high risk population.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7071141/

 

Socially Mindful Behavior is Perceived Positively and Evokes Brain Responses

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Socially Mindful Behavior is Perceived Positively and Evokes Brain Responses

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Being socially mindful is more than being polite. It’s also more than just being aware of others. It is being aware that our decisions may limit or eliminate choices for others. It refers to our focus on making decisions that recognize our shared humanity and interdependence.” – Saundra Schrock

Humans are social animals. This is a great asset for the species as the effort of the individual is amplified by cooperation. In primitive times, this cooperation was essential for survival. But in modern times it is also essential, not for survival but rather for making a living and for the happiness of the individual. Mindfulness has been found to increase prosocial emotions such as compassion, and empathy and prosocial behaviors such as altruism. So, being mindful socially is very important. But, the research on social mindfulness is in its infancy.

 

One method to observe social mindfulness processing in the brain is to measure the changes in the electrical activity that occur in response to observing socially mindful or unmindful stimuli. These are called event-related potentials or ERPs; the signal following a stimulus changes over time. The fluctuations of the signal after specific periods of time are thought to measure different aspects of the nervous system’s processing of the stimulus. The Feedback Related Negativity (FRN) response in the evoked potential (ERP) is a negative going electrical response occurring between a 2.5 to 3.0 tenths of a second following the target stimulus presentation. The FRN component is thought to be a response to negative outcomes.

 

In today’s Research News article “Social Mindfulness Shown by Individuals With Higher Status Is More Pronounced in Our Brain: ERP Evidence.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6988832/ ) Lu and colleagues recruited adult participants and had them input number sequences into a computer as fast as they could. They were then told that they ranked either low, medium, of high on the task. But all participants were told that they were medium. They then engaged in a computerized social mindfulness task in which they made choices that impacted the availability of choices for another participant. If the participant chose in such a way to limit the choices of the other participant it was considered socially unmindful. Then while the participants had their electroencephalogram (EEG) recorded they were shown the responses on the social mindfulness task or socially mindful and socially unmindful trials of actors with different statuses. They were then asked to rate the actors on pleasantness and likeability, and how much they were willing to share a reward with the other.

 

They found that after observing a socially mindful choice, the participants rate the actor as significantly more pleasant and likeable and were willing to share more of the reward than after a socially unmindful choice. In addition, the Feedback Related Negativity (FRN) response in the EEG was more negative after socially mindful choices but only for moderate and high status actors. Low status actors were rated as significantly more pleasant and likeable.

 

These are interesting results but the experimental context is artificial and there is no way to determine if the results reflect what would happen in real-world contexts. But the results suggest that people respond positively to others being socially mindful. In addition, the Feedback Related Negativity (FRN) response in the EEG demonstrated that the effect of a socially mindful choice on an observer occurs very rapidly and can be detected very early in the brain. The results also suggest that the social status of the individual modulates the impact of their social mindful choices on others.

 

These results suggest that social mindfulness is an impactful factor on how we perceive others. This could tend to promote group cohesion and reward prosocial behaviors by perceiving and responding to considerate people more positively. Hence, people are drawn to socially mindful people.

 

So, socially mindful behavior is perceived positively and evokes brain responses.

 

“Social mindfulness is correlated with prosocial values (i.e., valuing others’ outcomes and being willing to cooperate), but it is not the same.” – Joachim Kruger

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

 

Lu, J., Huang, X., Liao, C., Guan, Q., Qi, X. R., & Cui, F. (2020). Social Mindfulness Shown by Individuals With Higher Status Is More Pronounced in Our Brain: ERP Evidence. Frontiers in neuroscience, 13, 1432. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2019.01432

 

Abstract

“Social mindfulness” refers to being thoughtful of others and considering their needs before making decisions, and can be characterized by low-cost and subtle gestures. The present study compared the behavioral and neural responses triggered by observing others’ socially mindful/unmindful choices and how these responses were modulated by the social status of the agency. At the behavioral level, observing socially mindful choices made observers feel better, rate the actors as more likable, and behave more cooperatively than did observing socially unmindful choices. Analysis of event-related potentials in the brain revealed that compared with socially unmindful choices, mindful choices elicited more negative feedback-related negativity (FRN). Notably, while this effect of social mindfulness was only significant when the actor’s social status was medium and high, it was undetectable when the actor’s social status was low. These results demonstrate that the social mindfulness of others can be rapidly detected and processed, as reflected by FRN, even though it does not seem to receive further, more elaborate evaluation. These findings indicated that low-cost cooperative behaviors such as social mindfulness can also be detected and appreciated by our brain, which may result in better mood and more cooperative behaviors in the perceivers. Besides, the perception of social mindfulness is sensitive to important social information, such as social status.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6988832/

 

Mindful Attention Produces Different Responses to Sexual Orientation Consistent and Inconsistent Stimuli.

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Mindful Attention Produces Different Responses to Sexual Orientation Consistent and Inconsistent Stimuli.

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Sometimes people need to play around with the idea of [something] before they can really get a sense of whether this is something that they want to bring into their real-world sex life, so fantasy can be super helpful in that way,” Vanessa Marin

 

Sexual fantasies are nearly universal occurring in both men and women across cultures. But, the purpose of these fantasies or their effects upon sexual behavior and the well-being of the individual have not been well studied. Most heterosexual fantasies are orientation consistent involving fantasized interactions with members of the opposite sex. But occasionally orientation inconsistent fantasies occur involving fantasies about individuals of the same sex. It is not known what are the effects of these orientation consistent and inconsistent fantasies.

 

In today’s Research News article “Understanding heterosexual women’s erotic flexibility: the role of attention in sexual evaluations and neural responses to sexual stimuli.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7308660/ ) Dickinson and colleagues recruited single heterosexual women between the ages of 18 to 35 years. The women evaluated 30 second film clips of male actors masturbating, female actors masturbating, male actors engaging in non-sexual activity and female actors engaging in non-sexual activity. After each clip they answered to what extent they found the clips sexually arousing and to what extent they felt distracted? They also underwent brain scanning with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) while watching the videos with mindful attention and not.

 

They found that when practicing mindful attention, the women rated the orientation consistent images significantly more sexually arousing and they were less distracted than the neutral images. On the other hand, when practicing mindful attention, the women rated the orientation inconsistent images significantly less sexually arousing and they were more distracted. When viewing sexual stimuli, the women’s brains showed significant activation in brain areas that are involved in control of the physiology (autonomic nervous system), attention, appraisal, tactual sensitivity, and motor imagery.

 

The findings demonstrate that women react differently to orientation consistent erotic imagery that to orientation inconsistent imagery finding the consistent imagery more arousing and less distracting. These differences are amplified with mindful attention. They also show that the neural responses to the stimuli differ between consistent and inconsistent orientation stimuli suggesting that the attentional and visual processing areas of the women’s brains are activated by consistent but not inconsistent orientation erotic imagery.

 

These findings suggest that women are not erotically flexible. Erotic imagery consistent with their sexual orientation were found to be more arousing psychologically and in brain processing than erotic imagery inconsistent with their orientation. They also suggest that mindfulness amplifies their responses. These types of studies begin to unravel the physical and psychological responses underlying sexuality toward the opposite sex in heterosexual women. These types of responses may support human reproduction and perpetuation of the species.

 

So, mindful attention produces different responses to sexual orientation consistent and inconsistent stimuli.

 

“Sex therapists concur, encouraging lovers to observe their erotic thoughts and fantasies non-judgmentally, no matter what their content, and then gently let go of them as lovers return to focusing on giving and receiving pleasure. Just as random thoughts during meditation don’t mean anything, neither do the vast majority of thoughts and fantasies during sex.” – Michael Castleman

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

Dickenson, J. A., Diamond, L., King, J. B., Jenson, K., & Anderson, J. S. (2020). Understanding heterosexual women’s erotic flexibility: the role of attention in sexual evaluations and neural responses to sexual stimuli. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 15(4), 447–465. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsaa058

 

Abstract

Many women experience desires, arousal and behavior that run counter to their sexual orientation (orientation inconsistent, ‘OI’). Are such OI sexual experiences cognitively and neurobiologically distinct from those that are consistent with one’s sexual orientation (orientation consistent, ‘OC’)? To address this question, we employed a mindful attention intervention—aimed at reducing judgment and enhancing somatosensory attention—to examine the underlying attentional and neurobiological processes of OC and OI sexual stimuli among predominantly heterosexual women. Women exhibited greater neural activity in response to OC, compared to OI, sexual stimuli in regions associated with implicit visual processing, volitional appraisal and attention. In contrast, women exhibited greater neural activity to OI, relative to OC, sexual stimuli in regions associated with complex visual processing and attentional shifting. Mindfully attending to OC sexual stimuli reduced distraction, amplified women’s evaluations of OC stimuli as sexually arousing and deactivated the superior cerebellum. In contrast, mindfully attending to OI sexual stimuli amplified distraction, decreased women’s evaluations of OI stimuli as sexually arousing and augmented parietal and temporo-occipital activity. Results of the current study constrain hypotheses of female erotic flexibility, suggesting that sexual orientation may be maintained by differences in attentional processing that cannot be voluntarily altered.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7308660/

 

More Attentive Mother-Child Interactions are Associated with Mindfulness

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More Attentive Mother-Child Interactions are Associated with Mindfulness

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Mindful parenting means that you bring your conscious attention to what’s happening, instead of getting hijacked by your emotions. Mindfulness is about letting go of guilt and shame about the past and focusing on right now. It’s about accepting whatever is going on, rather than trying to change it or ignore it.” –  Jill Ceder

 

Raising children, parenting, is very rewarding. But it can also be challenging. Children test parents frequently. They test the boundaries of their freedom and the depth of parental love. They demand attention and seem to especially when parental attention is needed elsewhere. They don’t always conform to parental dictates or aspirations for their behavior. The challenges of parenting require that the parents be able to deal with stress, to regulate their own emotions, and to be sensitive and attentive their child. These skills are exactly those that are developed in mindfulness training. It improves the psychological and physiological responses to stress. It improves emotion regulation. It improves the ability to maintain attention and focus in the face of high levels of distraction.

 

Mindful parenting involves the parents having emotional awareness of themselves and compassion for the child and having the skills to pay full attention to the child in the present moment, to accept parenting non-judgmentally and be emotionally non-reactive to the child. Mindful parenting has been shown to have positive benefits for both the parents and the children. Hence, it is important to study the effects of the mother’s mindfulness on their interactions with their infants.

 

In today’s Research News article “Does Mothers’ Self-Reported Mindful Parenting Relate to the Observed Quality of Parenting Behavior and Mother-Child Interaction?” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7652703/ )  Potharst and colleagues recruited mothers with infants (0 to 24 months of age) and toddlers (24 to 48 months of age). The mothers completed measures of mindful parenting and were observed with their infants and toddlers for maternal sensitivity and acceptance. The mother’s speech while interacting with the child was categorized and mind related comments assessed and the mothers gaze during the interaction recorded.

 

They found that the higher the levels of mindful parenting the higher the levels of compassion for the child. They also found that the higher the levels of mindful listening with full attention the higher the levels of non-attuned mind related comments. Finally, they found that the higher the levels of mindful parenting, the higher the levels of mother’s gave upon the child’s face during interacting with the child.

 

These results are interesting but correlational, so caution must be exercised in concluding causation. The results do suggest that the mother’s levels of mindful parenting are related to their levels of compassion for the child and how the mothers interact with the child. In particular mindful parenting appears to be related to the amount of attention the mother provides the child. These better interactions between mother and child might predict better psychological well-being of the children are they grow. It will be interesting in the future to investigate whether training in mindful parenting will produce improvements in mother’s interactions with their children.

 

So, more attentive mother-child interactions are associated with mindfulness.

 

“Mindfulness is also a potent tool for parents, especially when they’re feeling challenged by a child’s attitudes or behavior, and it’s easier to achieve than most people realize.” – Donna Matthews

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

 

Potharst, E. S., Leyland, A., Colonnesi, C., Veringa, I. K., Salvadori, E. A., Jakschik, M., Bögels, S. M., & Zeegers, M. (2020). Does Mothers’ Self-Reported Mindful Parenting Relate to the Observed Quality of Parenting Behavior and Mother-Child Interaction?. Mindfulness, 1–13. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01533-0

 

Abstract

Objectives

Growing academic interest in mindful parenting (MP) requires a reliable and valid measure for use in research and clinical setting. Because MP concerns the way parents relate to, and nurture, their children, it is important to evaluate the associations between self-reported MP and observed parenting and parent-child interaction measures.

Methods

Seventy-three mothers who experience difficulties with their young children aged 0–48 months admitted for a Mindful with your baby/toddler training (63% in a mental health care and 27% in a preventative context) were included. Mothers completed the Interpersonal Mindfulness in Parenting scale (IM-P) and video-observations of parent-child interactions were coded for maternal sensitivity, acceptance, mind-mindedness, and emotional communication (EC).

Results

The IM-P total score was positively associated only with mothers’ gaze to the child (EC). IM-P subscale Listening with Full Attention negatively predicted non-attuned mind-mindedness, Compassion with the Child positively predicted maternal sensitivity and positive facial expression (EC), and Emotional Awareness of Self positively predicted mothers’ gaze to the child (EC) and dyadic synchrony of positive affect (EC).

Conclusions

The current study provides support for the hypothesis that the IM-P total score is predictive of maternal actual attention for the child during a face-to-face interaction. When the IM-P is administered with the aim to gain understanding of different aspects of parenting behavior and the parent-child interaction, it is important not only to employ the IM-P total score but also to incorporate the individual IM-P subscales, as meaningful associations between IM-P subscales and observed parenting and parent-child interactions were found.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7652703/

 

Improve Stress Responding, Health, and Well-Being with Qigong

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Improve Stress Responding, Health, and Well-Being with Qigong

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Qigong is an extraordinary tool for reducing the harmful effects of stress. The three pillars of qigong practice are body, breath, and mind. If your body is relaxed your breathing will slow down. When your breath is slow, you feel more centered, more calm, and more in touch with yourself” – Kenneth Cohen

 

Tai Chi and Qigong are ancient mindfulness practices involving slow prescribed movements. They are gentle and completely safe, can be used with the elderly and sickly, are inexpensive to administer, can be performed in groups or alone, at home or in a facility or even public park, and can be quickly learned. In addition, they can also be practiced in social groups without professional supervision. This can make it fun, improving the likelihood of long-term engagement in the practice.

 

Tai Chi and Qigong are both mindfulness practices and gentle exercises. They have been shown to be beneficial for the health and well-being of individuals of a variety of ages, but particularly the elderly. They also improve the symptoms of a variety of diseases. One way that these practices may improve health and well-being is by reducing stress. The studies of the benefits for health of Tai Chi and Qigong are accumulating and so it makes sense to take a moment to summarize what has been learned about the benefits of Qigong practice.

 

In today’s Research News article “Individual Stress Prevention through Qigong.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7579037/ )  van Dam reviews and summarizes the published research studies of the effects of Qigong practice on stress. She reports that the published studies found that Qigong practice improves the cardiovascular system including a significant reduction in blood pressure and an increase in heartrate variability, an indicator of parasympathetic relaxation. It improves the respiratory system including increased lung capacity, oxygen intake and breathing patterns. It improves immune function and reduces inflammatory responses. It improves both psychological and physiological responses to stress. It improves sleep quality and reduces fatigue. It reduces depression and both acute and chronic anxiety.

 

These findings are remarkable and suggest that this gentle safe practice markedly improves the physical and mental well-being and health of the practitioners. Many of these benefits may result from the ability of Qigong practice to improve stress responding. Stress impairs health and well-being and Qigong practice appears to counteract these effects.

 

So, improve stress responding, health, and well-being with Qigong.

 

“Qi Gong helps you develop a crystal clear mind as you connect with the present moment, letting go of the stress of daily life and relaxing deeply.”- Nick Jankel

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

 

van Dam K. (2020). Individual Stress Prevention through Qigong. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(19), 7342. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17197342

 

Abstract

Owing to work intensification and an accelerated pace of life in general, individuals in many Western countries are often overactivated and find it difficult to switch off. However, recovery from physiological and mental activation is critical to prevent stress symptoms and maintain one’s physiological and mental well-being. Extensive research evidence indicates that Qigong, a traditional Chinese movement practice for promoting health, provides an effective means to recover from work and off-work demands. The main objective of this paper is to offer a comprehensive, narrative review of the effects of Qigong and its core components. Attention is first paid to the outcomes of work and off-work demands and stress, and the role of recovery for individuals’ well-being. Then, Qigong and its components are explained, followed by the results of scientific research. Finally, limitations and implications for research and practiced are discussed.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7579037/

 

Moderate Emotion Effects on the Eating Styles of Obese Women with Mindful Eating

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Moderate Emotion Effects on the Eating Styles of Obese Women with Mindful Eating

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“There is so much stigma around weight, and judgement around right and wrong eating behavior, and good and bad food in our culture. Mindful eating fills in gaps in the traditional approach of discussing weight management.” – Lenna Liu

 

Obesity has become an epidemic in the industrialized world. In the U.S. the incidence of obesity, defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or above has more than doubled over the last 35 years to currently around 35% of the population, while two thirds of the population are considered overweight or obese (BMI > 25). Obesity has been found to shorten life expectancy by eight years and extreme obesity by 14 years. This occurs because obesity is associated with cardiovascular problems such as coronary heart disease and hypertension, stroke, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and others. Obviously, there is a need for effective treatments for overweight and obese individuals. But, despite copious research and a myriad of dietary and exercise programs, there still is no safe and effective treatment. Mindfulness is known to be associated with lower risk for obesity, alter eating behavior and improve health in obesity.

 

Mindful eating involves paying attention to eating while it is occurring, including attention to the sight, smell, flavors, and textures of food, to the process of chewing and may help reduce intake. Indeed, high levels of mindfulness are associated with lower levels of obesity and mindfulness training has been shown to reduce binge eating, emotional eating, and external eating. It is important to identify how mindful eating may alter the eating behaviors of obese individuals.

 

In today’s Research News article “The moderating effects of mindful eating on the relationship between emotional functioning and eating styles in overweight and obese women.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7399674/ ) Czepczor-Bernat and colleagues recruited overweight and obese women and measured them for body size and had them complete measures of emotion regulation, mindful eating, eating styles, and positive and negative emotions. These data were subjected to regression analysis.

 

They found that the higher the level of mindful eating the lower the level of emotional eating and restrictive eating. They also found that the greater the emotion regulation the higher the restrictive eating but this relationship was amplified by mindful eating. In addition, the higher the levels of negative emotions the greater the levels of emotional eating and restrictive eating and again these relationships were moderated by mindful eating

 

These findings are correlational and as such causation cannot be determined. But the results suggest that mindful eating is associated with better eating styles and it moderates the effects of emotion regulation and negative emotions on eating styles. These results begin to reveal how mindful eating reduces food intake. These results further suggest that training in mindful eating may be particularly beneficial for overweight women who have high levels of negative emotions and low levels of emotion regulation.

 

So, moderate emotion effects on the eating styles of obese women with mindful eating.

 

“Applied to eating, mindfulness includes noticing the colors, smells, flavors, and textures of your food; chewing slowly; getting rid of distractions like TV or reading; and learning to cope with guilt and anxiety about food.” –  Healthbeat

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

 

Czepczor-Bernat, K., Brytek-Matera, A., Gramaglia, C., & Zeppegno, P. (2020). The moderating effects of mindful eating on the relationship between emotional functioning and eating styles in overweight and obese women. Eating and weight disorders : EWD, 25(4), 841–849. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-019-00740-6

 

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the current study was to examine the moderating effect of mindful eating on the relationship between emotional functioning and eating styles in overweight and obese women.

Methods

One hundred and eighty four overweight and obese adult women (BMI 30.12 ± 3.77 kg/m2) were assessed with the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire and the Mindful Eating Scale.

Results

Mindful eating significantly moderated several of the relationships between emotional functioning and eating styles. At all levels of mindful eating, emotion dysregulation and negative affect are both associated with greater emotional eating, but with stronger associations for high levels of mindful eating. For people low in mindful eating, both emotion dysregulation and negative affect are associated with lower restrictive eating, and neither of them are associated with uncontrolled eating. For people high in mindful eating, neither emotion dysregulation nor negative affect are associated with restrictive eating, and only negative affect is associated with greater uncontrolled eating.

Conclusion

When mindful eating techniques are included as part of an intervention for overweight or obese individuals, it is even more important that those interventions should also include techniques to reduce emotion dysregulation and negative affect.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7399674/

 

Reduce Anxiety with Mindful but not Non-Mindful Exercises

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Reduce Anxiety with Mindful but not Non-Mindful Exercises

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Yoga brings together physical and mental disciplines that may help you achieve peacefulness of body and mind. This can help you relax and manage stress and anxiety.” – Mayo Clinic

 

Anxiety at low levels is normal and can act to signal potential future danger. But when it is overwhelming it creates what we label as anxiety disorders. They are the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting 40 million adults, or 18% of the population. It has been estimated that one out of every three absences at work are caused by high levels of anxiety. Also, it has been found to be the most common reason for chronic school absenteeism. In addition, people with high levels of anxiety are three-to-five times more likely to go to the doctor and six times more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders than non-sufferers, making it a major burden on the healthcare system.

 

Anxiety has generally been treated with drugs. But there are considerable side effects and these drugs are often abused. There are a number of psychological therapies for anxiety. But, about 45% of the patients treated do not respond to the therapy. So, there is a need to develop alternative treatments. Recently, it has been found that mindfulness improves the regulation of  all emotions, including negative emotions like anxiety. There are a large variety of mindfulness practices. There have been a number of studies examining the effectiveness of mindfulness practices on anxiety. It’s important to take a look at what has been learned.

 

In today’s Research News article “Comparing Mindful and Non-Mindful Exercises on Alleviating Anxiety Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7700675/ )  So and colleagues review, summarize, and perform a meta-analysis of the published randomized controlled trials of mindful and non-mindful practices for the treatment of non-specific anxiety.

 

They identified 14 published studies. The mindful practices consisted of yoga (10 studies) and qigong (4 studies) while the non-mindful practices consisted of walking, aerobic exercise, and stretching. They report that the published studies found that yoga practice produced a significant reduction in anxiety compared to non-mindful exercises while qigong practice did not.

 

Mindfulness practices have been routinely found to reduce anxiety in numerous other research studies. So, these results are not surprising. But yoga is both a mindfulness practice and an exercise. So, finding it effective while other non-mindful exercises were not, suggests that it is the mindfulness practice that is the key to yoga’s ability to reduce anxiety. The fact that qigong practice was not effective is surprising. The authors note that yoga but not qigong empathises breath control and speculate that this may be the critical difference explaining their differential effectiveness.

 

So, reduce anxiety with mindful but not non-mindful exercises.

 

“Yoga for stress and anxiety helps to release deep holding patterns in the body and generates a state of balance to support healing.” – Melissa Mercedes

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

 

So, W., Lu, E. Y., Cheung, W. M., & Tsang, H. (2020). Comparing Mindful and Non-Mindful Exercises on Alleviating Anxiety Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(22), 8692. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17228692

 

Abstract

Background: In recent years, studies and reviews have reported the therapeutic benefits of both mindful and non-mindful exercises in reducing anxiety. However, there have not been any systematic reviews to compare their relative effectiveness for therapeutic application, especially among the non-clinical population. Thus, the aim of this review is to compare the effectiveness between mindful and non-mindful exercise on treating anxiety among non-clinical samples. Methods: Potential articles were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, Academic Search Premier, and PsycInfo. Randomized controlled trials, which involved both mindful and non-mindful exercises as intervention, and the use of anxiety outcome measures were included. Results: Twenty-four studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in our systematic review. In addition, 14 studies provided sufficient data to be included in the meta-analysis. For studies that reported significant group differences at post-assessment, results showed that mindful exercise was more beneficial in reducing anxiety than non-mindful exercise. The meta-analysis reported that yoga was more effective in reducing anxiety than non-mindful exercise. Conclusions: Compared to non-mindful exercise, yoga is shown to be more effective in alleviating anxiety symptoms. It is recommended that yoga could be used as a primary healthcare intervention to help the public reduce anxiety.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7700675/