Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), a meditation-based maintenance therapy, reduces the relapse risk in individuals suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD). However, only a few studies investigated the psychophysiological mechanisms underlying this protective effect. We examined effects of MBCT on trait rumination and mindfulness, as indicators of global cognitive style, as well as on residual depressive symptoms in a group of recurrently depressed patients (n=78) in remission. Additionally, alpha asymmetry in resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG) was assessed. Alpha asymmetry has been found to be predictive of affective style and a pattern indicative of stronger relative right-hemispheric anterior cortical activity may represent a trait marker for the vulnerability to develop MDD. In line with previous findings, residual depressive symptoms and trait rumination decreased, whereas trait mindfulness increased following MBCT, while no such changes took place in a wait-list control group. Mean values of alpha asymmetry, on the other hand, remained unaffected by training, and shifted systematically toward a pattern indicative of stronger relative right-hemispheric anterior cortical activity in the whole sample. These findings provide further support for the protective effect of MBCT. In the examined patients who were at an extremely high risk for relapse, however, this effect did not manifest itself on a neurophysiological level in terms of alpha asymmetry, where a shift, putatively indicative of increased vulnerability, was observed.
Introduction Chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) affects up to 50% of the world's population. It impacts negatively on quality of life; entailing high costs on our medical systems, and translates to economic burden due to work loss. Aetiology of CNCP is complex and multifactorial, embracing the somatosensory, cognitive and affective domains. Opioid analgesia and other invasive interventions are often inadequate for clinical management of CNCP. Recently, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has become a popular therapy for various medical conditions, including CNCP. However, studies reported varying efficacies, and relevant systematic reviews have included clinical trials with inherent heterogeneity either in study conditions or types of interventions used. Our study aims to provide an updated and more critical evaluation of the efficacy of MBSR as the intervention for non-somatisation CNCP.Methods and analysis A systematic review with meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials published in English will be performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and the Cochrane Collaboration format. MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials Intervention, will be searched independently by reviewers using defined MeSH terms. Studies with full texts using MBSR as the main intervention on patients with non-somatising CNCP will be included. Outcome measures include pain scores and disability assessment scales. Continuous data will be meta-analysed using the RevMan 5 Review Manager programme. Primary analysis will adopt the random effects model in view of heterogeneity between trials. The standardised mean difference will be expressed as the effect size with 95% CIs. Forest plots, funnel plots, the I2 statistic and the Cochrane Risks of Bias Assessment table will be included.
This mixed methodology study investigated the effects of a ten session mindfulness-based intervention on a women’s collegiate basketball team’s (n = 13) perceived stress, athletic coping resources, and perceptions of the mindfulness intervention. Quantitative results showed a progressive decrease in stress and an increase in athletic coping skills over the course of the intervention. Qualitative results indicated the mindfulness intervention was beneficial in various aspects of the athletes’ lives in the form of improved awareness, control, focus, presence and relaxation. These results suggest that mindfulness training may be an effective approach in assisting college athletes attain benefits in both sport and life.
This mixed methodology study investigated the effects of a ten session mindfulness-based intervention on a women’s collegiate basketball team’s (n = 13) perceived stress, athletic coping resources, and perceptions of the mindfulness intervention. Quantitative results showed a progressive decrease in stress and an increase in athletic coping skills over the course of the intervention. Qualitative results indicated the mindfulness intervention was beneficial in various aspects of the athletes’ lives in the form of improved awareness, control, focus, presence and relaxation. These results suggest that mindfulness training may be an effective approach in assisting college athletes attain benefits in both sport and life.
Background Students in higher education are experiencing stress and anxiety, such that it impedes their academic success and personal wellbeing. Brief mindfulness meditation and lovingkindness meditation are two aspects of mindfulness practice that have the potential to decrease students' feelings of anxiety and stress, and increase their sense of wellbeing and capacity for compassion for self and for others.; Purpose To explore how undergraduate and graduate students experience brief instructor-guided mindfulness practice; specifically, on their feelings of stress and anxiety, and their sense of wellbeing.; Study Design Qualitative exploratory pilot study.; Participants and Setting Fifty-two graduate and undergraduate students in different disciplines within a community services faculty of an urban university.; Methods Brief (five-minute) instructor-guided mindfulness practices were offered over eight weeks at the beginning and end of classes. Participating students were asked to also engage in individual home practice of five to fifteen-minute mindful breathing four to five times a week and to keep a log of their experiences. At end of term, individual and group feedback (N=13) was elicited from participating students. Six of the seven instructors who guided the mindfulness practices shared their experiences of the mindfulness activities.; Outcomes Students reported an increased sense of calm, and a decreased feeling of anxiety. Lovingkindness meditation was mostly perceived as a positive way to close the class. Their instructors also observed that the brief mindful breathing practice at start of class helped students become more grounded and focused before engaging in the course content. Challenges encountered focused on the need to provide more in-depth information about mindfulness, as it relates to higher education teaching-learning contexts, to both students and participating instructors.; Conclusions Implications for education suggest further research that includes fuller experiential training of participating instructors, as well as provision of a more comprehensive background on mindfulness to students.; * Brief instructor guided mindfulness practice in higher education can promote student wellbeing. * Mindfulness practice might help mitigate stress and anxiety among students in higher education. * Mindful breathing at the start of class supports a respectful and peaceful class environment. * Instructors might also accrue benefits from introducing mindful practice into their classrooms
BackgroundStudents in higher education are experiencing stress and anxiety, such that it impedes their academic success and personal wellbeing. Brief mindfulness meditation and lovingkindness meditation are two aspects of mindfulness practice that have the potential to decrease students' feelings of anxiety and stress, and increase their sense of wellbeing and capacity for compassion for self and for others.
Purpose
To explore how undergraduate and graduate students experience brief instructor-guided mindfulness practice; specifically, on their feelings of stress and anxiety, and their sense of wellbeing.
Study Design
Qualitative exploratory pilot study.
Participants and Setting
Fifty-two graduate and undergraduate students in different disciplines within a community services faculty of an urban university.
Methods
Brief (five-minute) instructor-guided mindfulness practices were offered over eight weeks at the beginning and end of classes. Participating students were asked to also engage in individual home practice of five to fifteen-minute mindful breathing four to five times a week and to keep a log of their experiences. At end of term, individual and group feedback (N=13) was elicited from participating students. Six of the seven instructors who guided the mindfulness practices shared their experiences of the mindfulness activities.
Outcomes
Students reported an increased sense of calm, and a decreased feeling of anxiety. Lovingkindness meditation was mostly perceived as a positive way to close the class. Their instructors also observed that the brief mindful breathing practice at start of class helped students become more grounded and focused before engaging in the course content. Challenges encountered focused on the need to provide more in-depth information about mindfulness, as it relates to higher education teaching-learning contexts, to both students and participating instructors.
Conclusions
Implications for education suggest further research that includes fuller experiential training of participating instructors, as well as provision of a more comprehensive background on mindfulness to students.
Mindfulness is proposed as a core psychotherapy process. It is defined as a state of psychological freedom that occurs when attention remains quiet and limber, without attachment to any particular point of view. It can be shown that this process is collaborativefy employed by psychotherapist and patient within all psychotherapy orientations, and also by the integrative psychotherapist when making optimal choices among orientations. This article addresses (1) the defining attributes of mindfulness, (2) relevant conceptual approaches that lend theoretical support for a mindfulness factor, (3) two attentional forms of mindfulness that seem to have particular correspondence with either psychodynamic or cognitive-behavioral therapy, (4) clinical applications, and (5) the role of mindfulness for the integrative decision-making process.
Objective: It is appropriate to acknowledge that despite treatment, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) continually debilitates many Vietnam veterans. Although therapies have been developed, remission is hard to obtain with either pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy. Evidence has suggested that some forms of yoga may reduce sympathetic overactivity and increase parasympathetic activity, thereby improving stress resilience. Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) was hypothesized in this study to be potentially useful for lessening symptom severity on the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) in Vietnam veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD.
<p>A brief outline of Hayu life, followed by Hayu language patterns. (Mark Turin 2004-05-03)</p>
the Amazon, Brazil, where pioneering work taking an ecosystem approach to human health provided a complete new view of the origin of mercury in the environment and its effects on human health. Photo h \ Jean Lebel.
<p>While Tibetan sources on the subject are rare, this article looks at two short Tibetan pieces which give accounts of the origin and use of the prayer wheel. The first work, which was written by Gungtangpa (<em>gung thang pa</em>) (1762-1823), is translated in the article while only the pertinent sections of the second work, by Sengchen Lama (<em>seng chen bla ma</em>) (b. 1784), are discussed. Though having several names, prayer wheels are often called "maṇi khor" (<em>ma Ni 'khor</em>) in Tibetan because of the mantra commonly found on them: "Oṁ Maṇipadme Hūṁ." The article begins with a discussion of this mantra. (Ben Deitle 2006-02-02)</p>
Longitudinal social network analysis (SNA) was used to examine how a social-emotional learning (SEL) intervention may be associated with peer socialization on academic performance. Fifth graders (N = 631; 48 % girls; 9 to 12 years) were recruited from six elementary schools. Intervention classrooms (14) received a relationship building intervention (RBI) and control classrooms (8) received elementary school as usual. At pre- and post-test, students nominated their friends, and teachers completed assessments of students' writing and math performance. The results of longitudinal SNA suggested that the RBI was associated with friend selection and peer influence within the classroom peer network. Friendship choices were significantly more diverse (i.e., less evidence of social segregation as a function of ethnicity and academic ability) in intervention compared to control classrooms, and peer influence on improved writing and math performance was observed in RBI but not control classrooms. The current findings provide initial evidence that SEL interventions may change social processes in a classroom peer network and may break down barriers of social segregation and improve academic performance.
Longitudinal social network analysis (SNA) was used to examine how a social-emotional learning (SEL) intervention may be associated with peer socialization on academic performance. Fifth graders (N = 631; 48 % girls; 9 to 12 years) were recruited from six elementary schools. Intervention classrooms (14) received a relationship building intervention (RBI) and control classrooms (8) received elementary school as usual. At pre- and post-test, students nominated their friends, and teachers completed assessments of students' writing and math performance. The results of longitudinal SNA suggested that the RBI was associated with friend selection and peer influence within the classroom peer network. Friendship choices were significantly more diverse (i.e., less evidence of social segregation as a function of ethnicity and academic ability) in intervention compared to control classrooms, and peer influence on improved writing and math performance was observed in RBI but not control classrooms. The current findings provide initial evidence that SEL interventions may change social processes in a classroom peer network and may break down barriers of social segregation and improve academic performance.
<p>PennSound is an ongoing project, committed to producing new audio recordings and preserving existing audio archives. </p>
This timeline includes dates of influential Tibetan figures and major political eras.Please do not be initimidated by the large number of Tibetan words in romanization.
The details of the events chronicled in the timeline are explained in plain English and are easy to understand.
<p>This is an English translation of the treasure text (<em>gter ma</em>) <em>Rdo rje nyi ma'i gnas yig gsang ba'i dkar chag</em>. The text gives fantastic accounts of the creation of the sacred sites in the area called Chöten nyima (<em>mchod rten nyi ma</em>), or Dorjé nyima (<em>rdo rje nyi ma</em>), a popular pilgrimage destination in the border area of Tibet and Sikkim. It was revealed by Rigdzin Gökyi demtruchen (<em>rig 'dzin rgod kyi ldem 'phru can</em>). The introduction presents information on this famous treasure revealer (<em>gter ston</em>), as well as on the area described in the text. The Tibetan text is given together with the translation. (Ben Deitle 2006-02-15)</p>
Large vertebrates are strong interactors in food webs, yet they were lost from most ecosystems after the dispersal of modern humans from Africa and Eurasia. We call for restoration of missing ecological functions and evolutionary potential of lost North American megafauna using extant conspecifics and related taxa. We refer to this restoration as Pleistocene rewilding; it is conceived as carefully managed ecosystem manipulations whereby costs and benefits are objectively addressed on a case‐by‐case and locality‐by‐locality basis. Pleistocene rewilding would deliberately promote large, long‐lived species over pest and weed assemblages, facilitate the persistence and ecological effectiveness of megafauna on a global scale, and broaden the underlying premise of conservation from managing extinction to encompass restoring ecological and evolutionary processes. Pleistocene rewilding can begin immediately with species such as Bolson tortoises and feral horses and continue through the coming decades with elephants and Holarctic lions. Our exemplar taxa would contribute biological, economic, and cultural benefits to North America. Owners of large tracts of private land in the central and western United States could be the first to implement this restoration. Risks of Pleistocene rewilding include the possibility of altered disease ecology and associated human health implications, as well as unexpected ecological and sociopolitical consequences of reintroductions. Establishment of programs to monitor suites of species interactions and their consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem health will be a significant challenge. Secure fencing would be a major economic cost, and social challenges will include acceptance of predation as an overriding natural process and the incorporation of pre‐Columbian ecological frameworks into conservation strategies.
SummaryPolyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated (pegylated; Stealth®) liposomes are stable, long-circulating drug carriers useful for delivering doxorubicin to the sites of solid tumours. Compared with conventional liposomes, pegylated liposomes are less extensively taken up by cells of the reticuloendothelial system (RES) and have a reduced tendency to leak drug while in circulation.The pharmacokinetics of PEG-liposome encapsulated doxorubicin are characterised by an extremely long circulating half-life, slow plasma clearance and a reduced volume of distribution compared with conventional liposomal doxorubicin or free doxorubicin.The long circulation and ability of pegylated liposomes to extravasate through ‘leaky’ tumour vasculature results in localisation of doxorubicin in tumour tissue. In a number of animal and human tumours, including breast, prostate, pancreatic and ovarian xenografts, pegylated liposomal doxorubicin produced higher intratumoural drug concentrations and better therapeutic responses than equivalent doses of conventional (nonpegylated)-liposome encapsulated doxorubicin or free doxorubicin.Low peak plasma concentrations of free doxorubicin after administration of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin and the reduced tendency of the liposomal drug to accumulate in myocardium suggest that a reduction in cardiac toxicity compared with free doxorubicin may be observed.Thus, the rationale for the use of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in solid tumours may be summarised as follows: change in the toxicity profile with a decrease in acute adverse effects (such as nausea and vomiting) and reduced incidence of alopecia, greater activity in highly angiogenic tumours (such as Kaposi’s sarcoma) and effective treatment of tumours moderately sensitive to doxorubicin (such as breast and ovarian carcinomas), with the possibility of increased tumour response because of enhanced drug accumulation. In addition, although no comparative study yet exists, there is a suggestion from early human studies with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin that cardiotoxicity may be reduced compared with the free drug.
Mindfulness has become a fixture of both clinical treatment and popular culture. Much research and theoretical scholarship have operationalized “mindfulness” as clinicians use the term, yet no research has examined popular (i.e., lay) conceptions of mindfulness. Mindfulness trainings and interventions are now widely offered on college campuses. Thus, as a starting point for assessing lay conceptions of the construct, we examined how undergraduate college students at an urban university (N = 361) conceptualize mindfulness. In open-ended responses, participants linked mindfulness to awareness of external objects, internal sensations, or being in the present moment. When rating sentences on how well they represented mindfulness, participants strongly associated mindfulness with controlling emotions. In both the open-ended and sentence stem responses, mindfulness was rarely associated with psychological acceptance, which is notable because of the importance of acceptance in mindfulness-based clinical treatments. Implications and future directions are discussed.
OBJECTIVES: The lower esophageal sphincter (LES), surrounded by diaphragmatic muscle, prevents gastroesophageal reflux. When these structures become incompetent, gastric contents may cause gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). For treatment, lifestyle interventions are always recommended. We hypothesized that by actively training the crura of the diaphragm as part of the LES using breathing training exercises, GERD can be positively influenced.METHODS: A prospective randomized controlled study was performed. Patients with non-erosive GERD or healed esophagitis without large hernia and/or previous surgery were included. Patients were randomized and allocated either to active breathing training program or to a control group. Quality of life (QoL), pH-metry, and on-demand proton pump inhibitor (PPI) usage were assessed at baseline and after 4 weeks of training. For long-term follow-up, all patients were invited to continue active breathing training and were further assessed regarding QoL and PPI usage after 9 months. Paired and unpaired t-test was used for statistical analysis.
RESULTS: Nineteen patients with non-erosive GERD or healed esophagitis were randomized into two groups (10 training group and 9 control group). There was no difference in baseline patient characteristics between the groups and all patients finished the study. There was a significant decrease in time with a pH < 4.0 in the training group (9.1±1.3 vs. 4.7±0.9%; P < 0.05), but there was no change in the control group. QoL scores improved significantly in the training group (13.4±1.98 before and 10.8±1.86 after training; P < 0.01), but no changes in QoL were seen in the control group. At longterm follow-up at 9 months, patients who continued breathing exercise (11/19) showed a significant decrease in QoL scores and PPI usage (15.1±2.2 vs. 9.7±1.6; 98±34 vs. 25±12 mg/week, respectively; P < 0.05), whereas patients who did not train had no long-term effect.
CONCLUSIONS: We show that actively training the diaphragm by breathing exercise can improve GERD as assessed by pH-metry, QoL scores and PPI usage. This non-pharmacological lifestyle intervention could help to reduce the disease burden of GERD.
Pages |