Holzel et al. (2011) — Mindfulness and brain scans

• phrenology


  the assumption that scalp morphology (structure) can be informative of the under lying brain function
• mindfulness


  a state achieved through meditation that aims to increase awareness of the present moment experience and enable a person to look at themselves in a compassionate, non-judgemetal way
• What can an MRI calculate? (2)

  - size of different structures

  - the amount of grey matter compared to white matter
• What is a strength of an MRI?


  can detect small structural changes in the concentration of grey matter over time
• What is the background of this study? (2)

  - studies have compared individuals who engage in different kinds of meditation and those who do not

  - have found differences in grey matter that appear to be associated with meditation
• Criticism of the background of the study? (1)

  Possible that brain differences found between groups was caused by pre-existing differences between the participants
• Localisation of function


  parts of the brain associated with particular types of information processing or with specific activities
• What is the motor cortex responsible for?

  deliberate movements
• What is the somatosensory cortex responsible for?

  skin and muscle sensation
• What are Broca's and Wernicke's areas responsible for?

  language functions
• What is part of the brain stem responsible for?

  sleep
• What does it mean for many brain areas to be bilateral?

  found in both left and right sides/hemispheres
• Where are the motor and somatosensory cortex found?

  both sides of the brain
• Where are Broca and Wernicke's areas found?

  left hemisphere
• What are the 2 basic types of brain scan?

  - functional

  - structural
• What does the functional type of brain scan do?

  shows activity levels in different areas of the brain
• What does the structural type of brain scan do?

  takes detailed pictures of the shape of brain areas
• What is the hippocampus associated with? (3)

  - memory and navigation

  - emotion and the arousal and responsiveness of the cortex

  - determine which of many incoming sources we find stimulating
• Plasticity


  capable of creating new neurons and many new synapses between neurons.
• What happens to the hippocampus after negative emotional experiences?

  volume decreases
• What happens to the hippocampus after treatment with antidepressant drugs?

  volume increases
• What are the advantages of mindfulness (2)

  - appreciate simple positive experiences such as smells, sounds or sights and to notice when we are becoming anxious, stressed or depressed

  - self-awareness enables us to act earlier/more effectively to reduce the problems
• What is mindfulness facilitation?

  formalised way to improve mindfulness — typically involves being silent and directing attention to oneself (eg. focussing on our own thoughts, sensations and sounds, such as breathing)
• What is the aim of this study?

  To identify changes in specific brain regions, and the whole brain, by comparing grey matter concentration before and after a mindfulness course.
• What is the hypothesis?

  MBSR intervention will have an effect on grey matter concentration in brain areas that play roles in learning, memory, self-referential processing, emotions and considering the viewpoints of others.
• What are the research methods involved?

  - longitudinal experiment

  - self-report questionnaires
• What is the experimental design?

  independent measures
• What is the independent variable?

  exposure to an 8-week mindfulness-based intervention (the MBSR course)
• What is the dependent variable?

  the change in grey matter (measured using MRI scans)
• What was the sampling technique? (2)

  - volunteer sampling

  - some referred by doctor
• Where were the participants recruited from? (2)

  - people already enrolled on MBSR courses at University of Massachusetts

  - enrolled for help with stress reduction
• Size of participating sample? (3)

  - initial sample size was 8 males and 10 females

  - 2 males left after first MRI session due to discussion

  - final size 6 males and 10 females
• What was the mean age of the final participating sample? Standard deviation?

  - 38 years

  - standard deviation was 4.1 years
• What were the races of the final participating sample? (4)

  - 13 Caucasian

  - 1 Asian

  - 1 African-American

  - 1 multi-ethnic
• Size of the control sample? (2)

  - 7 males

  - 10 females
• What was the mean age of the control sample? Standard deviation? (2)

  - 39 years

  - standard deviation 9.2 years
• What were the races of the control sample? (4)

  - 13 Caucasian

  - 2 Asians

  - 2 African-Americans

  - 1 Hispanic
• What are the controlled variables? (5)

  - participants physically and psychologically healthy and not taking medication

  - limited experience of meditation

  - aged 25 - 55 years

  - considered safe to have an MRI scan

  - committed to attend all sessions and complete the homework exercises
• What was the procedure? (4)

  - participating group and control group undergo an MRI scan before and after

  - participating group and control group take the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) before and after

  - the participating group attend 2 and 1/2 hour sessions every week for 8 weeks and 1 full day session on the 6th week — trained in mindfulness exercises

  - participants would report the time spent on formal homework exercises over the 8 weeks and the amount of time spent on each of the 3 exercises
• What does the FFMQ (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire) measure? (5)

  - observing (internal and external stimuli)

  - describing (observations)

  - acting with awareness (nothing done automatically/absently)

  - non-judging (of inner experience)

  - non-reactivity (to inner experience)