Hölzel et al.

• Name of Researcher and Date: Hölzel et al and 2011
• Title of the Study: Mindfulness and Brain Scans
• One assumption of the Biological Approach:

  Similarities and differences between people can be understood in terms of biological factors and their interaction with other factors
• One assumption of the Biological Approach:

  Behaviour, cognitions and emotions can be explained in terms of the working of the brain and the effect of genetics, hormones and evolution.
• Psychology Investigated

  • Localisation of function - the idea that specific brain structures are responsible for specific cognitive processes - e.g. the hippocampus is associated with memory and emotion regulation - while the insula may be at least partly responsible for awareness
• The Aims of the Study:

  1. To identify if regular participation in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reductions (MBSR) leads to measurable neurological changes, which might be associated with trait changes related to mindfulness practice 
  2. To identify brain structures which changed as a result of an eight-week MBSR programme.
• Dependent Variables:

  • Time spent on mindfulness exercises between the weekly sessions, which was recorded in a daily diary.
• Methodology used in the Study:

  • Some measurements were taken in a controlled setting (in an MRI)
  • Other parts of the study occurred in a naturalistic setting
  • Main method - experimental - longitudinal (a long study)
  • Also a correlation study
• Participant Demographics:

  • They were all physically and psychologically healthy and not taking any regular medication (according to a self-report)
  • Agreed they would all aim to attend the full eight-week programme and complete daily ‘homework’
  • Course fee was reduced for all participants to thank them for their participation
  • Ppts had limited meditation experience (e.g. they had taken no classes in the last six months, no more
• Participant Demographics:

  • 33 right-handed ppts (right side + left side of brain are different)
  • Healthy adults aged 25-55 years old
  • Recruited from four MBSR courses at the Center for Mindfulness, New England, USA
  • Were self-referred or been recommended by their physician due to stress
• Details of the Participants:

  • Six male and ten female (mean age =38, standard deviation = 4 years) were assigned to the MBSR group 
  • Eleven males and six females (mean age = 39, standard deviation = 9.2 years) to the waitlist control group
• Sampling Technique:

  • Opportunity Sample - recruited from 4 MBSR courses being held at a mindfulness center in New England, US
  • Either self-referred or doctor-referred for stress
• Research Design:

  Independent Measure Design - two groups of participants:

  • MBSR - who practised mindfulness meditation;
  • Control - who did not practise mindfulness meditation
• Amount of mindfulness practice - Results on

  • Most time was spent on body scanning; participants spent more than twice as much time on this activity than on yoga or meditation
  • There were no significant correlations between any of the individual exercises (e.g. body scanning and yoga, or yoga and meditation) which suggests that different people preferred different exercises but doing a lot of one particular exercise did not mean that you also did a lot of either of the other two.
• Amount of mindfulness practice - Results

  • The MBSR group engaged in an average of 22.6 hours of MBSR exercises.
  • The standard deviation was relatively large at 6.3 hours, showing that some participants practised considerable more than others 
  • Overall, participants spent around 27 minutes per day participating in mindfulness exercises
• Improvements in mindfulness - results

  • The FFMQ showed that the experiment group demonstrated significant improvements in ‘acting with awareness’, ‘observing’ and ‘non-judging’ after MBSR training compared with the control group, but they didn’t show improvements in ‘describing’ or ‘non-reactivity’.
• Grey matter changes - results

  • Also, changes in grey matter concentration were not correlated with the amount of time spent engaged in mindfulness exercises or changes on the FFMQ
  • This suggest that time spent on mindfulness is less important than the regularity of practice
  • No brain structures showed a decrease in grey matter concentration following the MBSR programme, but the control group did show a significant decrease in grey matter concentration in posterior cingulate cortex
• Grey matter changes - results

  • As the two groups showed no significant difference in grey matter concentration in these structures before MBSR training, it appears that the differences at eight weeks were due to the MBSR and not pre-existing individual differences.
  • Unlike previous research, no significant difference was found in grey matter concentration in the insulae before and after MBSR.
• Grey matter changes - results

  • The MBSR group experienced a significant increase in grey matter concentration in their left hippocampus, posterior cingulate cortex, temporoparietal junction and cerebellum compared with the control group. 
  • Changes in the cerebellum were observed in two locations; one of these included the brainstem.
• Conclusions:

  • The study did not confirm previous findings related to the insula and the researchers conclude that changes in this region may require more than eight weeks of practice
• Dependent Variables:

  • The five facets of mindfulness measured using the Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) - this self-report (questionnaire) includes 39 statements which participants rate from 1 (never or very rarely true) to 5 (very often or always true)
• Dependent Variables:

  • Grey matter concentration in specific brain structures (including the hippocampi and insulae) and throughout the brain - this was calculated using voxel-based morphometry
• Conclusions:

  • The brain regions involved are related to processes such as learning, memory and emotion suggesting that these areas are central to the improvements in wellbeing observed in people who make mindfulness part of their daily lives
• Conclusions:

  • Even after only 8 weeks, there are significant changes in the brain 
• Psychology Investigated:

  • Mindfulness - effects of mindfulness, a stress-reduction technique used to improve well-being - develops awareness of the present moment and encourages compassionate and non-judgemental attitudes
• Strengths of the Study

  • Questionnaire - reliable as it contains eight questions measuring ‘acting with awareness’ - correlation is +0.87 - shows it’s reliable to asses the facet of mindfulness
  • Independent measures design - able to measure changes in grey matter concentration for people who have and haven’t taken part in MBSR. The use of the control group increased the study’s validity 
• Strengths of the Study

  • Use of quantitative data - to measure grey matter concentration which was done using voxel-based morphometry + the analysis of this data is conducted by specialist computer software - makes more objective (means researcher doesn’t have to interpret data)
• Strengths of the Study

  • Ethics - Protection of ppts - took many steps to protect them from physical + psychological harm, made sure that no ppts had metallic implants that could’ve affected by magnets in the MRI scanner, anyone that was claustrophobia who might be distressed in the scanner
  • Withdrawal - two people were allowed as they felt discomfort in the scanner
• Weaknesses of Study

  • Self-report data the use of self-reported quantitative data on the FFMQ - questionnaire had 39 items and middle value was ‘sometimes true’ - people have different definitions - so how can it be accurate?
  •  Generalisability - used 33 ppts who shared certain chracteristics, ppts aged 25-55 and had an average of 17.5 years of education.
• Weaknesses of Study

  • Lack of standardisation - between the weekly mindfulness sessions; ppts chose which exercises they wanted to do each day, where and how long. Some may have completed the exercises alone in a quiet garden where others could’ve been surrounded by people (noisy) - can’t be replicated