Mindfulness therapy

Question 1

Thich Nhat Hanh: Engaged Buddhism + mindfulness

Answer 1

• Time (2011) - taught US we need to be aware of our breath = present in moment
  -If you are mindful, anxiety disappears allowing highest qualities

Question 2

Effectiveness of mindfulness treatment course:

Answer 2

• Canby et al (2014) - 6 week mindfulness t stress reduction class- 2h/wk + daily exercises- -Meditations, discusions, worksheets
• Training increased mindfulness + reduced global symptom severity (anxiety + depression

Question 3

Mindfulness: effective virtual treament for MHI

Answer 3

-Ahmad et al - Full mindfulness training = 12 video sessions based on MH topics + practice, anonymous discussion group
- Both full + partial treatment effective

Question 4

High cortisol levels + grey matter loss

Answer 4

• Frodl et al - depressed ppts showed smaller quantities of grey matter, particularly in left orbitofrontal cortex + dorsolateral PFC

Question 5

Hippocampus -PTSD

Answer 5

-Brenner et al
- If sig adverse events in ppts lives = PTSD that also resulted in reduced volume of hippocampus

Question 6

Effects of mindfulness on stress hormone response

Answer 6

• Rosenerantz et al - mindfulness training of supervised focus on breath , bodily sensations + mental content over 8 weeks
  -Trier social stress test:
  -> 5 min speech followed by 5 min mental arithmetic = stress provoking
  -> cortisol response to stress reduced by training
• cessation of training increased cortisol response

Question 7

Mindfulness: increased hippocampal volume

Answer 7

• Luders et dl (2013) -measured volume of 30 experienced mindfulness meditators using MRI compared with matched controls
  -Hippocampus up to 15% larger in experienced particularly in left

Question 8

increased hippocampal volume + PF cortical connectivity

Answer 8

• sevinc et al (2019) -Half of ppts underwent 8 weeks of mindfulness-based stress reduction course, contras did exercise based stress management
  -Hippocampus of mindfulness groups grew sig more than controls to extent of increased connections with PFC

Question 9

DMN + Mind wandering

Answer 9

• Christoff et.al (2009) - fMRI, sustained attention go/no- go task occasionally asked about their thoughts/whether mind wandered to day-dreaming
  -DMN specifically activated when mind-wandering
  -DMN said to be most active when turn attention away from outside towards self

Question 10

Mindfulness involves DMN

Answer 10

• Allen eta - mindfulness hypothesised to train attention through present centred interoceptive nonjudgemental awareness
• 6 weeks of training improved performance in anxiety test
• also increased activity in DMN + related networks + processing emotion
• Increased activity in medial prefrontal cortex + insula relating to self-awareness + emotion

Question 11

Mindfulness: Reduced amygdala response to threats

Answer 11

• Goldin + Gross (2010) people with social anxiety were subjected to anxiety- inducing phrases before + after 8 weeks of mindfulness, breath- focusing training
• greatly reduces subjective response to threat + amygdala signal