Sara lazar, Ph.D - studies on the effects of Meditation and Yoga on our brain’s chemistry and structure

All Studies: https://scholar.harvard.edu/sara_lazar/publications?page=1

Hippocampal circuits underlie improvements in self-reported anxiety following mindfulness training

Gunes Sevinc, Jonathan Greenberg, Britta K. Hölzel, Tim Gard, Thomas Calahan, Vincent Brunsch, Javeria A. Hashmi, Mark Vangel, Scott P. Orr, Mohammed R. Milad, Sara W. Lazar

First published: 23 July 2020

Abstract:

Mindfulness meditation has successfully been applied to cultivate skills in self‐regulation of emotion, as it employs the unbiased present moment awareness of experience. This heightened attention to and awareness of sensory experience has been postulated to create an optimal therapeutic exposure condition and thereby improve extinction learning. We recently demonstrated increased connectivity in hippocampal circuits during the contextual retrieval of extinction memory following mindfulness training.

Full study: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/brb3.1766

Reduced interference in working memory following mindfulness training is associated with increases in hippocampal volume

Greenberg J, Romero VL, Elkin-Frankston S, Bezdek MA, Schumacher EH, Lazar SW

Published March 17, 2018

Abstract:

Proactive interference occurs when previously relevant information interferes with retaining newer material. Overcoming proactive interference has been linked to the hippocampus and deemed critical for cognitive functioning. However, little is known about whether and how this ability can be improved or about the neural correlates of such improvement. Mindfulness training emphasizes focusing on the present moment and minimizing distraction from competing thoughts and memories. It improves working memory and increases hippocampal density. The current study examined whether mindfulness training reduces proactive interference in working memory and whether such improvements are associated with changes in hippocampal volume. 79 participants were randomized to a 4-week web-based mindfulness training program or a similarly structured creative writing active control program. The mindfulness group exhibited lower proactive interference error rates compared to the active control group following training. No group differences were found in hippocampal volume, yet proactive interference improvements following mindfulness training were significantly associated with volume increases in the left hippocampus. These results provide the first evidence to suggest that (1) mindfulness training can protect against proactive interference, and (2) that these benefits are related to hippocampal volumetric increases. Clinical implications regarding the application of mindfulness training in conditions characterized by impairments to working memory and reduced hippocampal volume such as aging, depression, PTSD, and childhood adversity are discussed.

Study: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11682-018-9858-4

Compassionate hearts protect against wandering minds: Self-compassion moderates the effect of mind-wandering on depression

Greenberg J, Datta T, Shapero BG, Sevinc G, Mischoulon D, Lazar SW

Published 2018

Abstract:

Depression is associated with high levels of mind-wandering and low levels of self-compassion. However, little is known about whether and how these two factors interact with one another to influence depressive symptoms. The current study examined the interaction between mind-wandering, self-compassion, and depressive symptoms in a depressed sample and tested the effects of an 8-week mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) program on these constructs. At baseline, mind-wandering was associated with higher depressive symptoms only among individuals with low self-compassion. Self-compassion additionally predicted depressive improvement. As expected, MBCT increased self-compassion and reduced mind-wandering compared with a treatment-as-usual control group. Overall, longitudinal changes in self-compassion produced a moderation effect similar to the one at baseline so that increases in mind-wandering were associated with increases in depressive symptoms only among those who decreased in self-compassion. Results provide the first evidence that self-compassion can protect against the deleterious effects of mind-wandering among depressed participants, both at baseline and longitudinally. Findings also suggest that self-compassion is an effective predictor of depressive improvement. Finally, MBCT is effective not only at reducing depressive symptoms, but also at targeting protective and risk factors associated with depression.

Harvard Study: https://scholar.harvard.edu/sara_lazar/publications/compassionate-hearts-protect-against-wandering-minds-self-compassion

Study Article: https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fscp0000168

The potential effects of meditation on age-related cognitive decline: a systematic review

Tim Gard, Britta K. Holzel, Sara W. Lazar

Published January 13, 2014

Abstract

With a rapidly aging society it becomes increasingly important to counter normal age-related decline in cognitive functioning. Growing evidence suggests that cognitive training programs may have the potential to counteract this decline. On the basis of a growing body of research that shows that meditation has positive effects on cognition in younger and middle-aged adults, meditation may be able to offset normal age-related cognitive decline or even enhance cognitive function in older adults. In this paper, we review studies investigating the effects of meditation on age-related cognitive decline. We searched the Web of Science (1900 to present), PsycINFO (1597 to present), MEDLINE (1950 to present), and CABI (1910 to present) to identify original studies investigating the effects of meditation on cognition and cognitive decline in the context of aging. Twelve studies were included in the review, six of which were randomized controlled trials. Studies involved a wide variety of meditation techniques and reported preliminary positive effects on attention, memory, executive function, processing speed, and general cognition. However, most studies had a high risk of bias and small sample sizes. Reported dropout rates were low and compliance rates high. We conclude that meditation interventions for older adults are feasible, and preliminary evidence suggests that meditation can offset age-related cognitive decline.

Article: https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/nyas.12348?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false