BTEC HSC Unit 14 – Physiological Disorders Understanding physiological disorders.
Editorial Physiological Effects of Mind and Body...
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Editorial Physiological Effects of Mind and Body Practices Shirley Telles, 1 Patricia Gerbarg, 2 and Elisa H. Kozasa 3 1 Patanjali Research Foundation, Haridwar, Uttarakhand 249405, India 2 New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA 3 Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, 05601-901 S˜ ao Paulo, SP, Brazil Correspondence should be addressed to Shirley Telles; [email protected] Received 23 March 2015; Accepted 23 March 2015 Copyright © 2015 Shirley Telles et al. is is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Mind-body practices originated in ancient cultures to enhance physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. Interest in their use in treatment stems from increasing awareness of their therapeutic potential and from the need for approaches that are cost-effective and have lower risks for adverse effects compared to pharmacological and other conventional interventions [1–3]. Rigorous research is needed to identify effective mind-body techniques and their mechanisms of action, if they are to be integrated into mainstream medicine [4]. e quality of evidence for mind-body practices varies widely. Scales for rating the quality of research are based on pharmacological studies. Very oſten the research design applicable to conventional medicine does not apply to mind- body practices. e diversity and complexity of interventions further confound efforts at conventional meta-analysis. Cur- rent studies are developing better control interventions and implementing more rigorous methods [2]. e National Cen- ter for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) [5] states that “Developing insight into biological, physiological effects and mechanisms of action of mind and body interven- tions is critically important in developing translational research tools to design and execute maximally informative clinical research.” For evaluating mind-body research, modifications of the original CONSORT statement have been proposed and are being evaluated [6]. Studies of mind-body practices suggest numerous mech- anisms of action at multiple levels, including gene expression at the cellular level; interactions among central brain regions with neuroplastic changes; and top-down and bottom-up feedback loops between the brain and the body, particu- larly via the nervous system, interoceptive communication, and circulating neurohormones [7–10]. Prominent among proposed mechanisms are the following: (a) repatterning of primary interoceptive and higher order homeostatic mech- anisms; (b) improved central regulation of autonomic, psy- chologic, neurologic, immunologic, cardiorespiratory, and gastrointestinal functions; (c) reorganization within cor- tical and subcortical structures, interconnectivity adjust- ments among central regulatory networks, neurotransmitter changes, improved emotion regulation by higher centers, better interhemispheric balance, and enhanced cognitive function; and (d) modulation of epigenetic factors, such as growth factors or hormones, as well as extensive up- and downregulation of genes [11–13]. e manuscripts in this special issue include both research studies and reviews. For example, effects of mind and body practices on specific higher brain functions such as cre- ativity are explored and with objective markers (pro-NGF levels). A study of 1297 adolescents documents the impact of mind and body practices on academic performance and car- diometabolic risk factors. In young musicians the effects of Qigong are reported to be an enhancement of proprioception and a reduction of anxiety-induced physiological changes. While these three studies focus on higher brain functions and proprioception, additional trials emphasize autonomic changes occurring with mind and body practices. For exam- ple, the effects of guided imagery on heart rate variability in students performing spaceflight emergency tasks are evalu- ated. In another study physiological feedback is matched with self-reported stress while participants perform short tasks. ese studies involve healthy volunteers. A single clinical study examines the effect of mindfulness meditation on mood, quality of life and attention in adults with ADHD. Hindawi Publishing Corporation BioMed Research International Volume 2015, Article ID 983086, 2 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/983086
Transcript of Editorial Physiological Effects of Mind and Body...
EditorialPhysiological Effects of Mind and Body Practices
Shirley Telles,1 Patricia Gerbarg,2 and Elisa H. Kozasa3
1Patanjali Research Foundation, Haridwar, Uttarakhand 249405, India2New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA3Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, 05601-901 Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
Correspondence should be addressed to Shirley Telles; [email protected]
Received 23 March 2015; Accepted 23 March 2015
Copyright © 2015 Shirley Telles et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License,which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Mind-body practices originated in ancient cultures toenhance physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. Interest intheir use in treatment stems from increasing awareness oftheir therapeutic potential and from the need for approachesthat are cost-effective and have lower risks for adverseeffects compared to pharmacological and other conventionalinterventions [1–3]. Rigorous research is needed to identifyeffective mind-body techniques and their mechanisms ofaction, if they are to be integrated into mainstream medicine[4].
The quality of evidence for mind-body practices varieswidely. Scales for rating the quality of research are basedon pharmacological studies. Very often the research designapplicable to conventional medicine does not apply to mind-body practices.The diversity and complexity of interventionsfurther confound efforts at conventional meta-analysis. Cur-rent studies are developing better control interventions andimplementingmore rigorousmethods [2].TheNational Cen-ter for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)[5] states that “Developing insight into biological, physiologicaleffects and mechanisms of action of mind and body interven-tions is critically important in developing translational researchtools to design and execute maximally informative clinicalresearch.” For evaluating mind-body research, modificationsof the original CONSORT statement have been proposed andare being evaluated [6].
Studies of mind-body practices suggest numerous mech-anisms of action at multiple levels, including gene expressionat the cellular level; interactions among central brain regionswith neuroplastic changes; and top-down and bottom-upfeedback loops between the brain and the body, particu-larly via the nervous system, interoceptive communication,
and circulating neurohormones [7–10]. Prominent amongproposed mechanisms are the following: (a) repatterning ofprimary interoceptive and higher order homeostatic mech-anisms; (b) improved central regulation of autonomic, psy-chologic, neurologic, immunologic, cardiorespiratory, andgastrointestinal functions; (c) reorganization within cor-tical and subcortical structures, interconnectivity adjust-ments among central regulatory networks, neurotransmitterchanges, improved emotion regulation by higher centers,better interhemispheric balance, and enhanced cognitivefunction; and (d) modulation of epigenetic factors, such asgrowth factors or hormones, as well as extensive up- anddownregulation of genes [11–13].
The manuscripts in this special issue include bothresearch studies and reviews. For example, effects ofmind andbody practices on specific higher brain functions such as cre-ativity are explored and with objective markers (pro-NGFlevels). A study of 1297 adolescents documents the impact ofmind and body practices on academic performance and car-diometabolic risk factors. In young musicians the effects ofQigong are reported to be an enhancement of proprioceptionand a reduction of anxiety-induced physiological changes.While these three studies focus on higher brain functionsand proprioception, additional trials emphasize autonomicchanges occurring with mind and body practices. For exam-ple, the effects of guided imagery on heart rate variability instudents performing spaceflight emergency tasks are evalu-ated. In another study physiological feedback ismatchedwithself-reported stress while participants perform short tasks.These studies involve healthy volunteers. A single clinicalstudy examines the effect of mindfulness meditation onmood, quality of life and attention in adults with ADHD.
Hindawi Publishing CorporationBioMed Research InternationalVolume 2015, Article ID 983086, 2 pageshttp://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/983086
2 BioMed Research International
All four review articles are on meditation. An activationlikelihood estimation (ALE) reports a co-ordinate basedmeta-analysis of neuro-imaging studies in meditations ofdifferent types. Another review examines the electrophysi-ological changes in different meditations based on evokedand event-related potentials. Two other reviews looked at thephysiological and cognitive effects of meditation, consideredas a ‘journeywithout a goal’; and the psychological and neuraleffects of mindfulness practice underlying its positive impacton health. An interesting comparative review explores theimpact differentmeditation traditions have on the autonomicnervous system and on phasic or tonic changes in attention.
Identifying mind-body practices that show physiologicalor clear clinical benefits with appropriate biomarkers maylead to the refinement of certain techniques so that theybecome more efficient, less time-consuming, more effective,and better suited for the treatment of specific conditions.Also, mind-body practices can be used as noninvasive probesto explore fundamental neurophysiological processes andanatomic networks using brain imaging and other advancedtechnologies. Understanding the physiological changes, clin-ical benefits, adverse effects and contraindications associatedwith these practices will support the inclusion of mind-bodytreatments in mainstream medicine.
By highlighting studies with biological markers and phys-iologicalmeasures, this special issue is intended to further theunderstanding of mechanisms underlying the diverse effectsof mind and body techniques.
Shirley TellesPatricia GerbargElisa H. Kozasa
References
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