Background and Procedure
The program Kabat-Zinn created that is used in the Hölzel study
The mindfulness-based stress reduction course (MBSR)
The aim of the Hölzel study
To investigate the potential long-term effects of a mindfulness-based stress reduction program on brain gray matter density
The main research method of the study
Longitudinal experiment
The self-report item used in the Hölzel study
Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ)
State the nature and nurture factors of the Hölzel study
Nature: Physiological changes in the brain
Nurture: The MBSR program having an effect on the brain structure
The regions of interest found in previous studies looking into the effects of the MBSR program on neural mechanisms
The hippocampus and insula
The main psychology being investigated
Mindfulness
The amount of participants in each group
16 in the experimental; 17 in the control
The conclusions of the Hölzel study
There was a longitudinal change in gray matter concentration as a result of the MBSR program
Participating in mindfulness activities can increase brain gray matter concentration
Application to everyday life the Hölzel study may be useful for
reducing stress/improving wellbeing, helping those with memory problems
What the participants in the experimental and control groups had to complete before and after the study
FFMQ self-report and MRI brain scans
The hypothesis of the Hölzel study
There will be an increase in gray matter concentration in pre-identified regions of interest (hippocampus & insula) after an 8-week course of MBSR
The two different groups in the study
The experimental group taking the MBSR course; the control group [on a waiting list for the MBSR course]
The insula
State one individual factor and one situational factor in the study
Individual: wide range of flexibility in MBSR program OR some personality types engage more or less successfully in the MBSR program
Situational: MBSR program affected brain gray matter density compared to control group OR situation affected the brain overall
What the participants in only the experimental group had to report by the end of the study
The time spent on formal homework exercises and the amount of time spent on each exercise
What is mindfulness
The development of awareness of present-moment experience with a compassionate, non-judgemental stance
The independent and dependent variables of the study
IV: Group the individual was in
DV: FFMQ scores, differences in brain grey matter density
The amount of mindfulness practiced on average by an experimental participant
22.6 hours
State two strengths and two weaknesses, not including ethics
Strengths: standardised procedure, controls, mixture of genders ages & ethnicities, objective MRI data, Quantitative data
Weaknesses: Ps lying on FFMQ, FFMQ closed questionnaire, results may have been affected by individual factors in Ps' lives
The issue of previous studies on mindfulness' effects on neuroplasticity that Hölzel fixed to ensure it was a cause-and-effect relationship
The studies were not longitudinal (brain differences could have been individual-specific)
The regions of interest in the Hölzel study
The left hippocampus, posterior cingulate cortex, the temporoparietal junction, the lateral cerebellum, and the brainstem
The age, education, and requirements for the experimental group
25-55 years old or a mean of 37
17.7 years of education
must be comfortable with MRI, no meditation classes in the past 6 months, 4 in the past 5 years, or 10 in their lifetime
The regions of interest with significant changes in gray matter concentration
the posterior cingulate cortex, the lateral cerebellum, the temporo-parietal junction, and the brainstem
State four ethical strengths in the Hölzel study
Approved by IRB of Massachusetts General Hospital & University of Massachusetts Medical School, Written and informed consent, Right to withdraw, privacy, confidentioality, no deception