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Pychology + Marketing

Neuroscientists Analyze Searches On Sexual Desires

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Search queries offer a new source of data for many things, even what computational neuroscientists Ogi Ogas and Sai Gaddam call “true” sexual desires. The new book, “A Billion Wicked Thoughts,” co-authored by the duo and scheduled for release on May 5, analyzes 1 billion Web searches from around the world.

Aside from the United States, search data now makes it possible to look at sexual behavior with clarity in Saudi Arabia, Japan, India, Germany, Italy, Russia, and other countries.

Read the entire article at MediaPost.

The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation

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Mindfulness Meditation if Good for Your Brain

Mindfulness Meditation Changes Your Brain

A new study led by Britta Hölzel, PhD, a psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, provides evidence that mindfulness meditation isn’t just good for you – it actually changes your brain!

The published article (Mindfulness Practice leads to increases in regional gray matter) appeared in the 1/30/2011 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging.

This is a review of the study for my biopsychology class.

Determining Brain Changes After a Mindfulness Meditation Course

The goal of this research study was to identify parts of the brain that changed based upon participation in an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course by objectively correlating them with measurable neurological changes.

To prepare for the study, the researchers reviewed many different pieces of background literature that indicated mindfulness meditation provides psychological benefits, like those by Ruth Bauer in 2003, and Paul Grossman in 2004.

Some of the therapeutic benefits they investigated included previous research on mindfulness meditation in relation to anxiety (Roemer et al., 2008), depression (Teasdale et al., 2000), substance abuse (Bowen et al., 2006), eating disorders (Tapper et al., 2009) and chronic pain (Grossman et al., 2007), as well as:

  • Studies around awareness and perceptual shifts, like those by Kabatt-Zinn in 1990, and Carmody in 2009;
  • Studies that used neuroimaging techniques to study mindfulness, including EEG (Davidson, et al., 2003; Slagter et al, 2009) and MRI (Farb et al., 2007; Lutz et al, 2008; and Goldin and Gross 2010; and many others);
  • Studies related to plasticity and changes in the brain during mindfulness meditation (Draganski et al 2006; Mechelli et al, 2004; Milad et al, 2005; and others).

In the study, researchers do not explicitly state how they hoped to improve upon previous research. However, my assumption based on the introduction is that they hoped to verify and improve upon research related to which parts of the brain undergo changes during mindfulness meditation, as well provide scientific proof that the 8-week program is a worthwhile investment.

The hypothesis was that they would find changes in the brain’s gray matter, specifically the insula and hippocampus, as well as other “whole brain” changes, that relate to learning and memory, emotional regulation, self-referential processing and perspective taking.

Methods Used in the Mindfulness Meditation Study

The study was rather small, and only consisted of 16 participants (6 males and 10 female) who were seeking to reduce stress and enrolled in the MBSR course held at the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. They were carefully screened to ensure they were both physically and psychologically healthy, not taking any medications, and had not participated in any recent meditation classes.

The average demographics were:

  • Age: 38;
  • Ethnicity: 13 Caucasian; 1 Asian; 1 African American; 1 multi-ethnic;
  • Education: 18 years.

Based upon this information, the sample size definitely does not accurately represent the general population. It is limiting by all characteristics, and skewed heavily toward college-educated, Caucasian females in their 30s. Interestingly, all participants were also right-handed.

The authors of the study used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to study changes in the brain’s gray matter. Wikipedia explains VBM as, “A neuroimaging analysis technique that allows investigation of focal differences in brain anatomy by registering every brain to a template, which gets rid of most of the large differences in brain anatomy among people. Then the brain images are smoothed so that each voxel represents the average of itself and its neighbors.”

In addition, each participant was given an MRI at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging in Charlestown, MA. Finally, each participant completed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) pre and post intervention. Measurements for each participant were taken before and after the 8-week mindfulness meditation course.

Results After the Mindfulness Meditation Course

The results of the mindfulness study are as follows:

  • Amount of mindfulness practice – No significant correlations were found in brain changes as they related to body scan and yoga, body scan and sitting meditation, and yoga and sitting meditation.
  • Improvements in mindfulness – MBSR program participants showed significant increases in three of five mindfulness subscales: acting with awareness, observing and non-judging.
  • Gray matter changes in a priori region – A small cluster in the left hippocampus showed increased gray matter.
  • Whole brain analysis – Four clusters in the brain showed an increase in gray matter, including the cingulate cortex, one in the left temporoparietal lobe, and two in the cerebellum, one of which was centered in the vermis and extended into the brain stem.

With this in mind, the hypothesis of the researchers was correct because the study was able to correlate specific changes in both the hippocampus and other areas of the brain’s gray matter, specifically the PCC, TPJ and cerebellum, to the participation in the MBSR program.

The areas identified in this study are known to regulate control of emotion (hippocampus and one area of the cerebellum), conscious experience (TPJ region), introspection/processing self-referential stimuli (PCC region), and the site of synthesis and release of the neurotransmitter norephinephrine, which plays a significant role in how our bodies respond to stress, as well as the release of serotonin (the area by the brain stem). This last area is also the place where antidepressant medications are synthesized, and is associated with a variety of clinical dysfunctions related to depression, anxiety, sleep and more.

Discussion of the Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation

The overall conclusion of the study is that thanks to the plasticity of the adult nervous system, people suffering from stress can benefit both physically and psychologically by participating in a MBSR program, like the intervention used during this research study.

The implication is that rather than relying on prescription (or non-prescription) drugs for relief from stress, Americans can achieve greater health benefits from holistic, alternative forms of medicine.

Due to some of the limitations of the study, however, additional research needs to be conducted to determine the extent of these benefits. For example, one areas that needs explored is the age range in which these benefits can be achieved, as well as if they are achieved in both “right-brain” and “left-brain” people. Furthermore, additional investigation around the different types of meditation would be needed to clarify which is most beneficial to treat specific concerns and health issues.

Personal Thoughts on Mindfulness Meditation

In conclusion, I feel that this is a great study because it helps reinforce to the general population, as well as physicians and insurance companies, that these types of natural solutions offer REAL health benefits – ones that may be better than our traditional  Western methods. The current state of our healthcare system is a testament to the fact that drugs are not a good solution. We are taking more medications than ever before, with the result being an increase in sickness and disease.

Perhaps with more studies like this one to support the medical benefits associated with mindfulness meditation and other natural solution, physicians will be more inclined to write prescriptions for these types of therapies, rather than prescribing Prozac and other antidepressants, and insurance companies will include them as part of coverage .

The only difference I would like to have seen is a sample more representative of the general population.

Moving forward, I think additional research is needed in several specific areas:

  • A study to determine if the same results are achieved by those who are NOT stressed, thereby indicating that mindfulness meditation can be used proactively, not just reactively.
  • A longitudinal study to determine the long-term benefits of mindfulness meditation. For example, are the structural changes in the brain permanent after participating in a mindfulness meditation course, or are they temporary? If they are temporary, how long do they last? This type of information would allow us to determine more specific criteria –  like a “prescription”  – in terms of how often people should participate in a program, and if they need to make it a life-long routine versus something they can do temporarily to alleviate a specific condition.
  • In addition, studies that indicate whether or not children can benefit from participating at an early age, as well as those designed around other demographic criteria, would be beneficial to aid in the clinical setting.
  • Finally, I would like to understand the differences associated with participating in mindfulness meditation in a group setting versus individual practice.

Credit for The Mindfulness Researchers…

Britta K. Hölzela, James Carmodyc, Mark Vangela, Christina Congletona, Sita M. Yerramsettia, Tim Garda,b, Sara W. Lazar

New Studies on Alzheimer’s Uncover Genetic Links

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The two largest studies of Alzheimer’s disease, an international analysis of genes of more than 50,000 people, have led to the discovery of five new genes that make the disease more likely in the elderly and provide tantalizing clues about what might start Alzheimer’s going and fuel its progress in a person’s brain.

The new genes add to a possible theme: so far genes that increase Alzheimer’s risk in the elderly tend to be involved with cholesterol and with inflammation. They also may be used to transport molecules inside cells.

Read the entire article at The New York Times.

Developing Standards For NeuroMarketing Research?

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NeuroStandards Collaboration Project is First Independent Review of its Kind; Helps Marketers Evaluate Neuro- and Biometric Market Research Methods

Today at its annual convention, Re:think 2011 – Managing the Complexity Maze: Insights as the Navigator, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) unveiled findings from the first phase of its NeuroStandards Collaboration Project, an independent review of current NeuroMarketing methods, the science underlying those methods and the validity of the conclusions. In addition, a plan to continue this process and provide an “Expert Review Network,” a network of independent experts to assist users of this research, was announced.

Results of this collaborative study, when fully completed, will develop standards in an emerging field that, when implemented, can help media, marketing and advertising researchers better understand how consumers react to advertising from a scientific perspective and use this knowledge to make smarter marketing decisions.

NeuroMarketing garnered nationwide attention in 2003 when Read Montague, a neuroscientist at the Baylor College of Medicine, conducted a series of experiments known as the “Pepsi Challenge” using neuroscience technology to study brain activity to explore consumers’ beverage preferences. Since then, there’s been a significant increase in vendors employing NeuroMarketing, as well as in the kinds of methods and analysis techniques used in marketing research. NeuroMarketing’s use, however, has become problematic for marketers to assess what is actually based on the science underlying these methods and what is interpretation, according to the report released today.

Presented by Horst Stipp, EVP, Global Business Strategy at the ARF, Duane Varan, Ph.D., CRO, The Disney Media and Advertising Lab, and Richard Thorogood, director, Insights & Business Analysis at Colgate-Palmolive, the study worked with eight NeuroMarketing vendors across three continents to poll 18-to-49-year-olds on reactions to a series of eight commercials. Participating sponsor brands included American Express, Campbell Soup, Chase, Clorox, Colgate-Palmolive, General Motors, Hershey’s and MillerCoors.

This is the first major validation study designed to assess neuroscience as it applies to media and advertising response. Methods used in this study included facial coding, biometrics, electroencephalography (EEG), quantitative EEG, facial electromyography (fEMG), steady-state topography (SST) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participating NeuroMarketing-suppliers included Innerscope, Mindlab International, MSW/LAB, NeuroCompass, Neuro Insight, Neurosense/decode, Sands Research and Sensory Logic. Media sponsors included ESPN, MTV Networks, NBC and Turner Broadcasting.

“NeuroMarketing, when done properly, is extremely valuable in providing learning regarding consumer attention and involvement, and emotional reactions,” said Horst Stipp, EVP, Global Business Strategy at the ARF. “But, the application of this complex science to marketing is still developing and there are a number of questions and concerns that surround the field. Marketers can use the insights from this project to become educated consumers in regards to the use of NeuroMarketing techniques.”

NeuroStandards Project Insights:

These results indicate many reasons that an evaluation process is essential:

  • Commercials and video materials contain rapidly-changing images, words and music; complex stimuli generate complex viewer reactions that can make it difficult to isolate elements that cause specific reactions.
  • Different images elicit reactions with different lag times: the brain reacts to the image of potential danger (such as the image of a snake) faster than less threatening imagery (a pleasant landscape). Also, the viewer’s reaction at a given point may reflect anticipation of the next images rather than a reaction to images seen at that moment.
  • Reactions to one scene within a commercial are likely to be influenced by the preceding content. Interactions between the images, sounds and words need to be untangled to pinpoint causes of viewer response.
  • Measuring “attention” (and related reactions) is less complex than measuring specific emotions and purchase intent. Reactions to one specific region of the brain cannot always be interpreted as indicative of one specific emotion.

These insights yielded several best practice recommendations for identifying neurological and biometric methods that best meet marketers’ research objectives. Additionally, it recommends that NeuroMarketing be employed as an addition to — not a substitute for — “traditional” research methods.

“Neuroscience has become a valuable tool in the marketing-decision process and the ARF NeuroStandards Collaboration Project provides a unique opportunity for the industry to assess many of the diverse approaches to this science in an open and equitable manner,” said Richard Thorogood, Director of Strategic Insights and Analytics, Colgate-Palmolive. “Given its increasing use by the advertising community, it behooves marketers and researchers who participate in NeuroMarketing to support the ARF in setting the standards now in order to ensure its most effective use.”

The second phase of the ARF NeuroStandards Collaboration Project, called NeuroStandards 2.0, will be detailed in a white paper planned for publication in summer 2011 and will inform strategy for the next iteration of the project, which includes a NeuroStandards Forum and special seminars for ARF members.

Neural Degeneration, Regeneration & Reorganization

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Neural degeneration

Anterograde & Retrograde Neuron Degeneration
Any time there is damage to the cell body, the result is cell death. If there is damage to the axon, death is not certain.

  • Anterograde degeneration – Breakdown of an axon from the point of damage back toward the terminal button
  • Retrograde degeneration – Breakdown of an axon from the point of damage back toward the cell body
  • Chromatolysis – Retrograde degeneration can spread toward cell body
  • Transneuronal degeneration – Spreads to neighboring cells

Neuron regeneration

What kind of recovery can we expect? Neuron regeneration will occur in the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS), but not the CNS (brain and spinal cord). And in the PNS, even if neurons do regenerate, there is no guarantee that they will connect. Just because the potential is there, it does not mean that things will “hook up” correctly.

Why no regeneration in the Central Nervous System?

  • No glycoproteins – Growth-promoting glycoproteins are present in the PNS only.
    • Laminin and fibronectin – Necessary for development of growth cone/neuron
    • Oligodendrocytes – Glycoproteins that inhibit growth are present in the CNS. Remember, oligodendrocytes are a type of CNS glial cell responsible for forming myelin sheath. Schwann cells do this in the PNS.

This is seen in transplant studies. When you transplant a PNS cells to the CNS, they do not regrow. When you transplant CNS cells to PNS, they can regrow. Therefore, the ability for these cells to regenerate is dependent on the cellular environment.

Brilliant Blue G

Studies have found that Brilliant Blue G dye (found in M&Ms) may be beneficial in reducing inflammation, swelling and the formation of scar tissue following a spinal cord injury, allowing more time for treatments. Unfortunately, one of the side effects of Brilliant Blue G is that it turns you blue, as seen in this rat. Testing is still in progress to determine if this treatment can be used effectively in humans.

Spinal cord research

Lesions on spinal cord… Looking for drugs that encourage regeneration by neutralizing growth-inhibiting proteins (MAG and No-Go). Today, we are able to recover some functions, but they are reflexive in nature and happen at the level of the spinal cord, not the brain. For example, increases in stride length versus limb placement (picking up a limb in response to sensory input). This is demonstrated when a paraplegic’s body’s is suspended (body weight supported) and placed on a treadmill using Lokomat system. This activates a reflex as if you are falling, causing you to step forward. With practice, this can be refined, so steps do not appear so robotic. Today, advances in technology have led to robotic exoskeletons that make it possible for some paraplegics to walk again. A sensor is placed on the body that reads signals from the brain transmitted to the nerves, that then activate the exoskeleton to move as desired.

Neural reorganization

Collateral sprouting is when a neighboring cell and move in and form new cell connections, fill vacant cell receptor sites. You see things like Mirror Box Treatments for Phantom Limb Pain, the visual input allows people to feel relaxation. The parts of the brain that process the missing limb are still being activated, where are they getting their information from?