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Physiological Effects of Mind and Body Practices BioMed Research International Physiological Effects of Mind and Body Practices Guest Editors: Shirley Telles, Patricia Gerbarg, and Elisa H. Kozasa Physiological Effects of Mind and Body Practices BioMed Research International Physiological Effects of Mind and Body Practices Guest Editors: Shirley Telles, Patricia Gerbarg, and Elisa H. Kozasa Copyright © 2015 Hindawi Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved. This is a special issue published in “BioMed Research International.” All articles are open access articles distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Contents Physiological Effects of Mind and Body Practices,ShirleyTelles,PatriciaGerbarg,andElisaH.Kozasa Volume 2015, Article ID 983086, 2 pages Mindfulness Meditation Improves Mood, Quality of Life, and Attention in Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Viviane Freire Bueno, Elisa H. Kozasa, Maria Aparecida da Silva, Taniaˆ Maria Alves, Mario Rodrigues Louza,˜ and Sabine Pompeia´ Volume 2015, Article ID 962857, 14 pages Measuring a Journey without Goal: Meditation, Spirituality, and Physiology,HeatherButtle Volume 2015, Article ID 891671, 8 pages Mindful Emotion Regulation: Exploring the Neurocognitive Mechanisms behind Mindfulness, Alessandro Grecucci, Edoardo Pappaianni, Roma Siugzdaite, Anthony Theuninck, and Remo Job Volume 2015, Article ID 670724, 9 pages Qigong as a Traditional Vegetative Biofeedback Therapy: Long-Term Conditioning of Physiological Mind-Body Effects,Lu´ıs Carlos Matos, Claudia´ Maria Sousa, Mario´ Gonc¸alves, Joaquim Gabriel, Jorge Machado, and Henry Johannes Greten Volume 2015, Article ID 531789, 6 pages Neurophysiological Effects of Meditation Based on Evoked and Event Related Potential Recordings, Nilkamal Singh and Shirley Telles Volume 2015, Article ID 406261, 11 pages Creating Well-Being: Increased Creativity and proNGF Decrease following Quadrato Motor Training, Sabrina Venditti, Loredana Verdone, Caterina Pesce, Nicoletta Tocci, Micaela Caserta, and Tal Dotan Ben-Soussan Volume 2015, Article ID 275062, 13 pages The Effects of Guided Imagery on Heart Rate Variability in Simulated Spaceflight Emergency Tasks Performers, Zhang Yijing, Du Xiaoping, Liu Fang, Jing Xiaolu, and Wu Bin Volume 2015, Article ID 687020, 8 pages An Exploratory Analysis of the Relationship between Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and Cognitive/Academic Performance among Adolescents, Ting-Kuang Yeh, Ying-Chun Cho, Ting-Chi Yeh, Chung-Yi Hu, Li-Ching Lee, and Chun-Yen Chang Volume 2015, Article ID 520619, 9 pages The Meditative Mind: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis of MRI Studies, Maddalena Boccia, Laura Piccardi, and Paola Guariglia Volume 2015, Article ID 419808, 11 pages In Sync: The Effect of Physiology Feedback on the Match between Heart Rate and Self-Reported Stress, Elisabeth T. van Dijk, Joyce H. D. M. Westerink, Femke Beute, and Wijnand A. IJsselsteijn Volume 2015, Article ID 134606, 9 pages The Influence of Buddhist Meditation Traditions on the Autonomic System and Attention, Ido Amihai and Maria Kozhevnikov Volume 2015, Article ID 731579, 13 pages Hindawi Publishing Corporation BioMed Research International Volume 2015, Article ID 983086, 2 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/983086 Editorial Physiological Effects of Mind and Body Practices Shirley Telles,1 Patricia Gerbarg,2 and Elisa H. Kozasa3 1 Patanjali Research Foundation, Haridwar, Uttarakhand 249405, India 2New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA 3Hospital 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 to and circulating neurohormones [7–10]. Prominent among enhance physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. Interest in proposed mechanisms are the following: (a) repatterning of their use in treatment stems from increasing awareness of primary interoceptive and higher order homeostatic mech- their therapeutic potential and from the need for approaches anisms; (b) improved central regulation of autonomic, psy- that are cost-effective and have lower risks for adverse chologic, neurologic, immunologic, cardiorespiratory, and effects compared to pharmacological and other conventional gastrointestinal functions; (c) reorganization within cor- interventions [1–3]. Rigorous research is needed to identify tical and subcortical structures, interconnectivity adjust- effective mind-body techniques and their mechanisms of ments among central regulatory networks, neurotransmitter action, if they are to be integrated into mainstream medicine changes, improved emotion regulation by higher centers, [4]. better interhemispheric balance, and enhanced cognitive The quality of evidence for mind-body practices varies function; and (d) modulation of epigenetic factors, such as widely. Scales for rating the quality of research are based growth factors or hormones, as well as extensive up- and on pharmacological studies. Very often the research design downregulation of genes [11–13]. applicable to conventional medicine does not apply to mind- The manuscripts in this special issue include both body practices. The diversity and complexity of interventions research studies and reviews. For example, effects of mind and further confound efforts at conventional meta-analysis. Cur- body practices on specific higher brain functions such as cre- rent studies are developing better control interventions and ativity are explored and with objective markers (pro-NGF implementing more rigorous methods [2]. The National Cen- levels). A study of 1297 adolescents documents the impact of ter for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) mind and body practices on academic performance and car- [5]statesthat“Developing insight into biological, physiological diometabolic risk factors. In young musicians the effects of effects and mechanisms of action of mind and body interven- Qigong are reported to be an enhancement of proprioception tions is critically important in developing translational research and a reduction of anxiety-induced physiological changes. tools to design and execute maximally informative clinical While these three studies focus on higher brain functions research.” For evaluating mind-body research, modifications and proprioception, additional trials emphasize autonomic of the original CONSORT statement have been proposed and changes occurring with mind and body practices. For exam- arebeingevaluated[6]. ple, the effects of guided imagery on heart rate variability in Studies of mind-body practices suggest numerous mech- students performing spaceflight emergency tasks are evalu- anisms of action at multiple levels, including gene expression ated. In another study physiological feedback is matched with at the cellular level; interactions among central brain regions self-reported stress while participants perform short tasks. with neuroplastic changes; and top-down and bottom-up These studies involve healthy volunteers. A single clinical feedback loops between the brain and the body, particu- study examines the effect of mindfulness meditation on larly via the nervous system, interoceptive communication, mood, quality of life and attention in adults with ADHD. 2 BioMed Research International All four review articles are on meditation. An activation [8] S. W. Porges, “The polyvagal theory: new insights into adaptive likelihood estimation (ALE) reports a co-ordinate based reactions of the autonomic nervous system,” Cleveland Clinic meta-analysis of neuro-imaging studies in meditations of Journal of Medicine,vol.76,supplement2,pp.S86–S90,2009. different types. Another review examines the electrophysi- [9]J.F.Thayer,A.L.Hansen,E.Saus-Rose,andB.H.Johnsen, ological changes in different meditations based on evoked “Heart rate variability, prefrontal neural function, and cogni- and event-related potentials. Two other reviews looked at the tive performance: the neurovisceral integration perspective on physiological and cognitive effects of meditation, considered self-regulation, adaptation, and health,” Annals of Behavioral asa‘journeywithoutagoal’;andthepsychologicalandneural Medicine,vol.37,no.2,pp.141–153,2009. effects of mindfulness practice underlying its positive impact [10]T.Gard,J.J.Noggle,C.L.Park,D.R.Vago,andA.Wilson, on health. An interesting comparative review explores the “Potential self-regulatory mechanisms of yoga for psychological impact different meditation traditions have on the autonomic health,” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience,vol.8,article770, 2014. nervous system and on phasic or tonic changes in attention. Identifying mind-body practices that show physiological [11] R. P. Brown, P. L. Gerbarg, and F. Muench, “Breathing practices for treatment of psychiatric and stress-related medical condi- or clear clinical benefits with appropriate biomarkers may tions,” The Psychiatric Clinics of North America,vol.36,no.1, lead to the refinement of certain techniques so that they pp. 121–140, 2013. become more efficient, less time-consuming, more effective, [12] N. Jayaram, S. Varambally, R. V. Behere et al., “Effect of yoga and
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