Effects of brief mindfulness meditation training on attention and dispositional mindfulness in young adult males.

This study examined the impact of brief mindfulness meditation (BMM) training on attention function and dispositional mindfulness in young males. 126 male participants aged 18-26 from the security industry were recruited, with 66 participants (M = 22.84, SD = 2.41) undergoing 4-week mindfulness meditation training and 60 participants (M = 23.07, SD = 2.29) in the active control group. The intervention was integrated into the participants' schedules. Measures included Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaires (FFMQ), concentration and assignment attention tasks, Attention Network Test (ANT), and saliva cortisol concentration. Findings indicate that brief mindfulness meditation training led to significant improvements in participants' FFMQ scores), with marginally significant enhancements in the executive control network. However, it had no discernible effect on alertness and orientation networks. Additionally, brief mindfulness meditation training enhanced attention allocation to light stimulation and prolonged individual attention. Surprisingly, there was no observed decrease in saliva cortisol concentration among meditation training participants. However, this study did not find a decrease in saliva cortisol concentration in the brief mindfulness meditation group. In conclusion, this study highlights the potential of a 4-week brief mindfulness meditation training program to enhance dispositional mindfulness and specific aspects of attention function in young men, offering practical insights into the benefits of mindfulness meditation practices for this demographic.

Microglial NLRP3 inflammasome activation mediates diabetes-induced depression-like behavior via triggering neuroinflammation.

BACKGROUND: Abundant evidence suggests that the prevalence and risk of depression in people with diabetes is high. However, the pathogenesis of diabetes-related depression remains unclear. Since neuroinflammation is associated with the pathophysiology of diabetic complications and depression, this study aims to elucidate the neuroimmune mechanism of diabetes-related depression. METHODS: Male C57BL/6 mice were injected with streptozotocin to establish a diabetes model. After screening, diabetic mice were treated with the NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950. Then, metabolic indicators and depression-like behaviors were evaluated in these mice, as well as their central and peripheral inflammation. To explore the mechanism of high glucose-induced microglial NLRP3 inflammasome activation, we performed in vitro studies focusing on its canonical upstream signal I (TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB) and signal II (ROS/PKR/P2X7R/TXNIP). RESULTS: Diabetic mice exhibited depression-like behaviors and activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in hippocampus. In vitro high-glucose (50 mM) environment primed microglial NLRP3 inflammasome by promoting NF-κB phosphorylation in a TLR4/MyD88-independent manner. Subsequently, high glucose activated the NLRP3 inflammasome via enhancing intracellular ROS accumulation, upregulating P2X7R, as well as promoting PKR phosphorylation and TXNIP expression, thereby facilitating the production and secretion of IL-1ß. Inhibition of NLRP3 with MCC950 significantly restored hyperglycemia-induced depression-like behavior and reversed the increase in IL-1ß levels in the hippocampus and serum. CONCLUSION: The activation of NLRP3 inflammasome, probably mainly in hippocampal microglia, mediates the development of depression-like behaviors in STZ-induced diabetic mice. Targeting the microglial inflammasome is a feasible strategy for the treatment of diabetes-related depression.

The Effect of Brief Mindfulness Meditation on Suicidal Ideation, Stress and Sleep Quality.

OBJECTIVES: Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death for individuals aged 15-29 years, and early intervention on suicidal ideation and risk factors should be priortized. Brief mindfulness meditation (BMM) is convenient and cost-effective in improving physical and mental well-being, but less is known about its efficacy for suicidal ideation, stress and sleep quality. We investigated the effects of BMM on suicidal ideation, stress, and sleep quality for individuals with suicide risk. METHODS: Sixty-four college students with high suicidal ideation (aged 18-30 years) were randomly allocated to either a BMM (n = 32) or control group (n = 32). The BMM was based on Anapanasati and core mindfulness concepts. Sixty participants completed all scheduled sessions including pretest, one month of intervention or waiting, and posttest. Suicidal ideation was measured with the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation. Stress was evaluated using the Perceived Stress Scale and salivary cortisol levels. Sleep was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and actigraphy accompanied with 7-day sleep diaries. RESULTS: Post-intervention, the BMM group showed significant decrease in suicidal ideation with a large effect size; the decrease showed a medium effect size in the control group. The BMM group, but not the control group, showed significant decrease in morning salivary cortisol and sleep latency, and improved sleep efficiency. CONCLUSIONS: BMM could help reduce suicidal ideation, stress, and sleep disturbance for individuals with high suicidal ideation and it may implicate effective suicide prevention strategy.

Psychological responses of medical staff during COVID-19 and the adjustment effect of brief mindfulness meditation.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has posed an unprecedented threat to public health and remains a critical challenge for medical staff, especially those who have been fighting against the virus in Wuhan, China. Limited data have been reported regarding the psychological status of these medical staff members. Therefore, we conducted this study to explore the mental health status of medical staff and the efficacy of brief mindfulness meditation (BMM) in improving their mental health. METHODS: A survey was conducted between April 18 and May 3, 2020. Upon completing the pre-test, participants in the treatment group received a 15-min BMM intervention every day at 8 p.m. Post-test questionnaires were completed after 16 days of therapy. The questionnaire comprised demographic data and psychological measurement scales. The levels of pre and post-test depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia were assessed using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire, 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and Athens Insomnia Scale, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 134 completed questionnaires were received. Of the medical staff, 6.7%, 1.5%, and 26.7% reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia, respectively. Public officials from military hospitals reported experiencing greater pressure than private officials (t = 2.39, p = 0.018, d = 0.50). Additionally, BMM treatment appeared to effectively alleviate insomnia (t = 2.27, p = 0.027, d = 0.28). CONCLUSIONS: The medical staff suffered negative psychological effects during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMM interventions are advantageous in supporting the mental health of medical staff.

Glycyrrhizic acid as an adjunctive treatment for depression through anti-inflammation: A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Recently, abundant evidence indicated proinflammatory cytokines might play a crucial role in pathophysiology and treatment of depression. According to our preclinical research, we propose glycyrrhizic acid (GZA) for an adjunctive treatment owing to its safety, economical and anti-inflammatory profile. METHODS: Eligible participants were recruited and randomly allocated into independent treatment groups of SSRI+GZA (n = 30) and SSRI+PBO (placebo, n = 26). Depressive symptoms and specific serum biomarkers were detected during the 4-week treatment course. Afterward, the relationships between biomarkers and clinical effects were explored. RESULTS: Depressive symptoms relieved more in SSRI+GZA than SSRI+PBO, both at week 2 (P = 0.003) and week 4 (P = 0.016). Meanwhile, at week 4, both response rate (P = 0.035) and remission rate (P = 0.031) acutely became higher in SSRI+GZA compared with SSRI+PBO. Mediation analysis further demonstrated that TNF-α reduction mediated the association between GZA treatment and clinical improvement, the indirect effect lay between 0.124 and 3.514 (95% CI). The exploratory analysis also suggested that the symptomatic improvement existed in patients with high-inflammation (baseline CRP > 3 mg/L) rather than those with low-inflammation (baseline CRP ≤ 3 mg/L). LIMITATIONS: The sample size in this study was not large enough and the follow-up duration was relatively short. CONCLUSIONS: This study offers a novel strategy for the diagnosis, categorization, individualization and prognosis regarding upgrading traditional antidepressant therapy, which is from biomarkers to diagnostic indicator and therapeutic target. Patients are necessary to be classified according to the inflammatory state, those with high levels of baseline inflammation should receive combined treatment with anti-inflammatory agents like GZA.

Brief Mindfulness Meditation Improves Emotion Processing.

Mindfulness-based interventions have previously been shown to have positive effects on psychological well-being. However, the time commitment, teacher shortage, and high cost of classic mindfulness interventions may have hindered efforts to spread the associated benefits to individuals in developing countries. Brief mindfulness meditation (BMM) has recently received attention as a way to disseminate the benefits of mindfulness-based interventions. Most existing BMM methods are adaptations of the classic approach. Few studies have investigated the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of BMM. We developed a 15-min BMM named JW2016, which is based on the core concepts of mindfulness, Anapanasati (breath meditation of Buddhist Vipassana), our practical experience, and the results of scientific reports on meditation. We investigated the effects of this BMM on mood and emotion processing in an effort to create an effective, convenient, safe, and standardized BMM method that could benefit individuals with limited time or money to devote to meditation. Forty-six healthy participants (aged 18-25 years) were randomly allocated to the BMM group (n = 23) or the emotional regulation education (ERE) control group (n = 23). Forty-two of the study participants cooperated fully in all measurements and interventions (one time daily for seven consecutive days). Mood was measured with the Centre for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale (CES-D) and the State Anxiety Inventory (SAI). Emotion processing was evaluated by assessing performance on an emotion intensity task, an emotional memory task, and an emotional dot-probe task. After intervention, the BMM group, but not the ERE group, showed a significant decreases in emotional intensity in response to positive as well as negative emotional stimuli, response time for emotional memory, and duration of attention bias toward negative emotional stimuli. Negative effects on mood state were found in the ERE group but not in the BMM group. This study demonstrated that BMM may improve aspects of emotion processing such as emotion intensity, emotional memory, and emotional attention bias. JW2016 BMM may be an effective, convenient, safe and standardized way to help practitioners remain focused and peaceful without any negative effect on emotion.