Evaluation of a standardized humor group in a clinical setting: a feasibility study for older patients with depression.

BACKGROUND: Positive effects of humor on older patients with depressive symptoms have been repeatedly reported. Empirical evidence however is rare. We investigated the efficacy of a standardized humor therapy group in a clinical context especially for older depressed patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: An experimental group with treatment (49 patients) was compared with a control group with no treatment (50 patients) in a semi-randomized design. Included were patients with major depression according to ICD-10. A set of questionnaires (Geriatric Depression Scale, Short Form Health Survey, State-Trait-Cheerfulness Inventory, and Satisfaction with Life Scale) was administered pretreatment and posttreatment. RESULTS: Both groups showed improvement for depression, suicidal tendency, state cheerfulness, and state bad mood. Only participants of the humor group showed changes of state seriousness and satisfaction with life (p < 0.05). Further trends could be demonstrated for higher changes in state cheerfulness and resilience for the humor group. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate an additional benefit of this specific therapeutic intervention for older depressed patients.

Functional relations of empathy and mentalizing: an fMRI study on the neural basis of cognitive empathy.

This fMRI study was set up to explore how cognitive empathy, i.e. the cognitive inference on another person's affective state, can be characterized as a distinct brain function relating to pre-existing neurofunctional concepts about mentalizing and empathy. In a 3 Tesla MRI scanner 28 healthy participants were presented with four different instructions randomly combined with 32 false-belief cartoon stories of 3 subsequent pictures free of direct cues for affective states, like e.g. facial expressions. Participants were instructed to judge affective or visuospatial changes from their own (1st person perspective) or the protagonists' (3rd person perspective, 3rdpp) perspective. 3rdpp-judgements about affective states differed from visuospatial 3rdpp judgements by a significantly higher activation of the anterior mentalizing network (dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, anterior superior temporal sulcus, temporal poles) and the limbic system (left amygdala and hippocampus). Analysis of main effects revealed that the anterior part of the mentalizing network was activated significantly stronger by affective compared to visuospatial content. In contrast, the temporoparietal junction was rather activated by 3rdpp visuospatial judgements. After all, our results demonstrate a functional dissociation between cognitive empathy and cognitive visuospatial perspective taking. The simultaneous activation of the cortical mentalizing network and the amygdala indicates that cognitive empathy actually involves reference to own affective states in the observer. Notably, the cognitive reference to own affective states activated the mentalizing network as well. Moreover our results support pre-existing ideas about a functional anterior-posterior subdivision of the mentalizing network, depending on affective content and 3rd person perspective of cognition.

Motor imagery in hypnosis: accuracy and duration of motor imagery in waking and hypnotic states.

This study assessed response times and accuracy of motor imagery in waking and hypnotic states and to related responses to hypnotic experiences. The Vividness of Motor Imagery Questionnaire (VMIQ) was administered to 47 participants. A mental walking task was then performed in the waking state. In hypnosis, the same task was included within an imaginary journey after a hypnotic induction. An interaction effect showed for condition (waking vs. hypnotic) and distances. The further the participants had to walk in imagination, the longer they took. For all combinations, participants took significantly longer in hypnosis (p < .001) and were significantly less accurate in hypnosis in reproducing the difference between the different distances (p < .001). Results appear to show a relationship between motor imagery and hypnotic responding and support a state-trait conception of imagery.