Neurofeedback
A longitudinal study tracking 1,035 adults for six months following the October 7 attacks in Israel identifies four distinct psychological trajectories after mass trauma: resilience (54%), natural recovery (27%), chronic distress (18%), and delayed onset (2.5%). Researchers found that the dynamic trajectory of symptoms over time predicts long-term PTSD risk far more accurately than any …
Nature loves a balance, and you are a part of nature. Since stress is a natural part of life, it makes sense that you also have a relaxation reflex to help you rebalance. Our bodies respond to stress by increasing stress hormones. This gets our heart rate up, breathing going, and pumps the blood to …
Continue reading "release – the other side of stress and trauma"
The vagus nerve is a modulator of intestinal immune homeostasis. The gastrointestinal tract is constantly confronted with food antigens, possible pathogens, and symbiotic intestinal microbiota that present a risk factor for intestinal inflammation (63). It is highly innervated by vagal fibers that connect the CNS with the intestinal immune system, making vagus a major component, …
Continue reading "vagus nerve: brain-gut axis in psychiatric and inflammatory disorders – part II"
A comprehensive approach that examines the intersection of multiple biological processes is necessary to elucidate the development of stress-related disorders. In a new study, investigators from McLean Hospital, a member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, working with colleagues at The University of Texas at Austin and Lieber Institute for Brain Development, uncovered both shared and distinct …
Continue reading "molecular changes in the brain with PTSD & depression"
Previous research has shown the vast mental and physical health benefits associated with yoga. Yoga practice can be divided into subcategories that include posture-holding exercise (asana), breathing (pranayama, Kriya), and meditation (Sahaj) practice. Studies measuring mental health outcomes have shown decreases in anxiety, and increases in cognitive performance after yoga interventions. Similar studies have also shown cognitive …
Continue reading "effects of yoga on brain waves & structural activation: a review"
Elevated inflammation is a risk factor for many psychiatric (e.g., depression) and somatic conditions (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis). Inflammation is influenced by psychosocial processes such as emotion regulation. Characterization of which emotion regulation characteristics impact inflammation could help refine psychosocial interventions aimed at normalizing health-harming inflammatory activity for individuals with psychiatric and somatic illnesses. We systematically reviewed the …
In part III of our article on vagus physiology, we look at the treatment for these, until recently, little-known but critically important and widespread conditions of the vagus nerve which are the root cause of many illnesses for millions of people worldwide. In parts I and II of this article, we have laid a basic …
Can different pathophysiological mechanisms and risk factors leading to various diseases be linked with altered nerve transmission via one common pathway? The authors of a 2012 scientific article published in the journal, Clinical Science, (3) hypothesized that adequate vagal nerve activity reduces the risk of major diseases through common basic mechanisms.. There are 3 basic mechanisms that …
Continue reading "vagus physiology: answers to critical questions you didn’t know you had – part II"
The vagus nerves are the nerves of life. They keep us alive by their innervation of the internal organs of the body and their interactions with the brain, spinal cord, cranial nerves, upper cervical spinal nerves, and sympathetic nervous system. Sensory functions of the vagus nerve are critical for conscious perception and for monitoring visceral …
Continue reading "vagus physiology: answers to critical questions you didn’t know you had – part I"
Does mobile phone radiation affect the brain and, if so, how does it do so? New studies shed light on these important questions, especially for young people whose brains are still developing. In their paper, a team of scientists from China* said that mobile phone radiation has been linked with memory loss, attention problems, cognitive …
Continue reading "does mobile phone radiation affect the brain?"