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  • A Tumor Suppressor-Dependent Inhibitor of Angiogenesis Is Immunologically and Functionally Indistinguishable From a Fragment of Thrombospondin
    Good, Deborah J.; Polverini, Peter J.; Rastinejad, Farzan; Le Beau, Michelle M.; Lemons, Richard S.; Frazier, William A.; Bouck, Noel P. (National Academy of Sciences, 1990-09)
    A secreted inhibitor of angiogenesis that is controlled by a tumor suppressor gene in hamster cells has been found to be similar to a fragment of the platelet and matrix protein thrombospondin. The two proteins were biochemically similar and immunologically crossreactive and could substitute for one another in two functional assays. Human thrombospondin inhibited neovascularization in vivo and endothelial cell migration in vitro, as does the hamster protein, gp140. gp140 sensitized smooth muscle cells to stimulation by epidermal growth factor, as does human thrombospondin. The thrombospondin gene has been localized on human chromosome 15. These results demonstrate a function for the ubiquitous adhesive glycoprotein thrombospondin that is likely to be important in the normal physiological down-regulation of neovascularization. In addition, they raise the possibility that thrombospondin may be one of a number of target molecules through which a tumor suppressor gene could act to restrain tumor growth.
  • Embryonic Thermal Programming and Dietary Baicalein Supplementation Post-Hatch: Effects on Broiler Adipose Tissue Deposition
    Sulaiman, Usman; Vaughan, Reagan; Siegel, Paul; Liu, Dongmin; Gilbert, Elizabeth; Cline, Mark (MDPI, 2024-12-10)
    Optimization of growth performance and fat metabolism in broilers are critical for meat quality and overall production efficiency. This experiment investigated the effects of dietary baicalein supplementation and embryonic heat conditioning (EHC) on the growth performance and adipose tissue metabolism of 10-day old broilers. Fertile eggs were divided into control and EHC groups, with EHC eggs exposed to intermittent heating (39.5 °C) from day 7 to day 16 of incubation. Hatched chicks were further divided into four groups: CC (control control), CT (control treatment with baicalein), EC (embryonic heat control), and ET (embryonic heat treatment with baicalein), and were fed ad libitum. On day 10 post-hatch, blood and adipose tissue samples were collected for analysis. C/EBPα mRNA was lower in the ET group compared to the EC group and higher in the CT group compared to the CC group. PPARγ and HSL mRNAs were elevated in both the ET and CT groups relative to their controls. Additionally, plasma non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels were significantly higher in the CT group compared to the CC group. These results indicate that baicalein supplementation, particularly when combined with embryonic heat conditioning, can modulate fat metabolism and potentially improve the growth performance of broilers, thereby offering insights into strategies for enhancing poultry production.
  • Predisposition to arrhythmia and autonomic dysfunction in Nhlh1-deficient mice
    Cogliati, Tiziana; Good, Deborah J.; Haigney, Mark; Delgado-Romero, Petra; Eckhaus, Michael A.; Koch, Walter J.; Kirsch, Ilan R. (American Society for Microbiology, 2002-07)
    Nhlh1 is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor whose expression is restricted to the nervous system and which may play a role in neuronal differentiation. To directly study Nhlh1 function, we generated null mice. Homozygous mutant mice were predisposed to premature, adult-onset, unexpected death. Electrocardiograms revealed decreased total heart rate variability, stress-induced arrhythmia, and impaired baroreceptor sensitivity. This predisposition to arrhythmia is a likely cause of the observed death in the mutant mice. Heterozygosity for the closely related transcription factor Nhlh2 increased the severity of the Nhlh1-null phenotype. No signs of primary cardiac structural or conduction abnormalities could be detected upon necropsy of the null mice. The pattern of altered heart rhythm observed in basal and experimental conditions (stress and pharmacologically induced) suggests that a deficient parasympathetic tone may contribute to the arrhythmia in the Nhlh1-null mouse. The expression of Nhlh1 in the developing brain stem and in the vagal nuclei in the wild-type mouse further supports this hypothesis. The Nhlh1 mutant mouse may thus provide a model to investigate the contribution of the autonomic nervous system to arrhythmogenesis.
  • Effect of stressors during COVID-19 lockdown on malnutrition and health-risk behaviors among Jordanian college students: A cross-sectional study
    Alkhalidy, Hana; Al-Shami, Islam; Alnaser, Khadeejah; Alkharabsheh, Ana'am; Nawaiseh, Hala; Liu, Dongmin (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2024-10-11)
    A stressful condition such as the emergence of the coronavirus and its related lockdown measures might trigger alterations in college students' behaviors. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the changes in college students' dietary and lifestyle behaviors during the lockdown and the effect of lockdown-related stressors on health-risk behaviors. A web-based survey was conducted among undergraduate college students in Jordan. Weight and height were reported by the students. The students' dietary and lifestyle behaviors and their changes during 1 month of the countrywide lockdown were assessed. The Perceived Stress Scale-4 was utilized to assess stress levels. Results indicated that 77.2% of the students reported weight changes. Notably, 45.9% increased their intake of unhealthy food, while and 38% opted for healthier food choices. Most students experienced alterations in physical activity (80.0%), screen time (86.2%), smoking, and sleep patterns (85.4%), with a higher tendency toward adopting health-risk behaviors. Perceptions of curfew-related stress were associated with distance learning-related stress (OR = 2.73, CI: 1.08-6.90, P = .034), and a greater change in physical activity (OR = 3.59, CI: 1.36-9.48, P = .010). Additionally, weight changes were associated with perception of other types of stressors (OR = 3.39, CI: 1.39-8.28, P = .007). Overall, there was a considerable increase in malnutrition and health-risk behaviors among students during the lockdown. Understanding students' responses to these stressful conditions and the role of stress in driving behavioral changes are crucial for developing interventions that enhance college students' adaptation to such changes and maintaining healthy dietary and lifestyle behaviors in the future.
  • Conservation of a Chromosome 8 Inversion and Exon Mutations Confirm Common Gulonolactone Oxidase Gene Evolution Among Primates, Including H. Neanderthalensis
    Mansueto, Alexander; Good, Deborah J. (Springer, 2024-04-29)
    Ascorbic acid functions as an antioxidant and facilitates other biochemical processes such as collagen triple helix formation, and iron uptake by cells. Animals which endogenously produce ascorbic acid have a functional gulonolactone oxidase gene (GULO); however, humans have a GULO pseudogene (GULOP) and depend on dietary ascorbic acid. In this study, the conservation of GULOP sequences in the primate haplorhini suborder were investigated and compared to the GULO sequences belonging to the primates strepsirrhini suborder. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that the conserved GULOP exons in the haplorhini primates experienced a high rate of mutations following the haplorhini/strepsirrhini divergence. This high mutation rate has decreased during the evolution of the haplorhini primates. Additionally, indels of the haplorhini GULOP sequences were conserved across the suborder. A separate analysis for GULO sequences and well-conserved GULOP sequences focusing on placental mammals identified an in-frame GULO sequence in the Brazilian guinea pig, and a potential GULOP sequence in the pika. Similar to haplorhini primates, the guinea pig and lagomorph species have experienced a high substitution rate when compared to the mammals used in this study. A shared synteny to examine the conservation of local genes near GULO/GULOP identified a conserved inversion around the GULO/GULOP locus between the haplorhini and strepsirrhini primates. Fischer’s exact test did not support an association between GULOP and the chromosomal inversion. Mauve alignment showed that the inversion of the length of the syntenic block that the GULO/GULOP genes belonged to was variable. However, there were frequent rearrangements around ~ 2 million base pairs adjacent to GULOP involving the KIF13B and MSRA genes. These data may suggest that genes acquiring deleterious mutations in the coding sequence may respond to these deleterious mutations with rapid substitution rates.
  • Advancing implementation science in community settings: the implementation strategies applied in communities (ISAC) compilation
    Balis, Laura E.; Houghtaling, Bailey; Clausen, Whitney; Lane, Hannah; Wende, Marilyn E.; Pereira, Emiliane; McLoughlin, Gabriella M.; Harden, Samantha M. (2024-11-26)
    Background: Implementation strategies have predominantly been operationalized and studied in clinical settings. Implementation strategies are also needed to improve evidence-based intervention (EBI) integration in community settings, but there is a lack of systematic characterization of their use, which limits generalizability of findings. The goals of this study were to determine which implementation strategies are most used to deliver primary prevention EBIs in community settings, develop a compilation and pragmatic strategy selection process with accompanying guidance tools, and understand practitioners’ preferences for dissemination. Methods: Purposive and snowball sampling was used to recruit community setting researchers and practitioners delivering primary prevention EBIs (nutrition, physical activity, tobacco prevention) in community settings: education, social services, city planning and transportation, workplaces, recreation/sport, faith-based, and other public health organizations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using a guide based on the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. Participants were asked to describe barriers experienced and strategies used to overcome them within each RE-AIM dimension. Practitioners were also asked about preferred dissemination strategies, prompted by Diffusion of Innovations theory concepts of sources (who provides information) and channels (how information is provided). A rapid deductive approach was used to analyze findings with a coding matrix aligned with the interview guide. Results: Researchers (n = 10) and practitioners (n = 8) across all targeted settings and intervention outcomes completed interviews. Interviewees shared unique implementation strategies (N = 40) which were used to overcome barriers related to multiple RE-AIM dimensions, most commonly implementation (n = 29) and adoption (n = 27). Most frequently mentioned implementation strategies were conduct pragmatic evaluation (n = 31), provide training (n = 26), change adaptable program components (n = 26), and leverage funding sources (n = 21). Webinars (n = 6) and listservs/newsletters (n = 5) were the most mentioned dissemination channels; national public health organizations (n = 13) were the most mentioned sources. Conclusions: Results reflect commonly used implementation strategies in community settings (e.g., training, technical assistance) and add novel strategies not reflected in current taxonomies. Dissemination preferences suggest the need to involve broad-reaching public health organizations. The resultant compilation (Implementation Strategies Applied in Communities) and strategy selection process provide resources to assist researchers and practitioners in applying strategies and improving EBI delivery in community settings.
  • Expanding methods to address RE-AIM metrics in hybrid effectiveness-implementation studies
    Harden, Samantha M.; Galaviz, Karla I.; Estabrooks, Paul A. (2024-11-04)
    Background: Dissemination and implementation science is an evolving field that focuses on the strategies and mechanisms by which scientific evidence is adopted, used, and sustained in clinical and community practice. Main body: Implementation scientists are confronted by the challenge to balance rigor and generalizability in their work while also attempting to speed the translation of evidence into clinical and community practice. Hybrid Effectiveness-Implementation studies and the RE-AIM framework were conceptualized to address these challenges. Hybrid Effectiveness-Implementation (HEI) studies provide methods of examining the effectiveness of health promoting interventions while concurrently assessing the utility of dissemination and implementation strategies designed to enhance the application of evidence-based principles in practice. RE-AIM provides a set of planning and evaluation dimensions that can be assessed with a goal to balance internal and external validity. The purpose of this commentary is to provide clarity on definitions of each approach and how to effectively use them together to answer research questions that will advance dissemination and implementation science for health promotion. Conclusions: We provide examples of concerted use of RE-AIM within HEI studies from the literature and focus on language to provide a clarity and consistency across research questions, designs, and settings. We share how to operationalize RE-AIM dimensions in HEI studies for both dissemination and implementation strategies. Future directions include refining, defining, and evaluating each RE-AIM dimension within hybrid studies.
  • Food retailer actions toward the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to promote nutrition security: Applicability of the Business Impact Assessment-Obesity as a monitoring tool
    DeNunzio, Maria; Houghtaling, Bailey; Kraak, Vivica; Gardezi, Maaz; Serrano, Elena L.; Misyak, Sarah A. (Society of Behavioral Medicine, 2024-10)
    The White House National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health (National Strategy) encourages actions across government and society to promote nutrition security. Nutrition security includes adequate food, diet quality, and equity, and food retail settings can promote these major concepts. Of all National Strategy whole-of-society calls to action, food retailers can contribute to 15 calls as key actors. However, there is currently no standardized monitoring tool to track food retailers’ commitments and actions toward the National Strategy to promote nutrition security. The Business Impact Assessment-Obesity and population-level nutrition (BIA-Obesity), a tool originally developed for corporate accountability monitoring, can be tailored for the National Strategy and nutrition security, given its standardized indicators and process to assess food company policies and commitments across six domains. We discuss the fit of the BIA-Obesity indicators for tracking food retailers’ commitments and actions across four pillars of the National Strategy. Existing indicators are appropriate to monitor components of Pillar 1: Improve Food Access and Affordability; Pillar 2: Integrate Nutrition and Health; Pillar 3: Empower All Consumers to Make and Have Access to Healthy Choices; and Pillar 5: Enhance Nutrition and Food Security Research. We suggest expanding current indicators to include equity, local foods, the digital food environment, and food waste reduction to improve alignment of the BIA-Obesity with the National Strategy. Application of the BIA-Obesity as an existing tool can facilitate data cohesion and more rapid assessment of the food retailer landscape to mutually meet nutrition security goals by 2030.
  • Glycosphingolipids in Cardiovascular Disease: Insights from Molecular Mechanisms and Heart Failure Models
    Huang, Sarah; Abutaleb, Karima; Mishra, Sumita (MDPI, 2024-10-08)
    This review explores the crucial role of glycosphingolipids (GSLs) in the context of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), focusing on their biosynthesis, metabolic pathways, and implications for clinical outcomes. GSLs are pivotal in regulating a myriad of cellular functions that are essential for heart health and disease progression. Highlighting findings from both human cohorts and animal models, this review emphasizes the potential of GSLs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets. We advocate for more detailed mechanistic studies to deepen our understanding of GSL functions in cardiovascular health, which could lead to innovative strategies for diagnosis, treatment, and personalized medicine in cardiovascular care.
  • Student Food Security Status at Virginia Tech: Virginia Tech Food Access and Wellbeing Survey
    Holmes, Chanita; Hall, Ralph; Misyak, Sarah; Olayemi, Victor (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2024-10-02)
    There has been a growing acknowledgment and concern about college students experiencing food insecurity at institutions of higher education [1]. Experiencing food insecurity can impact educational attainment and performance as well as student quality of life [2]. This report describes the findings of the 2023 Virginia Tech Student Food Access and Wellbeing Survey, which was administered online during the Spring of 2023. The survey aimed to examine the level of food security among Virginia Tech undergraduate and graduate students.
  • Potential Application of Plant-Derived Compounds in Multiple Sclerosis Management
    Woodfin, Seth; Hall, Sierra; Ramerth, Alexis; Chapple, Brooke; Fausnacht, Dane; Moore, William; Alkhalidy, Hana; Liu, Dongmin (MDPI, 2024-09-05)
    Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by inflammation, demyelination, and neurodegeneration, resulting in significant disability and reduced quality of life. Current therapeutic strategies primarily target immune dysregulation, but limitations in efficacy and tolerability highlight the need for alternative treatments. Plant-derived compounds, including alkaloids, phenylpropanoids, and terpenoids, have demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects in both preclinical and clinical studies. By modulating immune responses and promoting neuroregeneration, these compounds offer potential as novel adjunctive therapies for MS. This review provides insights into the molecular and cellular basis of MS pathogenesis, emphasizing the role of inflammation in disease progression. It critically evaluates emerging evidence supporting the use of plant-derived compounds to attenuate inflammation and MS symptomology. In addition, we provide a comprehensive source of information detailing the known mechanisms of action and assessing the clinical potential of plant-derived compounds in the context of MS pathogenesis, with a focus on their anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties.
  • An Evaluation of Healthy Hydration Recommendations for 93 Countries with Sugary Beverage Tax Legislation Globally, 2000–2023
    Leary, Nicole; Parker, Molly K.; Rincón Gallardo Patiño, Sofía; Kraak, Vivica (MDPI, 2024-07-13)
    Adequate water intake is essential for human health. Sugary beverage taxes are a best buy policy to reduce obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases. Food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) promote healthy dietary patterns. The study purpose was to evaluate national FBDGs for countries with sugary beverage tax legislation (2000–2023) to promote water and discourage sugary beverage consumption. We developed a coding framework to conduct a content analysis of FBDG documents, and used six indicators to identify messages and images to assign healthy hydration recommendation (HHR) scores from 0–12 to compare FBDGs across countries and six regions. Results showed 93 countries with sugary beverage tax legislation of which 58 countries (62%) had published FBDGs (1998–2023). Of 58 FBDGs reviewed, 48 (83%) had complementary recommendations that encouraged water and discouraged sugary beverages. Of 93 countries, 13 (14%) had the highest HHR scores (11–12); 22, (24%) had high HHR scores (9–10); 20 (21%) had medium HHR scores (4–8); 3 (3%) had low HHR scores (0–3); and 35 (38%) countries had no FBDGs. To reduce health risks for populations, governments must ensure policy coherence to optimize sugary beverage tax impacts by developing FBDGs that encourage water and discourage sugary beverages complementary to national policies.
  • Addressing opioid misuse through community-engaged strategy development: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial
    Zimmerman, Emily B.; Rafie, Carlin; Wenzel, Sophie G.; Hosig, Kathryn; Villani, Domenique; Dance, Jon; Lee, Samantha S. (2024-07-19)
    Background: Involving stakeholders in the research process facilitates collaboration, increasing understanding of factors influencing their wellbeing and motivating community action. Currently, there is a need for randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness of community-engaged research approaches for health, well-being, and engagement outcomes. In this study, we evaluate the effectiveness of both the SEED Method and a modified Delphi method in a participatory project to develop local strategies to address the opioid epidemic in three rural communities. The purpose of this study is to increase the level of evidence for community-engaged research methods through a randomized controlled trial. Methods: Two communities will use the SEED Method and one will use a modified Delphi method. We aim to recruit a total of 144 participants (48 per community). The evaluation team will randomize participants to an intervention group or a control group. In addition, we will collect outcome data from the participatory research team members leading the projects in each county (n = 18) and from additional community members who participate in focus groups (n = 32). The primary outcome for all participants will be the change in self-reported civic engagement as measured by the total score on the Individual Mobilization Scale. Discussion: In the context of participatory action to address opioid misuse in rural counties, this study will provide an understanding of the effectiveness of two community engagement methods for increasing civic engagement, as well as the extent to which participants successfully create locally tailored action strategies. The study will also explore how the observed effects differ depending on the participant’s role in the project (stakeholder participant, community research team member, or focus group participant), which is an important consideration for participatory research.
  • Editorial: Effects of performing arts training on the brain, (socio)cognitive and motor functions across the lifespan
    Kausel, Leonie; Basso, Julia C.; Grinspun, Noemí; Alain, Claude (Frontiers Media, 2023-12-06)
    Performing arts are a cultural expression that is ubiquitous around the world and consists of arts that are performed for an audience, such as music, dance, and drama. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in understanding how this expressive, and in essence social activity, impacts brain development and plasticity. This topic aimed to collect evidence on how the brain and (socio)cognitive and motor functions are influenced by performing arts training along the lifespan, deepening the current knowledge on this subject and helping to unravel the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie these changes. The five articles presented in this Research Topic explore research on an acting intervention, cover matters related to dance training, identify variables related to music sophistication, and focus on performing arts and musical training.
  • Granular retrosplenial cortex layer 2/3 generates high-frequency oscillations dynamically coupled with hippocampal rhythms across brain states
    Arndt, Kaiser C.; Gilbert, Earl T.; Klaver, Lianne M.F.; Kim, Jongwoon; Buhler, Chelsea M.; Basso, Julia C.; McKenzie, Sam; English, Daniel Fine (CellPress, 2024-03-26)
    The granular retrosplenial cortex (gRSC) exhibits high-frequency oscillations (HFOs; ~150 Hz), which can be driven by a hippocampus-subiculum pathway. How the cellular-synaptic and laminar organization of gRSC facilitates HFOs is unknown. Here, we probe gRSC HFO generation and coupling with hippocampal rhythms using focal optogenetics and silicon-probe recordings in behaving mice. ChR2-mediated excitation of CaMKII-expressing cells in L2/3 or L5 induces HFOs, but spontaneous HFOs are found only in L2/3, where HFO power is highest. HFOs couple to CA1 sharp wave-ripples (SPW-Rs) during rest and the descending phase of theta. gRSC HFO current sources and sinks are the same for events during both SPW-Rs and theta oscillations. Independent component analysis shows that high gamma (50–100 Hz) in CA1 stratum lacunosum moleculare is comodulated with HFO power. HFOs may thus facilitate interregional communication of a multisynaptic loop between the gRSC, hippocampus, and medial entorhinal cortex during distinct brain and behavioral states.
  • Examining the Effect of Increased Aerobic Exercise in Moderately Fit Adults on Psychological State and Cognitive Function
    Basso, Julia C.; Oberlin, Douglas J.; Satyal, Medha K.; O’Brien, Catherine E.; Crosta, Christen; Psaras, Zach; Metpally, Anvitha; Suzuki, Wendy A. (Frontiers Media, 2022-07-12)
    Regular physical exercise can decrease the risk for obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, increase life expectancy, and promote psychological health and neurocognitive functioning. Cross-sectional studies show that cardiorespiratory fitness level (VO₂ max) is associated with enhanced brain health, including improved mood state and heightened cognitive performance. Interventional studies are consistent with these cross-sectional studies, but most have focused on low-fit populations. Few such studies have asked if increasing levels of physical activity in moderately fit people can significantly enhance mood, motivation, and cognition. Therefore, the current study investigated the effects of increasing aerobic exercise in moderately fit individuals on psychological state and cognitive performance.We randomly assigned moderately fit healthy adults, 25–59 years of age, who were engaged in one or two aerobic exercise sessions per week to either maintain their exercise regimen (n = 41) or increase their exercise regimen (i.e., 4–7 aerobic workouts per week; n = 39) for a duration of 3 months. Both before and after the intervention, we assessed aerobic capacity using a modified cardiorespiratory fitness test, and hippocampal functioning via various neuropsychological assessments including a spatial navigation task and the Mnemonic Similarity Task as well as self-reported measures including the Positive and Negative Affect Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale, Rumination Scale, Eating Disorders Examination, Eating Attitudes Test, Body Attitudes Test, and Behavioral Regulation of Exercise Questionnaire. Consistent with our initial working hypotheses, we found that increasing exercise significantly decreased measures of negative affect, including fear, sadness, guilt, and hostility, as well as improved body image. Further, we found that the total number of workouts was significantly associated with improved spatial navigation abilities and body image as well as reduced anxiety, general negative affect, fear, sadness, hostility, rumination, and disordered eating. In addition, increases in fitness levels were significantly associated with improved episodic memory and exercise motivation as well as decreased stress and disordered eating. Our findings are some of the first to indicate that in middle-aged moderately-fit adults, continuing to increase exercise levels in an already ongoing fitness regimen is associated with additional benefits for both psychological and cognitive health.
  • Assessing Human Spatial Navigation in a Virtual Space and its Sensitivity to Exercise
    Smith, Alana J.; Tasnim, Noor; Psaras, Zach; Gyamfi, Daphne; Makani, Krishna; Suzuki, Wendy A.; Basso, Julia C. (MyJove Corporation, 2024-01-26)
    Spatial navigation (SN) is the ability to locomote through the environment, which requires an understanding of where one is located in time and space. This capacity is known to rely on the sequential firing of place cells within the hippocampus. SN is an important behavior to investigate as this process deteriorates with age, especially in neurodegenerative disorders. However, the investigation of SN is limited by the lack of sophisticated behavioral techniques to assess this hippocampal-dependent task. Therefore, the goal of this protocol was to develop a novel, real-world approach to studying SN in humans. Specifically, an active virtual SN task was developed using a cross-platform game engine. During the encoding phase, participants navigated their way through a virtual city to locate landmarks. During the remembering phase, participants remembered where these reward locations were and delivered items to these locations. Time to find each location was captured and episodic memory was assessed by a free recall phase, including aspects of place, order, item, and association. Movement behavior (x, y, and z coordinates) was assessed through an asset available in the game engine. Importantly, results from this task demonstrate that it accurately captures both spatial learning and memory abilities as well as episodic memory. Further, findings indicate that this task is sensitive to exercise, which improves hippocampal functioning. Overall, the findings suggest a novel way to track human hippocampal functioning over the course of time, with this behavior being sensitive to physical activity training paradigms.
  • Effects of a Neuroscience-Based Mindfulness Meditation Program on Psychological Health: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
    Lynn, Sarah; Basso, Julia C. (JMIR Publications, 2023)
    Background: Mindfulness and meditation have a rich historical tradition, and a growing scientific base of evidence supports their use in creating positive psychological and neuroplastic changes for practitioners. Although meditation can be taught in various ways, the scientific community has yet to systematically study the impact of different types of meditation on neuropsychological outcomes, especially as it pertains to digital implementation. Therefore, it is critical that the instruction of mindfulness be evidence based because meditation is being used in both scientific and clinical settings. Objective: This study investigated the use of teacher cueing and the integration of neuroscience education into a meditation program. Compassion cueing was chosen as the element of experimental manipulation because traditional lineages of Buddhist meditation teach compassion for self and others as one of the primary outcomes of meditation. We hypothesized that participants receiving compassion cueing would have enhanced neuropsychological outcomes compared with those receiving functional cueing and that gains in neuroscience knowledge would relate to positive neuropsychological outcomes. Methods: Participants (n=89) were randomized to receive either functional cueing (control group) or compassion cueing (experimental group) and engaged with five 10-minute meditation sessions a week for 4 weeks. All intervention sessions were administered through digital presentation. All participants completed ecological momentary assessments before and after the daily intervention, as well as pre- and postintervention questionnaires. Results: Participants demonstrated significant benefits over time, including increased mindfulness and self-compassion, decreased depression, and gains in neuroscience content (all P<.001); however, no significant between-group differences were found. Daily scores from each day of the intervention showed a statistically significant shift from active toward settled. Importantly, long-term increases in mindfulness were positively correlated to changes in compassion (r=0.326; P=.009) and self-compassion (r=0.424; P<.001) and negatively correlated to changes in anxiety (r=–0.266; P=.03) and depression (r=–0.271; P=.03). Finally, the acute effects of meditation were significantly correlated to the longitudinal outcomes (with a small-to-medium effect size), especially those relevant to mindfulness. Conclusions: We developed a novel neuroscience-based education–meditation program that enhanced self-regulation as evidenced by improved mindfulness, self-compassion, and mood state. Our findings demonstrate the behavioral importance of engaging with mindfulness meditation and reinforce the idea that the benefits of meditation are independent of teacher cueing behavior. Future studies will need to investigate the brain-based changes underlying these meditation-induced outcomes.
  • Dispositional mindfulness and its relationship to exercise motivation and experience
    Lynn, Sarah; Satyal, Medha Kumari; Smith, Alana J.; Tasnim, Noor; Gyamfi, Daphne; English, Daniel F.; Suzuki, Wendy A.; Basso, Julia C. (Frontiers Media, 2022-11-29)
    Mindfulness is the psychological state of staying attuned to the present moment, without ruminating on past or future events, and allowing thoughts, feelings, or sensations to arise without judgment or attachment. Previous work has shown that heightened dispositional mindfulness is associated with the awareness of the importance of exercise, exercise self-efficacy, exercise motivation, and self-reported exercise level. However, more methodologically rigorous studies are needed to understand the relationship between mindfulness and the psychological mechanisms related to exercise motivation, including the identification of why individuals are motivated to engage in exercise, the subjective experience of exercise, and the propensity for exercise dependence and addiction. In this cross-sectional investigation, we utilized the framework of the Self-Determination Theory to examine the hypothesis that heightened dispositional mindfulness (as measured by the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale) would be associated with increased levels of exercise motivation that were derived by higher levels of autonomous self-regulation. Individuals were recruited from urban areas who self-reported either low (exercising 2 or fewer times per week for 20 min or less; n = 78) or moderate (exercising 1 or 2 times per week for 20 min or more; n = 127) levels of exercise engagement. As hypothesized, heightened dispositional mindfulness was significantly associated with heightened levels of exercise self-determination as measured by the Behavioral Regulations in Exercise Questionnaire, with this effect being driven by negative associations with amotivation, external regulation, and introjected regulation. Additionally, we found that heightened dispositional mindfulness was associated with lower levels of psychological distress upon exercise and decreased exercise dependence/addiction. Overall, increased dispositional mindfulness may support a healthy relationship with exercise. These findings have implications for the utility of mindfulness interventions to support the regulation of exercise behaviors in service of enhancing exercise motivation and engagement.
  • Development and validation of the multidimensional impacts of movement scale (MIMS) for yoga, weightlifting, and running
    Lynn, Sarah; Basso, Julia C. (Frontiers Media, 2023-03-01)
    Background: Movement is an essential element in maintaining overall well-being, producing both physical and mental health benefits. Yoga is a mindful movement practice, with traditional yogic texts providing a framework, called the Koshas, that delineates how an intentional movement practice may impact multidimensional aspects of an individual. To date, no self-report measure examines the multifaceted ways that movement affects the individual at a physical and psychological level. Therefore, we developed the Multidimensional Impacts of Movement Scale (MIMS) by aligning ancient yogic traditions with current neuroscientific concepts. Methods: MIMS was developed based on the five categories of the Koshas; 9 questions per Kosha resulted in 45 total questions. Participants (n = 103) selfidentified as having yoga, running, or weightlifting as their primary movement practice, engaging in this practice at least 30 min per session, once a week, for the past 3 months. Participants engaged in their usual movement practice and then (within 2 h of their workout session) completed the MIMS along with a series of previously validated questionnaires. After a period of 2 weeks, participants completed their normal movement practice once again and took the MIMS a second time to assess test–retest reliability and Cronbach’s alpha. Validity testing included convergent and divergent validity testing through Pearson’s productmoment correlations and confirmatory factor analysis. Results: One-hundred and three participants completed all study measures. Test– retest reliability demonstrated stability over time (r = 0.737, p < 0.001). Cronbach’s alpha was between 0.775 and 0.840 for each of the factors, p < 0.001. MIMS was sensitive to confirmatory and discriminatory validity testing. Validity was also demonstrated through confirmatory factor analysis (i.e., Chi Square, Comparative Fit Index, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation). Conclusion: MIMS is a valid and reliable tool to measure the multidimensional impacts of movement. The tool provides information about the effects of movement on a range of physical and psychological elements including subscales representing the body, energy, mind, intuition, and contentment. Physical activities that include aspects of mindfulness may demonstrate the most robust effects on the MIMS.