Review articleThe embodied mind: A review on functional genomic and neurological correlates of mind-body therapies
Section snippets
Introduction—physiological correlates of mind-Body therapies
The scope of mind-body therapies (MBTs) used by the public today is broad, and generally includes meditation, yoga, guided imagery, breathing exercises, progressive relaxation, Tai Chi Chuan, etc. (National Institutes of Health, 2007). Over the past several decades, substantial evidence has emerged that MBTs can enhance health outcomes, act as effective adjuncts to conventional medical treatment (Astin et al., 2003) and be effectively integrated into an evolving mainstream medical paradigm,
Social stress and inflammation
A large and growing body of research has elucidated some of the mechanisms involved in cellular responses to psychosocial stress and emotional factors. Human and animal studies have shown that noradrenaline-dependent adrenergic stimulation due to psychosocial stress results in activation of the nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) protein complex, which controls genes expressed during inflammation (Bierhaus et al., 2003, Slavich and Irwin, 2014, Wolf et al.,
Functional genomic correlates of mind-body therapies
Interest in transcriptional changes driven by MBTs has grown in recent years, and is summarized in Table 1. Several studies have reported physiological responses to MBT practices suggestive of reductions in stress. A recent review surveyed reports of changes in gene expression with several yoga and meditative practices (Saatcioglu, 2013), concluding that these practices can positively affect gene expression profiles in circulating immune cells, an effect consistent with reductions in stress (
Electroencephalography
While studies on the effects of MBTs on gene expression have focused largely on inflammation and immune function, a diverse picture has emerged from research on the neurological results of these practices. In recent years, advances in EEG and neuroimaging techniques have produced detailed maps of the interrelationships between neural activity and cognitive/emotional content. This has enabled reviews of the growing literature on EEG profiles associated with MBT practice, summarized here in Table
Discussion and conclusions
The studies reviewed here report a variety of functional genomic and neurological correlates of MBT practices. These build upon a background of studies investigating the physiology of mental/emotional stress and the neurological substrates of cognition and emotion, which have therein provided tools for developing a deeper understanding of MBT practices. These studies have significantly advanced our understanding of transcriptional pathways and neurological mechanisms relevant to MBTs, as well
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