Study first to show improvements in both self-reported questionnaires and MRI brain scans

TORONTO, Dec. 13, 2024 鈥� Dancing lowers the depression associated with Parkinson disease, and the benefits can be seen in multiple ways, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research involving 91亚色 researchers shows.聽

鈥淚t was very cool to see that dance had a positive effect on the mood circuits in the brain, which we could see in the imaging,鈥� says Faculty of Health associate professor , an author of the study. 鈥淭hese improvements that we could see on MRI brain scans were also reported by the participants via survey. Our study is the first to demonstrate these benefits across these two detection methods.鈥� 

The study, published today, followed 23 participants in the Sharing Dance Parkinson鈥檚 program at Canada鈥檚 National Ballet School who had a diagnosis of Parkinson disease, as well as 11 healthy controls, who were mostly family members or caretakers of those with Parkinson disease. The participants took weekly dance classes for 8 months, which progressed from simple leg and foot work and pli茅s to interpretive movements, waltzes, and more complicated, choreographed dances. 

The researchers include DeSouza; former 91亚色 PhD student Karolina Bearss, now a professor at Algoma University; former 91亚色 PhD student Rebecca Barnstaple, now assistant professor of Creative Arts, Health and Wellness, cross-appointed with Theatre at the University of Guelph; and Rachel Bar, a former 91亚色 undergraduate student who is now director of research and health at Canada鈥檚 National Ballet School. They honed in on a node in the brain, the subcallosal cingulate gyrus (SCG), that has been shown in previous research to be implicated in depression. They measured mood and depression scores in all participants using the Geriatric Depression Scale before and after every class and conducted regular MRI scans at 91亚色. 

The researchers found that after each dance class, reported depression rates dropped, and the effect was cumulative from class to class, with significant improvements after 8 months. They also found that the MRI scans showed reduced signals in a frontal-cortex brain region associated with emotional regulation and that in a smaller subset of the participants, a significant decrease in depression scores was correlated with changes in the SCG node. 

鈥淲e essentially showed that SCG BOLD [blood oxygen level鈥揹ependent] signal decreases while dancing over time. Which means that the SCG was not functioning as fast as it would if you had depression," says Bearss. 

Parkinson disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Before diagnosis, there is a prodromal phase that can last 2 to 10 years and is characterized by low mood, even before other symptoms appear, such as tremors and other issues with motor control. 

鈥淧eople with Parkinson's disease tend to have multiple symptoms that are not just motor related, there are a lot of symptoms that include mental and social well-being impairments, one of those being depression,鈥� explains Bearss. 

This research builds on Bearss and DeSouza鈥檚 that found that dance training helps people with Parkinson disease with motor control, mood, and other functions of daily living. 

Dance is thought to have a double benefit, with music activating the brain鈥檚 reward centers, and the movement acting on sensory and motor circuits. DeSouza, who has been dancing with participants in the program for 14 years, says that while dancing is not a treatment for Parkinson disease per se, the benefits are clear. 

鈥淲e're not trying to cure Parkinson's with dance,鈥� says DeSouza, also with the Centre for Vision Research and Connected Minds at 91亚色. 鈥淲hat we're trying to do is to have people live a better quality of life. This goes for both those with the disease, and their families that take care of them 鈥� they also get benefits of feeling better.鈥� 

The study, 鈥淚mpact of Weekly Community-Based Dance Training Over 8 Months on Depression and Blood Oxygen Level鈥揇ependent Signals in the Subcallosal Cingulate Gyrus for People With Parkinson Disease: Observational Study,鈥� was published today in the open-access Journal of Medical Internet Research.

Original article:

Bearss KA, Barnstaple R, Bar R, DeSouza JFX. Impact of Weekly Community-Based Dance Training Over 8 Months on Depression and Blood Oxygen Level鈥揇ependent Signals in the Subcallosal Cingulate Gyrus for People With Parkinson Disease: Observational Study. JMIRx Med 2024;5:e44426

URL: https://med.jmirx.org/2024/1/e44426/

doi: 10.2196/44426

PMID:

About 91亚色:

91亚色 is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for success. 91亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact: Emina Gamulin, 91亚色 Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

The post 'Dancing the blues away' seen in brain imaging in people with Parkinson disease, new study finds appeared first on News@91亚色.

Youth who don鈥檛 feel valued in early years, experience greater feelings of self-hate, distress in transition to university

TORONTO, January 28, 2020 鈥� A new study led by psychology researchers at 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Health has found that youth who feel like they do not matter are highly susceptible to distress and depression.

In the first study to establish links among feelings of not mattering and depression and brooding about feelings, Professor Gordon Flett and his team in the Department of Psychology found students who feel like they don't matter have an insecure attachment style that tends to make them anxious and avoidant of other people.

Early on, children who don鈥檛 feel valued have difficulty as students dealing with transitions, and the feeling of not mattering is 鈥渁 cognitive lens that young people are using as they go out into the world.鈥� This can undermine their learning and confidence well before they enter university, says Flett, who is also director of 91亚色鈥檚 LaMarsh Centre for Child & Youth Research.

鈥淪ome students are showing up at university in a position that makes them really vulnerable from the start: for example, someone who has a basic view of themselves as somebody who is not really significant in the lives of other people and also then goes away from home for the first time facing the stresses a transition to university,鈥� says Flett.

鈥淢uch of their risk of depression is due to the fact that they鈥檝e developed a sense of not being significant to other people. These individuals will be highly sensitive to experiences where they feel people are treating them like they don鈥檛 matter. They will then make these feelings persist by ruminating and brooding about their feelings.鈥�

The study showed the link with self-criticism and feelings of not mattering extends to a sense of self-hate for some people.

鈥淚t is likely that people who feel like they don't matter spend a lot of time thinking about why they don't matter, and this is probably very destructive in terms of their well-being and physical health,鈥� says Flett.

The study, published online in the I, was conducted with 247 students with an average age of 20. Students were given questionnaires and data was analyzed using several different scales reflecting these characteristics.

Researchers concluded that students who feel like they don't matter would benefit greatly from counseling and a transition to university program that promotes a sense of mattering and belonging.

Previous research has shown that some students who feel this way have had a history of neglect or bullying or unfortunate interactions with peers, says Flett. He emphasizes the importance however in differentiating between and a sense of belonging.

鈥淵ou can feel like you鈥檙e part of a group but also feel invisible, that is to say, you can feel connected but not feel valued or really listened to by others,鈥� emphasizes Flett.

Researchers say young people need to be provided context and experiences early on so that they are in a more resilient frame of mind during transitions.

91亚色 champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91亚色 students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world鈥檚 most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91亚色 U is an internationally recognized research university 鈥� our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91亚色 is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.

91亚色 U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact: Anjum Nayyar, 91亚色 Media Relations, 416 736 2100 ext. 44543 or Cell: 437-242-1547
anayyar@yorku.ca

The post Study: Strong link between depression and mattering appeared first on News@91亚色.

91亚色 U study shows acts of kindness can reduce depression in disagreeable individuals

TORONTO, September 19, 2018 - The most disagreeable individuals, who are also the least likely to be kind, can benefit most from behaving more compassionately, a 91亚色 study has found.

More than 640 people who were mildly depressed took part in the study which tracked the results of online compassion training. Researchers asked the participants, who were on average in their mid-30s, to take part in one of three online compassion intervention exercises including a control condition. They were asked to complete their exercise and report back via an online platform every other day for three weeks.

Two months later, disagreeable participants who performed acts of kindness in close relationships showed the greatest reductions in depression and greatest increases in life satisfaction.

Lead author of study, Professor Myriam Mongrain, Department of Pychology, Faculty of Health at 91亚色

"Everybody needs people," says lead author聽, Professor of Psychology in 91亚色's Faculty of Health. "As a result of their hostility and lack of cooperation, disagreeable types risk getting rejected or ostracized. There is a lot of conflict in their relationships, and they suffer the consequences."

"We found that providing concrete suggestions to those individuals, giving them ways in which they could express empathic concern in their close relationships was tremendously helpful."

Highly disagreeable people often lack empathy, even in their close relationships, said Mongrain.

"Implementing these new behaviours might have left them feeling affirmed and liked in their close social circle. This might have been the anti-depressant ingredient in this group," she said.

Mongrain adds the findings are particularly noteworthy given that the interventions were administered online and only required 10-15 minutes every other day. In other words, it was easy to implement, could be administered worldwide and had profound effects for some individuals.

In another exercise condition involving Loving Kindness Meditation, participants were asked to spend up to 10 minutes meditating on nurturing phrases such as "May you be happy" or "May you be safe." This exercise was of benefit to participants as a whole. However, when examining interactions effects with the disagreeable personality variable, the researchers found that it was the Acts of Kindness exercise that was most helpful for this subgroup.

Researchers say the results could have immediate practical applications for social scientists, policymakers, psychology researchers, and health practitioners. The widespread application of compassion interventions could contribute to a more humane and kinder society, particularly when targeted at those prone to hostility.

"It's like at the end of the story of the Grinch," says Mongrain. "When he took people in they said his heart grew three sizes bigger, and he also became happy. You can't be an island unto yourself. Sometimes those who are hostile say they don't need people, but at the end of the day, it does affect mood. People get very drained from disagreements with their spouse for example, so the toll that it takes is not to be minimized. This kind of intervention could be an antidote for those who are lacking in compassion."

The study is published in the journal,聽.

91亚色 champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91亚色 students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world's most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91亚色 U is an internationally recognized research university - our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91亚色 is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.

91亚色 U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact:

Anjum Nayyar, 91亚色 Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 44543,聽anayyar@yorku.ca

The post Difficult people have most to gain from practising compassion appeared first on News@91亚色.

91亚色 U study shows acts of kindness can reduce depression in disagreeable individuals

TORONTO, September 19, 2018 - The most disagreeable individuals, who are also the least likely to be kind, can benefit most from behaving more compassionately, a 91亚色 study has found.

More than 640 people who were mildly depressed took part in the study which tracked the results of online compassion training. Researchers asked the participants, who were on average in their mid-30s, to take part in one of three online compassion intervention exercises including a control condition. They were asked to complete their exercise and report back via an online platform every other day for three weeks.

Two months later, disagreeable participants who performed acts of kindness in close relationships showed the greatest reductions in depression and greatest increases in life satisfaction.

Lead author of study, Professor Myriam Mongrain, Department of Pychology, Faculty of Health at 91亚色

"Everybody needs people," says lead author聽, Professor of Psychology in 91亚色's Faculty of Health. "As a result of their hostility and lack of cooperation, disagreeable types risk getting rejected or ostracized. There is a lot of conflict in their relationships, and they suffer the consequences."

"We found that providing concrete suggestions to those individuals, giving them ways in which they could express empathic concern in their close relationships was tremendously helpful."

Highly disagreeable people often lack empathy, even in their close relationships, said Mongrain.

"Implementing these new behaviours might have left them feeling affirmed and liked in their close social circle. This might have been the anti-depressant ingredient in this group," she said.

Mongrain adds the findings are particularly noteworthy given that the interventions were administered online and only required 10-15 minutes every other day. In other words, it was easy to implement, could be administered worldwide and had profound effects for some individuals.

In another exercise condition involving Loving Kindness Meditation, participants were asked to spend up to 10 minutes meditating on nurturing phrases such as "May you be happy" or "May you be safe." This exercise was of benefit to participants as a whole. However, when examining interactions effects with the disagreeable personality variable, the researchers found that it was the Acts of Kindness exercise that was most helpful for this subgroup.

Researchers say the results could have immediate practical applications for social scientists, policymakers, psychology researchers, and health practitioners. The widespread application of compassion interventions could contribute to a more humane and kinder society, particularly when targeted at those prone to hostility.

"It's like at the end of the story of the Grinch," says Mongrain. "When he took people in they said his heart grew three sizes bigger, and he also became happy. You can't be an island unto yourself. Sometimes those who are hostile say they don't need people, but at the end of the day, it does affect mood. People get very drained from disagreements with their spouse for example, so the toll that it takes is not to be minimized. This kind of intervention could be an antidote for those who are lacking in compassion."

The study is published in the journal,聽.

91亚色 champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91亚色 students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world's most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91亚色 U is an internationally recognized research university - our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91亚色 is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.

91亚色 U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact:

Anjum Nayyar, 91亚色 Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 44543,聽anayyar@yorku.ca

The post Difficult people have most to gain from practising compassion appeared first on News@91亚色.