Health: Different Types Of Meditation Change Different Areas Of The Brain/NewsELA

Health corner: Different Types Of Meditation Change Different Areas Of The Brain, Study Finds There’s been a lot of discussion about what kinds of mental activities are actually capable of changing the brain. Some promises of bolstered IQ and enhanced brain function via specially-designed "brain games" have fizzled out. Meanwhile, meditation and mindfulness training have accumulated some impressive evidence, suggesting that the practices can change not only the structure and function of the brain, but also our behavior and moment-to-moment experience. Now, a new study from the Max Planck Institute finds that three different types of meditation training are linked to changes in corresponding brain regions. The results, published in Science Advances, have a lot of relevance to schools, businesses and, of course, the general public. Participants, who were between 20 and 55 years of age, engaged in three different types of training for three months each, totaling a nine-month study period. The first training was dubbed the “Presence” module, and was very similar to focused awareness meditation, an ancient practice that's been studied a lot in recent years. In this study, participants learned to focus their attention, bringing it back when it wandered, and to attend to the breath and to their internal body sensations. The second training was called “Affect,” which sought to enhance empathy and compassion for others—participants learned “loving-kindness” (metta) meditation, and did work with partners, the goal of which was to enhance one’s compassion and empathy. The last was the "Perspective" module, akin to mindfulness or open-monitoring meditation. Here, the focus was on observing one’s own thoughts non-judgmentally and enhancing understanding of the perspectives of others. The researchers wagered that training in each of these methods would lead to volume increases in corresponding brain areas. And this was largely what they found, as they scanned the participants’ brains at the end of each module and compared groups against one another. Training in Presence was linked to enhanced thickness in the anterior prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which are known to be strongly involved in attention. Affect training was linked to increased thickness in regions known to be involved in socially driven emotions like empathy; and Perspective training associated with changes in areas involved in understanding the mental states of others, and, interestingly, inhibiting the perspective of oneself. -- NewsELA: Airports design special sensory spaces for passengers with autism Jason Rudge has seen that a room can make a big difference. His son Presley, who is 2 years old, was diagnosed with autism. Children with autism have different abilities. Some can talk, while others can't. Many are uncomfortable with noise, and some have trouble looking people in the eye. Some children with autism have great artistic abilities. For example, many are very good at music. A teacher suggested that Presley try something new. When he had a hard time with a preschool group, the teacher suggested the family try a "sensory room." It had bean bags, bubble machines and other devices to soothe the senses. "It just worked immediately," Rudge said. The room became a place that calmed his son and prepared him to play with other kids. That got Rudge, a heavy-equipment operator, thinking about his workplace, Pittsburgh International Airport in Pennsylvania. He wrote a note to Christina Cassotis, who runs the airport, in May 2017. "An airport can be a fast-moving, busy and loud environment," he wrote. He said that some with autism can have difficulties adjusting to that. "I also believe that if Pittsburgh International Airport had a sensory room, it would ease the minds of customers knowing that there is a place for their children to go if needed." Programs Prepare Travelers For Flying A version of that room, called Presley's Place, opened on July 24. It's more than Rudge had imagined. The large space includes individual and family rooms, an area for adults and an "airplane experience." It looks like a plane with seats, overhead bins and more. Airlines, hotels and other attractions are increasing efforts to serve travelers with autism and their loved ones. However, supporters say more still can be done. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia opened a room for kids with autism in 2016. It was followed by Shannon Airport in Ireland the following year. Other airports have joined them since. Some programs, such as Wings for Autism, seek to prepare travelers for flying. They set up practice scenes with airports, airlines and security officers. Participants get a boarding pass, go through security and board a plane to get familiar with the steps. It prepares them to fly later. The Arc is the nonprofit group that organizes Wings for Autism. It made the program national five years ago, said Kerry Mauger. She works for the group. She said it's grown every year since, with more than 150 events in about 65 airports across the country. Mauger said she would love to see every airport in the United States have a sensory room. Even with practice, "there still can be other things that happen on the day of your travel," she said. A Space For Both Adults And Children At Pittsburgh International Airport, Cassotis said no programs were previously in place for those with autism. After getting Rudge's suggestion, she said they put together a team. Those on the team included experts, parents and people with autism. They examined what other public facilities, including hospitals and airports, had already done. "We wanted to show folks what's possible," she said. Based on the size and use of the space, the airport believes it has achieved that goal. It calls Presley's Place the "first of its kind." The airport lets people visit the space before the day of their trip. Jessica Benham works for the Pittsburgh Center for Autistic Advocacy and has autism herself. She was involved in discussions about what the area should include. She said it was important to have space for different kinds of experiences for the senses. It should be a place not just for quiet, but also for people who needed to express themselves through loud sounds or motion, she said. It also needed to have space for adults as well as children. It's for anyone who has anxiety about air travel, Benham said. She said Presley's Place should serve as a model for airports everywhere.