Is Mindfulness Better Than Medication?

Dr. Tracey Marks, MD, Psychiatrist

April 3, 2019

Mindfulness’s attention to the here and now. It’s being fully present in the moment. You are experiencing the present moment and non-judgmental way. The brain model of depression is hypo-connectivity between the neurons in certain parts of the brain that regulate and process your emotions and a hyper connectivity in the default mode network. In this video I discussed what the default mode network is and how it relates to depression. I also discuss how mindfulness changes these connectivity patterns. Here are the specific structures of that brain that make up the default mode network. The posterior cingulate cortex (PCC; areas 23/31), the precuneus, and the medial frontal cortex (MFC, including areas 24/10-m/32), as well as bilateral inferior parietal and posterior temporal areas around the temporoparietal junction area. Here is how you download the body scan audio. Click this link: http://markspsychiatry.com/mindfulness/ References Matthew A. Killingsworth, Daniel T. Gilbert A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind. SCIENCE12 NOV 2010 : 932 Defines the structures in the Default Mode Network Yang CC, Barrós-Loscertales A, Pinazo D, et al. State and training effects of mindfulness meditation on brain networks reflect neuronal mechanisms of its antidepressant effect. Neural Plast. 2016;2016:9504642. Farb NA, Anderson AK, Segal ZV. The mindful brain and emotion regulation in mood disorders. Can J Psychiatry. 2012;57(2):70-7. V. A. Taylor, V. Daneault, J. Grant et al., “Impact of meditation training on the default mode network during a restful state,” Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 4–14, 2013. Defines/establishes the default mode network Gusnard DA, Akbudak E, Shulman GL, Raichle ME. Medial prefrontal cortex and self-referential mental activity: relation to a default mode of brain function. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001;98(7):4259-64. Brown, K. W., West, A. M., Loverich, T. M., & Biegel, G. M. (2011). Assessing adolescent mindfulness: Validation of an Adapted Mindful Attention Awareness Scale in adolescent normative and psychiatric populations. Psychological Assessment, 23(4), 1023-1033 Article about neuroconnectivity as the basis for depression R. H. Kaiser, J. R. Andrews-Hanna, T. D. Wager, and D. A. Pizzagalli, “Large-scale network dysfunction in major depressive disorder: a meta-analysis of resting-state functional connectivity,” JAMA Psychiatry, vol. 72, no. 6, pp. 603–611, 2015. Mindfulness prevents relapse best in people with 3 or more episodes Ma, S. H., & Teasdale, J. D. (2004). Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72(1), 31-40. Disclaimer: All of the information on this channel is for educational purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, perhaps these videos can help prepare you for your discussion with your doctor. I upload every Wednesday at 9am, and sometimes have extra videos in between. Subscribe to my channel so you don’t miss a video https://goo.gl/DFfT33

Category

Education