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54 results on '"Klimecki, Olga M."'

51. Functional Neural Plasticity and Associated Changes in Positive Affect After Compassion Training

Author

Klimecki, Olga M., Leiberg, Susanne, Lamm, Claus, Singer, Tania, Klimecki, Olga M., Leiberg, Susanne, Lamm, Claus, and Singer, Tania

Abstract

The development of social emotions such as compassion is crucial for successful social interactions as well as for the maintenance of mental and physical health, especially when confronted with distressing life events. Yet, the neural mechanisms supporting the training of these emotions are poorly understood. To study affective plasticity in healthy adults, we measured functional neural and subjective responses to witnessing the distress of others in a newly developed task (Socio-affective Video Task). Participants' initial empathic responses to the task were accompanied by negative affect and activations in the anterior insula and anterior medial cingulate cortex—a core neural network underlying empathy for pain. Whereas participants reacted with negative affect before training, compassion training increased positive affective experiences, even in response to witnessing others in distress. On the neural level, we observed that, compared with a memory control group, compassion training elicited activity in a neural network including the medial orbitofrontal cortex, putamen, pallidum, and ventral tegmental area—brain regions previously associated with positive affect and affiliation. Taken together, these findings suggest that the deliberate cultivation of compassion offers a new coping strategy that fosters positive affect even when confronted with the distress of others

52. Structural Covariance Networks of the Dorsal Anterior Insula Predict Females' Individual Differences in Empathic Responding

Author

Bernhardt, Boris C., Klimecki, Olga M., Leiberg, Susanne, Singer, Tania, Bernhardt, Boris C., Klimecki, Olga M., Leiberg, Susanne, and Singer, Tania

Abstract

Previous functional imaging studies have shown key roles of the dorsal anterior insula (dAI) and anterior midcingulate cortex (aMCC) in empathy for the suffering of others. The current study mapped structural covariance networks of these regions and assessed the relationship between networks and individual differences in empathic responding in 94 females. Individual differences in empathy were assessed through average state measures in response to a video task showing others' suffering, and through questionnaire-based trait measures of empathic concern. Overall, covariance patterns indicated that dAI and aMCC are principal hubs within prefrontal, temporolimbic, and midline structural covariance networks. Importantly, participants with high empathy state ratings showed increased covariance of dAI, but not aMCC, to prefrontal and limbic brain regions. This relationship was specific for empathy and could not be explained by individual differences in negative affect ratings. Regarding questionnaire-based empathic trait measures, we observed a similar, albeit weaker modulation of dAI covariance, confirming the robustness of our findings. Our analysis, thus, provides novel evidence for a specific contribution of frontolimbic structural covariance networks to individual differences in social emotions beyond negative affect

53. Functional Neural Plasticity and Associated Changes in Positive Affect After Compassion Training

Author

Tania Singer, Susanne Leiberg, Claus Lamm, Olga Klimecki, University of Zurich, and Klimecki, Olga M

Subjects
Adult, 2805 Cognitive Neuroscience, affective Video Task, Social emotions, Adolescent, Affective training, Cognitive Neuroscience, media_common.quotation_subject, brain, 2804 Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, Compassion, Empathy, 142-005 142-005, 050105 experimental psychology, Developmental psychology, Young Adult, 03 medical and health sciences, Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, 0302 clinical medicine, Neuroplasticity, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Socio, Humans, 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences, empathy, media_common, Socio-affective Video Task, Brain Mapping, affective training, Neuronal Plasticity, 05 social sciences, fMRI, Brain, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Social relation, Affect, Distress, Institutional repository, FMRI, Female, Orbitofrontal cortex, Psychology, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Abstract

The development of social emotions such as compassion is crucial for successful social interactions as well as for the maintenance of mental and physical health, especially when confronted with distressing life events. Yet, the neural mechanisms supporting the training of these emotions are poorly understood. To study affective plasticity in healthy adults, we measured functional neural and subjective responses to witnessing the distress of others in a newly developed task (Socio-affective Video Task). Participants' initial empathic responses to the task were accompanied by negative affect and activations in the anterior insula and anterior medial cingulate cortex--a core neural network underlying empathy for pain. Whereas participants reacted with negative affect before training, compassion training increased positive affective experiences, even in response to witnessing others in distress. On the neural level, we observed that, compared with a memory control group, compassion training elicited activity in a neural network including the medial orbitofrontal cortex, putamen, pallidum, and ventral tegmental area--brain regions previously associated with positive affect and affiliation. Taken together, these findings suggest that the deliberate cultivation of compassion offers a new coping strategy that fosters positive affect even when confronted with the distress of others.

Published
2012
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54. Association of Self-reflection With Cognition and Brain Health in Cognitively Unimpaired Older Adults.

Author

Demnitz-King H, Gonneaud J, Klimecki OM, Chocat A, Collette F, Dautricourt S, Jessen F, Krolak-Salmon P, Lutz A, Morse RM, Molinuevo JL, Poisnel G, Touron E, Wirth M, Walker Z, Chételat G, and Marchant NL

Subjects
Aged, Amyloid beta-Peptides metabolism, Biomarkers metabolism, Brain diagnostic imaging, Brain metabolism, Cognition physiology, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Glucose metabolism, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Positron-Emission Tomography, Alzheimer Disease metabolism, Cognitive Dysfunction diagnostic imaging, Cognitive Dysfunction metabolism
Abstract

Background and Objectives: Self-reflection (the active evaluation of ones thoughts, feelings, and behaviors) can confer protection against adverse health outcomes. Its effect on markers sensitive to Alzheimer disease (AD), however, is unknown. The primary objective of this cross-sectional study was to examine the association between self-reflection and AD-sensitive markers., Methods: This study used baseline data from cognitively unimpaired older adults enrolled in the Age-Well clinical trial and older adults with subjective cognitive decline from the SCD-Well clinical trial. In both cohorts, self-reflection was measured via the reflective pondering subscale of the Rumination Response Scale, global cognition assessed via the Preclinical Alzheimer's Cognitive Composite 5, and a modified late-life Lifestyle-for-Brain-Health (LIBRA) index computed to assess health and lifestyle factors. In Age-Well, glucose metabolism and amyloid deposition were quantified in AD-sensitive gray matter regions via fluorodeoxyglucose- and AV45-PET scans, respectively. Associations between self-reflection and AD-sensitive markers (global cognition, glucose metabolism, and amyloid deposition) were assessed via unadjusted and adjusted regressions. Furthermore, we explored whether associations were independent of health and lifestyle factors. To control for multiple comparisons in Age-Well, false discovery rate-corrected p values ( p FDR ) are reported., Results: A total of 134 (mean age 69.3 ± 3.8 years, 61.9% women) Age-Well and 125 (mean age 72.6 ± 6.9 years, 65.6% women) SCD-Well participants were included. Across unadjusted and adjusted analyses, self-reflection was associated with better global cognition in both cohorts (Age-Well: adjusted-β = 0.22, 95% CI 0.05-0.40, p FDR = 0.041; SCD-Well: adjusted-β = 0.18, 95% CI 0.03-0.33, p = 0.023) and with higher glucose metabolism in Age-Well after adjustment for all covariates (adjusted-β = 0.29, 95% CI 0.03-0.55, p FDR = 0.041). Associations remained following additional adjustment for LIBRA but did not survive false discovery rate (FDR) correction. Self-reflection was not associated with amyloid deposition (adjusted-β = 0.13, 95% CI -0.07 to 0.34, p FDR = 0.189)., Discussion: Self-reflection was associated with better global cognition in 2 independent cohorts and with higher glucose metabolism after adjustment for covariates. There was weak evidence that relationships were independent from health and lifestyle behaviors. Longitudinal and experimental studies are warranted to elucidate whether self-reflection helps preserve cognition and glucose metabolism or whether reduced capacity to self-reflect is a harbinger of cognitive decline and glucose hypometabolism., Trial Registration Information: Age-Well: NCT02977819; SCD-Well: NCT03005652., (© 2022 American Academy of Neurology.)

Published
2022
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