Full title: Adapting CBT for traumatized refugees and ethnic minority patients: examples from culturally adapted CBT (CA-CBT).

In this article, we illustrate how cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be adapted for the treatment of PTSD among traumatized refugees and ethnic minority populations, providing examples from our treatment, culturally adapted CBT, or CA-CBT. CA-CBT has a unique approach to exposure (typical exposure is poorly tolerated in these groups), emphasizes the treatment of somatic sensations (a particularly salient part of the presentation of PTSD in these groups), and addresses comorbid anxiety disorders and anger. To accomplish these treatment goals, CA-CBT emphasizes emotion exposure and emotion regulation techniques such as meditation and aims to promote emotional and psychological flexibility. We describe 12 key aspects of adapting CA-CBT that make it a culturally sensitive treatment of traumatized refugee and ethnic minority populations. We discuss three models that guide our treatment and that can be used to design culturally sensitive treatments: (a) the panic attack-PTSD model to illustrate the many processes that generate PTSD in these populations, highlighting the role of arousal and somatic symptoms; (b) the arousal triad to demonstrate how somatic symptoms are produced and the importance of targeting comorbid anxiety conditions and psychopathological processes; and (c) the multisystem network (MSN) model of emotional state to reveal how some of our therapeutic techniques (e.g., body-focused techniques: bodily stretching paired with self-statements) bring about psychological flexibility and improvement.

Transcult Psychiatry. 2012 Apr;49(2):340-65. Hinton DE, Rivera EI, Hofmann SG, Barlow DH, Otto MW. Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA. devon_hinton@hms.harvard.edu

Full title: A hypnotherapy intervention for the treatment of anxiety in patients with cancer receiving palliative care.

This pilot study aimed to assess the benefits of hypnotherapy in the management of anxiety and other symptoms, including depression and sleep disturbance, in palliative care patients with cancer. Eleven hospice patients received four sessions of hypnotherapy and completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System, and the Verran and Snyder-Halpern Scale at set time points. Wrist actigraphy also provided an objective assessment of sleep quality. After the second hypnotherapy session there was a statistically significant reduction in mean anxiety and symptom severity, but not in depression or sleep disturbance. After the fourth session there was a statistically significant reduction in all four patient-reported measures but not in actigraphy. These results offer evidence that hypnotherapy can reduce anxiety in palliative care patients, as well as improving sleep and the severity of psychological and physical symptoms. Further studies are needed to explore whether the observed benefits were a direct result of the hypnotherapy and how the intervention could most benefit this patient population.

Int J Palliat Nurs. 2012 Feb;18(2):69-75. Plaskota M, Lucas C, Evans R, Cook K, Pizzoferro K, Saini T. Princess Alice Hospice, Esher, Surrey, UK. marekplaskota@pah.org.uk

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Although the study of brain states is an old one in neuroscience, there has been growing interest in brain state specification owing to MRI studies tracing brain connectivity at rest. In this review, we summarize recent research on three relatively well-described brain states: the resting, alert, and meditation states. We explore the neural correlates of maintaining a state or switching between states, and argue that the anterior cingulate cortex and striatum play a critical role in state maintenance, whereas the insula has a major role in switching between states. Brain state may serve as a predictor of performance in a variety of perceptual, memory, and problem solving tasks. Thus, understanding brain states is critical for understanding human performance.

Trends Cogn Sci. 2012 Jun;16(6):330-7. Epub 2012 May 19. Tang YY, Rothbart MK, Posner MI. Texas Tech Neuroimaging Institute and Department of Psychology, Texas Tech University, TX 79409, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, OR 97403, USA; Institute of Neuroinformatics and Laboratory for Body and Mind, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.

BACKGROUND: The pain that women experience during labour is affected by multiple physiological and psychosocial factors and its intensity can vary greatly. Most women in labour require pain relief. Pain management strategies include non-pharmacological interventions (that aim to help women cope with pain in labour) and pharmacological interventions (that aim to relieve the pain of labour).

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Arlene Green has been actively teaching kinesiology since 1981. With a background in Health Education and Psychology, she is currently the senior instructor in the field on Touch for Health Kinesiology and Professional Kinesiology Practitioner Training in the U.S. She is a faculty member of the International Kinesiology College and the Director of the U.S., Kinesiology Training Institute of Chapel Hill. She has presented at International Conferences for Energy Psychology, ISSEEEM, NICABM, and TFH. Arlene is the author of The Top Ten Pain Releasers.

For more information, please visit http://www.USKinesiology.com.

Meditation techniques are increasingly popular practices that may be useful in preventing or reducing elevated blood pressure. We reviewed landmark studies and recent literature concerning the use of meditation for reducing blood pressure in pre-hypertensive and hypertensive individuals. We sought to highlight underlying assumptions, identify strengths and weaknesses of the research, and suggest avenues for further research, reporting of results, and dissemination of findings. Meditation techniques appear to produce small yet meaningful reductions in blood pressure either as monotherapy or in conjunction with traditional pharmacotherapy. Transcendental meditation and mindfulness-based stress reduction may produce clinically significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. More randomized clinical trials are necessary before strong recommendations regarding the use of meditation for high BP can be made.

Int J Hypertens. 2012;2012:578397. Epub 2012 Mar 5. Goldstein CM, Josephson R, Xie S, Hughes JW. Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA.

Studies in economic decision-making have demonstrated that individuals appreciate social values supporting equity and disapprove unfairness when distributing goods between two or more parties. However, this seems to critically depend on psychological mechanisms partly pertaining to the ingroup-outgroup distinction. Little is known as to what extent economic bargaining can be manipulated by means of psychological interventions such has hypnosis. Here we show that a hypnotic ingroup versus outgroup suggestion impacts the tolerance of unfairness in an Ultimatum Game. Specifically, the ingroup suggestion was associated with significantly greater acceptance rates of unfair offers than the outgroup suggestion, whereas hypnosis alone exerted only small effects on unfairness tolerance. These findings indicate that psychological interventions such as hypnotic suggestion can contribute to ingroup favoritism and outgroup rejection.

Conscious Cogn. 2012 Jun;21(2):939-46 Brüne M, Tas C, Wischniewski J, Welpinghus A, Heinisch C, Newen A. Research Department of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry and Psychiatric Preventive Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Cognitive Evolution, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany.

Hypnosis is a mental state or set of attitudes usually induced by a procedure known as hypnotic induction. In order to provide the basic physiological conditions for potentially successful hypnosis treatment of medical and psychological problems, the determination of a subject's hypnotizability level is important. Currently, the hypnotizability level is determined using different standard subjective tests. To avoid the different drawbacks of these subjective clinical tests, a practical objective method based on the correlation between electroencephalograph (EEG) phase synchronization and hypnosis susceptibility levels is presented in this study. This method can be used by clinicians instead of the traditional subjective methods to classify hypnotizability level. Thirty-two subjects with different hypnosis susceptibility levels contributed to this research. Using statistical analyses, it was concluded that, in highly hypnotizable people, the EEG phase synchronization between different paired channels, located on the frontal lobe, is significantly different from that in subjects with medium or low hypnotizability.

Med Eng Technol. 2012 May;36(4):222-9. Epub 2012 Mar 23. Baghdadi G, Nasrabadi AM. Biomedical Engineering Department, Shahed University, Across Emam Khomeini Holy Shrine, Persian Gulf Highway, Tehran, Iran.

John H. Diepold is a licensed psychologist with over 25 years experience. Dr. Diepold is the senior author of Evolving Thought Field Therapy: The Clincian's Handbook of Diagnoses, Treatment, and Theory (Diepold, Britt, and Bender; 2004). He is the originator of the Touch-and-Breathe (TAB) treatment method, the concept and treatment of positive thoughts and feelings (Elaters), and other theory related concepts in Energy Psychology. Dr. Diepold is a teaching partner with the BDB Group and has trained therapists nationally and internationally in Evolving Thought Field Therapy (EvTFT). Dr. Diepold has a clinical practice in Moorestown, NJ where he specializes in the treatment of traumatic disorders, pain, and stress management, trichotillomania, and sports/performance enhancement. He is a member of the APA, NJPA, SCEH, and a Diplomate with ACEP.

http://www.TFTworldwide.com.

Full title: Meditate to create: the impact of focused-attention and open-monitoring training on convergent and divergent thinking.

The practice of meditation has seen a tremendous increase in the western world since the 60s. Scientific interest in meditation has also significantly grown in the past years; however, so far, it has neglected the idea that different type of meditations may drive specific cognitive-control states. In this study we investigate the possible impact of meditation based on focused-attention (FA) and meditation based on open-monitoring (OM) on creativity tasks tapping into convergent and divergent thinking. We show that FA meditation and OM meditation exert specific effect on creativity. First, OM meditation induces a control state that promotes divergent thinking, a style of thinking that allows many new ideas of being generated. Second, FA meditation does not sustain convergent thinking, the process of generating one possible solution to a particular problem. We suggest that the enhancement of positive mood induced by meditating has boosted the effect in the first case and counteracted in the second case.

Front Psychol. 2012;3:116. Epub 2012 Apr 18. Colzato LS, Ozturk A, Hommel B. Institute for Psychological Research and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Leiden, Netherlands.

In the present study, the authors factor-analyzed responses from 1,141 American undergraduate students to the Valencia Scale of Attitudes and Beliefs Toward Hypnosis-Client Version. They obtained an 8-factor solution accounting for 66% of the total variance in responses. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated acceptable fit of their model and those reported earlier by Carvalho et al. (2007) and Capafons, Mendoza, et al. (2008) using Portuguese and international samples, respectively. Unlike previous factor analyses of the scale, the authors obtained an independent clusters solution. Distinctions between the authors' model and those reported previously are discussed.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2012 Jan;54(3):167-78. Green JP, Houts CR, Capafons A. The Ohio State University at Lima, 4240 Campus Drive, Lima, OH 45804, USA. green.301@osu.edu

Two experiments examined the relation between mindfulness practice and cognitive rigidity by using a variation of the Einstellung water jar task. Participants were required to use three hypothetical jars to obtain a specific amount of water. Initial problems were solvable by the same complex formula, but in later problems ("critical" or "trap" problems) solving was possible by an additional much simpler formula. A rigidity score was compiled through perseverance of the complex formula. In Experiment 1, experienced mindfulness meditators received significantly lower rigidity scores than non-meditators who had registered for their first meditation retreat. Similar results were obtained in randomized controlled Experiment 2 comparing non-meditators who underwent an eight meeting mindfulness program with a waiting list group. The authors conclude that mindfulness meditation reduces cognitive rigidity via the tendency to be "blinded" by experience. Results are discussed in light of the benefits of mindfulness practice regarding a reduced tendency to overlook novel and adaptive ways of responding due to past experience, both in and out of the clinical setting.

PLoS One. 2012;7(5):e36206. Epub 2012 May 15. Greenberg J, Reiner K, Meiran N. Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.

Full title: Meditation increases the depth of information processing and improves the allocation of attention in space.

During meditation, practitioners are required to center their attention on a specific object for extended periods of time. When their thoughts get diverted, they learn to quickly disengage from the distracter. We hypothesized that learning to respond to the dual demand of engaging attention on specific objects and disengaging quickly from distracters enhances the efficiency by which meditation practitioners can allocate attention. We tested this hypothesis in a global-to-local task while measuring electroencephalographic activity from a group of eight highly trained Buddhist monks and nuns and a group of eight age and education matched controls with no previous meditation experience. Specifically, we investigated the effect of attentional training on the global precedence effect, i.e., faster detection of targets on a global than on a local level. We expected to find a reduced global precedence effect in meditation practitioners but not in controls, reflecting that meditators can more quickly disengage their attention from the dominant global level. Analysis of reaction times confirmed this prediction. To investigate the underlying changes in brain activity and their time course, we analyzed event-related potentials. Meditators showed an enhanced ability to select the respective target level, as reflected by enhanced processing of target level information. In contrast with control group, which showed a local target selection effect only in the P1 and a global target selection effect in the P3 component, meditators showed effects of local information processing in the P1, N2, and P3 and of global processing for the N1,N2, and P3. Thus, meditators seem to display enhanced depth of processing. In addition, meditation altered the uptake of information such that meditators selected target level information earlier in the processing sequence than controls. In a longitudinal experiment, we could replicate the behavioral effects, suggesting that meditation modulates attention already after a 4-day meditation retreat. Together, these results suggest that practicing meditation enhances the speed with which attention can be allocated and relocated, thus increasing the depth of information processing and reducing response latency.

Front Hum Neurosci. 2012;6:133. Epub 2012 May 15. van Leeuwen S, Singer W, Melloni L. Department of Neurophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Ciguatera toxicity is a poisoning from consuming reef fish that had fed on dinoflagellates such as Gambierdiscus toxicus found along coral reefs. The toxin is oil soluble, odorless, colorless, tasteless, heat stable, and is concentrated in larger carnivorous fish such as amberjack, barracuda, eel, grouper, red snapper, sea bass, and Spanish mackerel. Onset of symptoms is usually within 6-12 hours after ingestion. Gastrointestinal symptoms lasting 1-2 days include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Neurological symptoms may persist for weeks or several months or--rarely--years and include circumoral and extremity paresthesias, temperature sensation reversal, itching, weakness, ataxia, and others. A patient with burning hands and feet who had not found relief using other methods had diagnosis of ciguatera toxicity assisted by hypnotically refreshed memory followed by rapid relief with hypnotic suggestions in 1 session and remained free of symptoms.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2012 Jan;54(3):179-83. Laser ED, Shenefelt PD. Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, MDC 079, College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.

Steve B, Reed has been working in the field of social work and psychotherapy for over 30 years. Steve is the developer of the REMAP process, an energy psychology method that breaks new ground within this rapidly evolving paradigm. He currently provides professional training in the REMAP process, EFT and NLP. He is past member of the board of the ACEP directors and has presented at the 1st, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th EPC-I, as well as at Toronto and the Southeastern EP Conferences. Steve is a Diplomat in Comprehensive Energy Psychology. He has also been a member of the Amerian Spreakers Association, North Texas Speakers Association, Texas Integrative Practitioners Association, AAMFT, Academy of Bio-Energetic and Integrative Medicine and the Texas Counseling Association.

For more information, please visit http://www.psychotherapy-center.com

Experiential factors shape the neural circuits underlying social and emotional behavior from the prenatal period to the end of life. These factors include both incidental influences, such as early adversity, and intentional influences that can be produced in humans through specific interventions designed to promote prosocial behavior and well-being. Here we review important extant evidence in animal models and humans. Although the precise mechanisms of plasticity are still not fully understood, moderate to severe stress appears to increase the growth of several sectors of the amygdala, whereas the effects in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex tend to be opposite. Structural and functional changes in the brain have been observed with cognitive therapy and certain forms of meditation and lead to the suggestion that well-being and other prosocial characteristics might be enhanced through training.

Nat Neurosci. 2012 Apr 15;15(5):689-95. doi: 10.1038/nn.3093. Davidson RJ, McEwen BS. Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior and Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. rjdavids@wisc.edu

This case series evaluated the use of virtual reality hypnosis (VRH) for the treatment of pain associated with multiple fractures from traumatic injuries. VRH treatment was administered on 2 consecutive days, and pain and anxiety were assessed each day before and after VRH treatment as well as on Day 3, which was 24 hours after the second treatment session. Pain reduction from baseline to Day 3 was from 70% to 30%, despite opioid analgesic use remaining stable. The subjective pain reduction reported by patients was encouraging, and the results of this case series suggest the importance of further study of VRH with larger samples using randomized controlled trials.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2012 Jan;54(3):184-94. Teeley AM, Soltani M, Wiechman SA, Jensen MP, Sharar SR, Patterson DR. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Harborview Medical Center, 325 Ninth Avenue, Box 359612, Seattle, WA 98104, USA.

As scientists advance knowledge of the brain and develop technologies to measure, evaluate, and manipulate brain function, numerous questions arise for religious adherents. If neuroscientists can conclusively establish that there is a functional network between neural impulses and an individual's capacity for moral evaluation of situations, this will naturally lead to questions about the relationship between such a network and constructions of moral value and ethical human behavior. For example, if cognitive neuroscience can show that there is a neurophysiological basis for the moral appraisal of situations, it may be argued that the world's religions, which have traditionally been the keepers and purveyors of ethical values, are rendered either spurious or irrelevant. The questions point up broader dilemmas in the interface between science and religion, and raise concerns about the ethics of neurological research and experimentation. Since human beings will still arbitrate what is "moral" or "ethical," how can religious perspectives enrich the dialogue on neuroethical issues and how can neuroscience enrich dialogue on religion? Buddhist views on the nature of consciousness and methods of practice, especially meditation practice, may contribute to discussions on neuroscience and theories about the interrelationship between consciousness and ethical awareness by exploring the role that karma, intentionality, and compassion play in Buddhist understandings of the interrelationship between consciousness and ethics.

Sci Eng Ethics. 2012 May 23. Tsomo KL. University of San Diego, Theology and Religious Studies, San Diego, CA, USA, ktsomo@sandiego.edu.

Thumbsucking is a common habit among younger children. Usually, the child outgrows this habit by age 6. When a child over the age of 6 continues to suck his or her thumb, it can be a cause of potential harm due to peer pressure, ridicule, and shunning. It can also lead to malocclusions requiring eventual orthodontic interventions. In this case study, the author demonstrates a hypnotic intervention in a 7-year-old girl. Validation of her habit and imaging a role model sucking her thumb were employed in trance. Using this approach, the child was able to end her dependence on thumbsucking in 1 session.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2012 Jan;54(3):195-201. Grayson DN. Dental Hypnosis Center of New Jersey, 1020 Littleton Road, Parsippany, NJ 07054, USA. dr@graysondds.com

Betsy B. Muller, holistic coach, educator, and speaker, is the founder and President of The Indigo Connection LLC, a company dedicated to providing business owners and individuals with solutions for prosperity, application of spiritual leadership principles and health-enhancing energy balance tools. Betsy's work experience has included medical practice management, healthcare sales and marketing, human resources, government affairs, real estate planning, wellness education, financial management and biochemical research & development. Betsy's past employers include PPG practice integrating alternative and convectional medicine. Ms. Muller earned a BA in Chemistry from the College of Wooster and an MBA in systems Management from Baldwin Wallace College. She is a certified Medical Office Manager, Certified Energy Coach and an ordained minister. She will soon complete the ACEP certification as Energy Health Practitioner.

For more information, please visit www.theindigoconnection.com.

Full title: Meditation-State Functional Connectivity (msFC): Strengthening of the Dorsal Attention Network and Beyond.

Meditation practice alters intrinsic resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in the default mode network (DMN). However, little is known regarding the effects of meditation on other resting-state networks. The aim of current study was to investigate the effects of meditation experience and meditation-state functional connectivity (msFC) on multiple resting-state networks (RSNs). Meditation practitioners (MPs) performed two 5-minute scans, one during rest, one while meditating. A meditation naïve control group (CG) underwent one resting-state scan. Exploratory regression analyses of the relations between years of meditation practice and rsFC and msFC were conducted. During resting-state, MP as compared to CG exhibited greater rsFC within the Dorsal Attention Network (DAN). Among MP, meditation, as compared to rest, strengthened FC between the DAN and DMN and Salience network whereas it decreased FC between the DAN, dorsal medial PFC, and insula. Regression analyses revealed positive correlations between the number of years of meditation experience and msFC between DAN, thalamus, and anterior parietal sulcus, whereas negative correlations between DAN, lateral and superior parietal, and insula. These findings suggest that the practice of meditation strengthens FC within the DAN as well as strengthens the coupling between distributed networks that are involved in attention, self-referential processes, and affective response.

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:680407. Epub 2012 Feb 12. Froeliger B, Garland EL, Kozink RV, Modlin LA, Chen NK, McClernon FJ, Greeson JM, Sobin P. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27708, USA.