Analysis on the Influence of Mindfulness Based Compassion Meditation Program for Elderly Women’s Brain Activation and Stress, Who Experienced Loss of Spouse
April 30, 2016 DOI: 10.5762/kais.2016.17.4.312 (opens in new tab) via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA 16-week mindfulness-based compassion meditation program, involving weekly 60-minute sessions, increased brain activity and reduced stress in elderly women aged 65–75 who had lost a spouse. In the experimental group of 30 women, the Activity Quotient (a measure of mental function and behavior tendency) increased in the right hemisphere, and the AntiStress Quotient (a measure of physical and mental relaxation) increased in the left hemisphere, compared to a control group of 30 women. The program was designed to integrate body and mind through compassion meditation aimed at developing love, sympathy, and compassion.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 60 |
| Population | Elderly women aged 65-75 years in Y county who experienced loss of spouse |
| Intervention | Mindfulness Based Compassion Meditation Program |
| Duration | 16-week intervention |
| Keywords | Psychology Medicine |
| Key finding | The mindfulness-based compassion meditation program increased the Activity Quotient in the right hemisphere and the AntiStress Quotient in the left hemisphere of elderly women who lost a spouse. |
Abstract
This study examined the influence of a Mindfulness Based Compassion Meditation Program on the brain activation and stress of elderly women who experienced loss of spouse using 2 channel EEG (Electroencephalography). The total number of subjects was 60, consisting of elderly women aged from 65~ 75years of in Y county; 30 in the experimental group and 30 in the control group who were checked by EEG before and after the study. The study was conducted from August to November, 2015. The Mindfulness Based Compassion Meditation Program was designed for the convergence of body and mind integration with compassion meditation for the purpose of developing love, sympathy, and compassion. The treatment was conducted once a week, for 60 minutes at a time, over a period of 16 weeks. The results in the experimental group showed an increase in the Activity Quotient (ATQ) Rt(82.51/85.83, p<.013) and AntiStress Quotient (ASQ) Lt (74.711/71.17, p<.050). The Activity Quotient shows the mental function and behavior tendency in the brain, while the AntiStress Quotient shows the state of physical and mental relaxation. The Mindfulness Based Compassion Meditation Program was shown to influence the brain activation and stress of the elderly women using the practical application of neuroscience.