How's your hippocampus?? On Sun, Jun 26, 2011 at 1:13 PM, Carol DeVolder <[email protected]>wrote:
> > I'd love to hear others' take on this: > http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0017006 > It is an article in PloS One entitled Religious Factors and Hippocampal > Atrophy in Late Life. > Here's the abstract: > > Despite a growing interest in the ways spiritual beliefs and practices are > reflected in brain activity, there have been relatively few studies using > neuroimaging data to assess potential relationships between religious > factors and structural neuroanatomy. This study examined prospective > relationships between religious factors and hippocampal volume change using > high-resolution MRI data of a sample of 268 older adults. Religious factors > assessed included life-changing religious experiences, spiritual practices, > and religious group membership. Hippocampal volumes were analyzed using the > GRID program, which is based on a manual point-counting method and allows > for semi-automated determination of region of interest volumes. > Significantly greater hippocampal atrophy was observed for participants > reporting a life-changing religious experience. Significantly greater > hippocampal atrophy was also observed from baseline to final assessment > among born-again Protestants, Catholics, and those with no religious > affiliation, compared with Protestants not identifying as born-again. These > associations were not explained by psychosocial or demographic factors, or > baseline cerebral volume. Hippocampal volume has been linked to clinical > outcomes, such as depression, dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease. The > findings of this study indicate that hippocampal atrophy in late life may be > uniquely influenced by certain types of religious factors. > > Carol > > > > > -- > Carol DeVolder, Ph.D. > Professor and Chair, Department of Psychology > St. Ambrose University > 518 West Locust Street > Davenport, Iowa 52803 > 563-333-6482 > > This e-mail might be confidential, so please don't share it. > > > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. > > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13152.d92d7ec47187a662aacda2d4b4c7628e&n=T&l=tips&o=11152 > > (It may be necessary to cut and paste the above URL if the line is broken) > > or send a blank email to > leave-11152-13152.d92d7ec47187a662aacda2d4b4c76...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > -- David K. Hogberg, PhD Professor of Psychology, Emeritus Department of Psychological Science Albion College Albion MI 49224 Tel: 517/629-4834 (Home and mobile) --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=11153 or send a blank email to leave-11153-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
