Hi Carol- An interesting study. Thanks for sharing it. However, I do have some concern about the selection of subjects in this experiment. The authors say that, ". Exclusion criteria included concurrent diagnosis of other psychiatric or neurological illness, significant cognitive impairment, and substance abuse." It's that "substance abuse" part that raised a red flag for me. Did they mean current substance abuse or any previous history of substance abuse? If the former then they might have included former alcoholics who "found Jesus" and then abandoned alcohol use. Given that they mention, "Limitations include the geographically and religiously constrained nature of the sample (largely Southeastern Protestant Christians)" this might be an alternative interpretation given the well documented effects of ethanol on the hippocampus.
-Don. ----- Original Message ----- From: Carol DeVolder <[email protected]> Date: Sunday, June 26, 2011 10:13 am Subject: [tips] Religious Factors and Hippocampal Atrophy To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)" <[email protected]> > 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 > HippocampalAtrophy 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 > participantsreporting a life-changing religious experience. > Significantly greater > hippocampal atrophy was also observed from baseline to final > assessmentamong 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 > clinicaloutcomes, 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=13157.966b795bc7f3ccb35e3da08aebe98f18&n=T&l=tips&o=11152or > send a blank email to > leave-11152-13157.966b795bc7f3ccb35e3da08aebe98...@fsulist.frostburg.edu Don Allen Retired professor Langara College --- 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=11159 or send a blank email to leave-11159-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
