Exposure to negative socio-emotional events induces sustained alteration of resting-state brain networks in older adults

 You don't want this to worsen your brain more than it already is.

Exposure to negative socio-emotional events induces sustained alteration of resting-state brain networks in older adults

• Sebastian Baez-Lugo,
• Yacila I. Deza-Araujo,
• Christel Maradan,
• Fabienne Collette,
• Antoine Lutz,
• Natalie L. Marchant,
• Gaël Chételat,
• Patrik Vuilleumier,
• Olga Klimecki &
• Medit-Ageing Research Group

Nature Aging volume 3, pages105–120 (2023) Cite this article

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Abstract

Basic emotional functions seem well preserved in older adults. However, their reactivity to and recovery from socially negative events remain poorly characterized. To address this, we designed a ‘task–rest’ paradigm in which 182 participants from two independent experiments underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while exposed to socio-emotional videos. Experiment 1 (N = 55) validated the task in young and older participants and unveiled age-dependent effects on brain activity and connectivity that predominated in resting periods after (rather than during) negative social scenes. Crucially, emotional elicitation potentiated subsequent resting-state connectivity between default mode network and amygdala exclusively in older adults. Experiment 2 replicated these results in a large older adult cohort (N = 127) and additionally showed that emotion-driven changes in posterior default mode network–amygdala connectivity were associated with anxiety, rumination and negative thoughts. These findings uncover the neural dynamics of empathy-related functions in older adults and help understand its relationship to poor social stress recovery.

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Nature Exposure Triggers Brain Reset

 Didn't your competent? doctor tell you about forest bathing AND had the therapist get you walking in nature? NO? So, ALL your stroke medical 'professionals' ARE COMPLETELY FUCKING INCOMPETENT?

• forest bathing (33 posts to September 2015)

Nature Exposure Triggers Brain Reset

Summary: Spending time in nature isn’t just a pleasant pastime; it triggers a measurable physiological and neurological “reset” in the brain. A comprehensive review of over 100 brain-imaging studies demonstrates that connecting with the natural world shifts brain activity toward restoration and relaxation.

By synthesizing decades of research, scientists identified a cascading pattern—from eased sensory processing to quieted mental rumination—that explains why even brief encounters with nature are so effective at combating stress and restoring attention.

Key Facts

• The Three-Minute Threshold: As little as three minutes in a natural environment can lead to measurable changes in brain activity, though longer immersion yields stronger, more lasting effects.
• Amygdala Deactivation: Nature exposure moves the body out of “fight-or-flight” mode, specifically reducing activity in the amygdala (the brain’s threat-detection center).
• Sensory Ease: Fractal patterns found in nature (like leaves or waves) are easier for the brain to process than the dense, fast-paced stimuli of urban or digital environments.
• Restorative Attention: Nature allows task-driven attention to rest, shifting the brain into a restorative mode where focus is gently guided by the environment.
• Quieting Rumination: Brain networks linked to repetitive, self-focused thinking become less active in nature, helping to settle “mental clutter.”

Source: McGill University

Spending time in nature, even briefly, triggers changes in the brain that calm stress, restore attention and quiet mental clutter, a new study has found.

Researchers at McGill University and colleagues at Adolfo Ibáñez University in Chile have examined more than 100 brain-imaging studies from various disciplines. The result is one of the most comprehensive reviews to date of how the brain responds to nature.

The findings add neuroscientific weight to the emerging field of nature connectedness, which seeks to better understand how humans relate to the natural world, an experience long recognized across cultures as central to well-being.

“We know intuitively that nature feels good, but neuroscience gives us a language that lends credibility to shaping decisions about how nature is considered in health policy and the spaces we build,” said co-lead author Mar Estarellas, a postdoctoral researcher in the Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University.

Four signs of a more settled brain

By synthesizing results from a wide range of studies, the researchers identified what they call a cascading pattern in how the brain responds to nature:

• Shift in sensory processing: Fractal patterns in nature are easier for the brain to process and require less mental effort than the fast-paced and visually dense stimuli found in cities or online.
• Stress systems settle: As sensory load eases, the body shifts out of fight-or-flight mode. Heart rate slows, breathing deepens and brain regions involved in threat detection, such as the amygdala, show reduced activity.
• Attention restores itself: With stress reduced, the task-driven attention used in everyday life gives way to a more restorative mode of attention guided by the environment.
• Mental rumination quiets: Brain networks linked to repetitive self-focused thinking become less active, supporting a calmer sense of self.

What counts as ‘being in nature’?

Nature exposure exists along a spectrum, from time spent in parks or near water to full immersion in forests or waterfalls. It also extends to smaller encounters, such as keeping plants at home or looking at pictures of nature.

“As little as three minutes in a natural environment can lead to measurable changes, but more immersive, real-world experiences and longer exposure are generally associated with stronger and longer-lasting effects,” Estarellas said.

Nature as a mental reset

With concerns mounting about excessive screen time, Estarellas said the findings suggest nature offers a kind of mental reset that a digital detox alone can’t provide.

The evidence also supports movements toward green urban design and “social prescribing,” where doctors recommend time in nature.

“There’s also a broader societal impact,” said Estarellas. “Research shows people who feel more connected to nature tend to show more pro-environmental behaviour. Caring for nature and caring for ourselves aren’t separate, they reinforce each other.”

Funding: The study was supported by a grant from Mind & Life Institute.

Key Questions Answered:

Q: Is looking at a photo of a forest the same as being there?

A: Exposure exists on a spectrum. While looking at pictures or keeping houseplants can trigger minor positive changes, the study found that full, real-world immersion (like walking in a park or sitting by water) provides the most significant and long-lasting neurological benefits.

Q: Can “social prescribing” replace traditional therapy?

A: It’s an powerful tool in the kit. More doctors are now “prescribing” nature as a mental reset. The research shows that nature provides a specific kind of recovery from screen-induced fatigue that a simple digital detox cannot achieve on its own.

Q: Why does nature feel so much “easier” on the brain?

A: Because of fractals. Nature is filled with repeating, complex patterns that our brains are evolutionarily designed to process with minimal effort. Urban environments and screens, by contrast, are visually “loud” and force the brain into a constant state of high-alert processing.

Editorial Notes:

• This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.
• Journal paper reviewed in full.
• Additional context added by our staff.

About this neuroscience research news

Author: Aurelie Boucher
Source: McGill University
Contact: Aurelie Boucher – McGill University
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News

Original Research: Open access.
“Your brain on nature: A scoping review of the neuroscience of nature exposure” by Constanza Baquedano, Antonia Olguín, Luis Sebastian Contreras-Huerta, Fernando E. Rosas, and Mar Estarellas. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
DOI:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106565

10 wise lessons from ancient Greek philosophers to help you become a more resilient person

Since your doctor completely failed at getting you recovered, you're going have to build massive amounts of resilience to get thru life disabled. 

10 wise lessons from ancient Greek philosophers to help you become a more resilient person

Ever heard of the ancient philosophers from ancient Greece? You know, the ones who would sit around, think deep thoughts, and then share their wisdom with the world.

Well, we’re going to take a trip back in time to learn from them.

But hold on, this isn’t just another boring history lesson.

We’re here to discover ten surprising life lessons from these Greek philosophers.

And these aren’t just any lessons, these are tips to make us tougher and more able to handle whatever life throws at us.

These ancient Greek thinkers had a special way of looking at life.

They didn’t just accept things as they were. Instead, they asked questions, turned ideas upside down and inside out until they understood them better.

And guess what?

A lot of what they said still makes sense today.

But here’s the thing: some of the lessons might seem strange at first.

They aren’t the usual ‘stay positive’ or ‘work hard’ advice we’re used to hearing.

These philosophers had a different approach.

They wanted us to think differently, to see things from new perspectives.

And once we get what they’re trying to say, we can use their wisdom to become stronger and more resilient.

So are you ready for this journey into the past? Let’s go!

1. Embrace Change – Heraclitus

I embraced my stroke. My story; I would still be leading a life of quiet desperation.

Why my stroke was the best thing to ever happen to me

 

Heraclitus, a philosopher famous for his doctrine of change, once said, “The only thing that is constant is change.”

Sounds simple, right?

But when you think about it, it’s pretty deep. Here’s what he meant: everything in life—people, situations, even you—is always changing. And that’s okay.

We often resist change because it’s scary or uncomfortable. But Heraclitus tells us to accept it and roll with it.

Why?

Because fighting change is like trying to swim against a strong current—it’s exhausting and gets you nowhere.

So next time life throws a curveball at you, remember Heraclitus. Don’t waste energy fighting the change. Instead, embrace it and adapt. This might be tough at first, but with time, you’ll find yourself becoming stronger and more resilient to life’s ever-changing conditions.

2. Know Yourself – Socrates

Here comes Socrates with his famous saying: “Know thyself.”

Now, before you roll your eyes and think, “Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that one before,” hold on a second.

Socrates wasn’t just talking about knowing your favorite color or what kind of pizza toppings you like. He meant something much deeper.

Knowing yourself is about understanding your strengths and weaknesses. It’s about knowing what makes you tick, what gets you fired up, and what brings you down.

But why is this important?

Well, when you know yourself really well, you’re less likely to be knocked off balance by life’s challenges.

For example, if you know that you’re naturally a worrier, then when something stressful happens, you won’t panic or think there’s something wrong with you.

Instead, you’ll say to yourself: “Okay, this is just my worry kicking in. It’s not helpful right now, so I’m going to use some stress-busting techniques.”

So take some time to really get to know yourself. Not only will it make you more resilient in the face of adversity, but it’ll also make your life a whole lot more meaningful.

3. The Middle Way – Aristotle

Aristotle, another heavyweight in the world of philosophy, was all about balance. He talked about something he called the ‘Golden Mean,’ or finding the middle way.

This isn’t about being average or settling for less. It’s about understanding that going to extremes—whether too much or too little—can lead to problems.

Here’s a personal example: I used to think that working super hard was the key to success. So I’d work all day, skipping meals, and barely sleeping. Then one day, I collapsed from exhaustion. It was a wake-up call.

I remembered Aristotle’s Golden Mean and realized I had swung too far to one extreme. So, I started making changes. I set boundaries for my work hours, took regular breaks, and made sure I got plenty of sleep and good food. It wasn’t easy at first—I had a lot of old habits to break—but with time, I found my balance.

The result?

I’m not just healthier; I’m also more resilient. Because now, when life gets tough or extra busy, I know how to take care of myself so that I don’t burn out again. So remember Aristotle’s Golden Mean: it’s not about going to extremes; it’s about finding your balance.

4. Question Everything – Socrates (Again!)

Yes, Socrates is back again with another gem: “Question everything.”

But before you think he wanted us to become annoying skeptics, let’s clear up what he really meant.

Socrates believed in the power of questioning as a tool for learning and growing. He felt that by questioning our beliefs and assumptions, we could reach a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

This approach to learning and understanding is still used today in what is known as the Socratic Method. It’s a popular teaching strategy used in many law schools where students learn through asking and answering questions.

So how does this help us become more resilient?

Well, when we question our fears or doubts instead of accepting them at face value, we can often find that they’re not as scary or insurmountable as we first thought. This gives us the courage to face challenges head-on, making us stronger and more resilient in the process.

5. The Art of Acceptance – Epictetus

I have pretty much accepted that half my life will be differently abled, but that's ok since I'm going to slide into that grave in a cloud of dust.  

Part of my Hunter S. Thompson journey;
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”

Epictetus, a former slave turned philosopher, had a lot to say about the art of acceptance. He once said, “We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them.” This is a powerful lesson in resilience.

Life can be tough. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, things go wrong. People disappoint us, plans fail, and dreams shatter. It’s in these moments that Epictetus’ wisdom truly shines.

He teaches us that while we may not have control over what happens to us, we always have control over how we react. We can let our hardships embitter us, or we can choose to accept them and learn from them.

Acceptance isn’t about giving up or admitting defeat. It’s about acknowledging reality and choosing to persevere regardless. It’s about saying: “This is tough. This hurts. But I won’t let it break me.”

Learning to accept life’s challenges rather than fight against them doesn’t make the pain any less real, but it does make the burden a little lighter.

It builds resilience, giving us the strength to keep going even when the road gets tough.

6. The Value of Friendship – Aristotle

Aristotle had a lot to say about friendship. He believed that it was one of the most important aspects of a good and fulfilling life. Now, you might be thinking, “What does this have to do with resilience?” Well, stick with me and I’ll show you.

Several years ago, I went through a really tough time. I had lost my job and was struggling to find a new one. My confidence was low, and I felt like I was stuck in a rut.

That’s when my friends stepped in. They were there for me, offering kind words, practical help, and even some much-needed distractions. They cheered me on during my job hunt, celebrated with me when I finally landed a new job, and were there to catch me on the days when everything felt too hard.

This experience taught me firsthand the value of Aristotle’s lesson about friendship. Having a solid support system doesn’t just make life more enjoyable; it also makes us more resilient.

So cherish your friends, lean on them when you’re struggling, and be there for them in their time of need. Because when life gets tough, having friends by your side can make all the difference.7. Embrace Mortality – Socrates

Here’s a challenging lesson from Socrates: “He who is not a good servant will not be a good master.” Essentially, Socrates is reminding us that life is fleeting, and death is inevitable.

Talking about death isn’t exactly a bucket of laughs. But stick with me here because this is important.

You see, the fact that we’re not going to be here forever can actually be a powerful motivator. It can help us make the most of the time we do have and live our lives to the fullest.

Sure, life can be hard. It can knock us down and leave us feeling like we’ve been hit by a bus. But when we remember that our time here is limited, it can spur us to get back up and keep fighting. It can make us more resilient because it reminds us that every moment, even the tough ones, are precious.

So don’t shy away from Socrates’ lesson on mortality.

Embrace it.

Let it fuel you to live your life with passion, resilience, and an unwavering determination to make every moment count.

8. Pursuit of Knowledge – Plato

Plato, a student of Socrates, was big on knowledge. He once said, “Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind.” Basically, Plato believed that learning shouldn’t be forced. Instead, it should be a natural and enjoyable process.

Plato’s philosophy on education has greatly influenced modern teaching techniques. His belief in learning through questioning and critical thinking rather than memorization is still a cornerstone in many educational systems today.

But how does this relate to resilience?

Well, when we’re passionate about learning and open to gaining new knowledge, we become more adaptable. We’re better equipped to handle new challenges because we have a wealth of knowledge to draw from.

9. Living a Simple Life – Diogenes

Diogenes was one heck of a character. He was known for his extreme frugality and commitment to living a simple life.Now, before you start picturing a cave-dwelling hermit, let me clarify.

Diogenes wasn’t about denying oneself of all pleasures or living in abject poverty. He was about understanding what we truly need to be happy and fulfilled, and often, it’s a lot less than we think.

Take it from me. A few years ago, I was caught up in the rat race. I worked a job I didn’t like to buy things I didn’t need. I was stressed, unhappy, and far from resilient.

Then I came across Diogenes’ teachings about simplicity. Inspired, I started making changes. I decluttered my home, pursued a job I loved even though it paid less, and started spending more time doing things that genuinely made me happy.

The result?

My life became less stressful and more fulfilling. And the best part? I became more resilient. With less clutter and unnecessary stress in my life, I found it easier to bounce back from setbacks.

So don’t underestimate the power of simplicity. It can not only make your life more peaceful but also make you a stronger, more resilient person.

10. The Power of Now – Zeno of Citium

I never ruminate about the past stroke and the changes it forced me to make. I'm all about doing things now.

Zeno of Citium, the founder of Stoicism, preached a lot about the importance of living in the present. He believed that most of our worries and anxieties come from either dwelling on the past or fearing the future.

He was onto something.

How many times have we lost sleep over something we did or didn’t do in the past? Or wasted hours worrying about something that may or may not happen in the future?

I’m guessing a lot.

But we can’t change the past, and we can’t predict the future. The only thing we truly have control over is the present. So why waste it with worry and regret?

Learning to live in the now doesn’t mean ignoring the past or not planning for the future. It’s about not letting these things rob you of your present happiness. It’s about learning to appreciate and make the most of each moment.

This mindset can make us more resilient because it helps us to focus on what’s in front of us, deal with challenges as they come, and not get overwhelmed by past regrets or future anxieties.So take it from Zeno: embrace the present. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.

And there you have it—ten counterintuitive but wise lessons from ancient Greek philosophers to help you become a more resilient person. These lessons may be thousands of years old, but their wisdom is timeless. So give them a try and watch as they transform your life one moment at a time.

Nature can get it out of your mind: The rumination reducing effects of contact with nature and the mediating role of awe and mood

It is completely and totally your doctor's responsibility to prevent this negative thinking(rumination, anxiety, depression, worry, brooding). All this is easily addressed by your doctor HAVING EXACT STROKE REHAB PROTOCOLS LEADING TO 100% RECOVERY. 

YOUR DOCTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY!

They should have known enough to call this by the correct name; 'forest bathing'.  At least the mentors and senior researchers should have been competent enough to know about forest bathing.

Nature can get it out of your mind: The rumination reducing effects of contact with nature and the mediating role of awe and mood

Author links open overlay panel

, ,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101489Get rights and content

Abstract

Evidence has been found that contact with nature may reduce rumination in healthy individuals living in urban environments. This paper aims at i) testing whether one may replicate previous findings using a shorter duration of nature exposure, and ii) explore the possibility that a shift in attention away from self (notably induced by the emotion of awe), leading to mood restoration, may mediate such nature-rumination relationship.

We showed that a walk as short as 30-min in an urban park significantly reduced ruminative thinking in healthy participants, whereas a 30-min walk along a city transect devoid from natural elements did not. Also, we showed that the “walk in nature” significantly reduced negative mood and elicited more awe and more externally oriented thoughts than the “walk in city”. Our mediation analysis did not show any direct effect of contact with nature on rumination levels. Instead, it showed that the more awe participants experienced while walking, the more negative affect was reduced, which then lead to reduced rumination. Also, our mediation analysis showed that nature can affect rumination via mood improvement only and irrespective of awe.

This study adds to previous research supporting the so-called “psychological ecosystem services” and calls for additional efforts aimed at exploring the extent to, and mechanism(s), by which contact with nature may affect rumination, notably in clinical populations.

Introduction

Rumination is one of the most maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and a key vulnerability factor of mental illness (Nolen-Hoeksema, Wisco, & Lyubomirsky, 2008). This persistent and repetitive pattern of self-focused thinking, which includes analyzing reasons for negative mood and failure (Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991), is known to impair thinking, problem solving, and instrumental behavior (Watkins & Brown, 2002), while also predicting substance abuse (Skitch & Abela, 2008), eating disorders (Rawal, Park, & Williams, 2010), and self-harm (Borrill, Fox, Flynn, & Roger, 2009). Since negative mood leads to recurrent analysis and self-focus, and ruminative self-focus exacerbates negative mood (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886901000587, Nolen-Hoeksema & Morrow, 1993), high ruminators tend to get trapped in a reciprocal loop with negative mood and rumination sustaining each other (Watkins & Mason, 2002). Research also shows that rumination can sustain stress-induced increases in inflammation and cortisol, which adds to the clinical importance of interventions aimed at reducing rumination (Zoccola, Figueroa, Rabideau, Woody, & Benencia, 2014). In this respect, it was proposed that finding effective ways to reduce rumination might be most urgent in urbanized environments (Bratman et al., 2015, Bratman et al., 2015b). Indeed, when compared to rural areas, social problems and environmental stressors are generally more prevalent in urbanized environments (Peen, Schoevers, Beekmam, & Dekker, 2010).

Urbanization progresses around the globe and its potential to negatively impact on mental health is increasingly acknowledged (see Turner, Nakamura, & Dinetti (2004), Srivastava (2009), and Marques & Lima (2011)). At the same time, data are also accumulating of the beneficial psychological effects that may ensue from contact with nature (Bratman, Hamilton, and Daily (2012), Hartig, Mitchell, De Vries, and Frumkin (2014), and Fong, Hart, and James (2018)). A number of studies have found that spending time in nature, or just passively watch natural scenes, can lead to significant mood improvements (e.g., https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494409000838, van den Van den Berg, Koole, & van der Wulp, 2003; Mayer, Frantz, Bruehlman-Senecal, & Dolliver, 2009) and even to changes in rumination. Bratman et al., 2015, Bratman et al., 2015b randomly assigned healthy participants to a 50-min walk in either a natural or an urban environment and showed that contact with nature lead to significantly greater decreases in rumination. This was confirmed in a follow-up study involving 90-min walks (Bratman, Hamilton, Hahn, Daily, & Gross, 2015). In both studies, it was proposed that nature may affect rumination by eliciting a shift in attention away from self that pulls individuals away from the tendency to engage in negative self-descriptive patterns of thought. This would lead to mood restoration and to subsequent reduced rumination. Accordingly, studies have shown that nature exposure can elicit awe, an emotion defined as a state of wonder and amazement that directs attention away from self and towards the environment (Keltner & Haidt, 2003; Shiota, Keltner, & Mossman, 2007). It's also been found that awe experiences elicited by nature exposure can serve as a pathway though which mood is improved via contact with nature (Bratman et al., 2015, Bratman et al., 2015b). To date, however, and despite the burgeoning in research on awe - showing, notably, an association with more adaptive physiological profiles and increased wellbeing (e.g., Gordon et al., 2017; Stellar et al., 2015) - no attempt has been made to assess the involvement of this emotion (and resulting mood improvements) in the pathway linking contact with nature and rumination.

Following from the above, the aims of this study were two-fold: i) testing whether one could replicate previous findings that contact with nature can reduce rumination using a shorter exposure (30 min); and ii) testing a serial mediation model in which contact with nature elicits awe, which restores mood, eventually reducing rumination levels.

More at link.

Taking Control of Your Mind, Puts You In Contol of Your Life by Debbie Hampton

For all the shit I've gone thru, my mind is what keeps me sane and going. I refuse to ruminate on 'what-ifs' and just look forward to all the fun I'm going to have. Just came back from a week in Paris, next trip is a couple of weeks in Ecuador.

Right now heading out for my daily walk in 5 new inches of snow in -16 windchils.

Life is great.

 Taking Control of Your Mind, Puts You In Contol of Your Life by Debbie Hampton

Negative Thinking Speeds Up Brain Decline and Raises Dementia Risk from Debbie Hampton

 It is completely and totally your doctor's responsibility to prevent this negative thinking(rumination, anxiety, depression, worry). All this is easily addressed by your doctor HAVING EXACT STROKE REHAB PROTOCOLS LEADING TO 100% RECOVERY. 

YOUR DOCTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY!

Negative Thinking Speeds Up Brain Decline and Raises Dementia Risk from Debbie Hampton

Negative Thinking Speeds Up Brain Decline and Raises Dementia Risk by Debbie Hampton

You'll  have to stop negative thinking patterns, like rumination and worry.

Anxiety and depression are also culprits.  All these can be solved if your doctor has EXACT STROKE REHAB PROTOCOLS  leading to 100% recovery. This is all your doctor's responsibilty. Don't let her/him weasel out of that responsibility by quoting this craptastic saying:'All strokes are different, all stroke recoveries are different'. 

Although I guess you might be allowed to have negative thoughts against your doctor for not being prepared to get you 100% recovered.

Negative Thinking Speeds Up Brain Decline and Raises Dementia Risk by Debbie Hampton

Aging faster: worry and rumination in late life are associated with greater brain age

 You are going to need to know how to stop your rumination about the disaster of your stroke. Your doctor's responsibility is to give  protocols to stop rumination.  Or she could do it the right way by solving the primary problem. 100% recovery.

Aging faster: worry and rumination in late life are associated with greater brain age

Author links open overlay panelHelmet T.Karim¹MariaLy²GaryYu³RobertKrafty⁴Dana L.Tudorascu¹⁴Howard J.Aizenstein¹³CarmenAndreescu¹

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.01.009Get rights and content

Highlights

•

Brain age is a machine learning derived marker of accelerated aging.

•

Greater brain age associated with more worry and rumination, and less suppression.

•

Women had lower brain age compared to men, replicating past studies on brain age.

•

Past work showed that negative repetitive thoughts are related to greater AD risk.

•

There is need for developing interventions targeting repetitive negative thoughts.

Abstract

Older adults with anxiety have lower gray matter brain volume – a component of accelerated aging. We have previously validated a machine learning model to predict brain age, an estimate of an individual’s age based on voxel-wise gray matter images. We investigated associations between brain age and anxiety, depression, stress, and emotion regulation. We recruited 78 participants (≥50yrs) along a wide range of worry severity. We collected imaging data and computed voxel-wise gray matter images, which was input into an existing machine learning model to estimate brain age. We conducted a multivariable linear regression between brain age and age, sex, race, education, worry, anxiety, depression, rumination, neuroticism, stress, reappraisal, and suppression. We found that greater brain age was significantly associated with greater age, male sex, greater worry, greater rumination, and lower suppression. Male sex, worry and rumination are associated with accelerated aging in late life and expressive suppression may have a protective effect. These results provide evidence for the transdiagnostic model of negative repetitive thoughts, which are associated with cognitive decline, amyloid, and tau.

 

This common harmful habit speeds up cognitive decline

Your doctor has a lot of work to do.

1. Create protocols for 100% recovery. Not having them is extremely stressful. 

2. Reconcile these two;

a. Pessimists May Live Longer Feb. 2013

b. If you are happy and you know it… you may live longer October 2019

The latest here:

This common harmful habit speeds up cognitive decline

Connie Capone|July 8, 2020

Western medicine has historically viewed the mind and body as separate entities, but modern scientific literature continues to prove that the two are one powerful, interconnected, interdependent system. As investigators uncover new complex links between the mind and body, it’s becoming clearer that how one thinks has a direct impact on one’s physical health, and vice versa. The mind-body connection proves that our feelings, attitudes, and physical wellbeing are closely intertwined. But, if our mental and physical health are indivisible, how dangerous are psychological stress and negative thinking to our bodies and brains?

A negative mindset can harm brain function, researchers have found.

The effects of negative vs positive thinking

Emotions often present in external physiological responses, like a pounding heart or sweaty palms, but they also have internal chemical manifestations. Positive emotions are associated with the hormones dopamine and serotonin, among others. Inversely, negative emotions release stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.

Elevated stress hormones wreak havoc on the brain, according to the National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine. For one, elevated cortisol weakens short-term memory in the hippocampus and prevents proper memory formation. Stress is also linked to migraines and headaches. In the heart, stress causes increased heart rate, blood pressure, and arterial tension. What’s more, chronic stress causes blood vessels to become clogged and damaged, leading to an increased risk of stroke and heart attack.

But it’s not just how you feel, it’s also how you think. As a matter of fact, a new study published in the Alzheimer's & Dementia Journal shows that a negative mindset can also harm brain function. Over a period of 2 years, nearly 300 study participants—age 55 or older and in good physical and cognitive health—responded to questions about how they responded to negative experiences, focusing on negative thinking patterns such as ruminating about the past and worrying about the future. Participants also measured their depression and anxiety symptoms. The researchers found that those who exhibited higher “repetitive negative thinking” patterns experienced more cognitive decline.

Negative thinking was also linked to greater deposits of two harmful proteins—tau and amyloid—which are responsible for Alzheimer’s disease. In a statement to University College London News, lead author Natalie Marchant, MD, senior research fellow at University College London, said, “depression and anxiety in mid-life and old age are already known to be risk factors for dementia. Here, we found that certain thinking patterns implicated in depression and anxiety could be an underlying reason why people with those disorders are more likely to develop dementia.”

A Singapore study that examined the effects of positive and negative thinking in nearly 400 students corroborated these findings. The study, published in Learning and Individual Differences, found that positive thinking was associated with indicators of psychological wellbeing, namely life satisfaction and happiness. On the other hand, negative thinking was associated with indicators of psychopathology like stress, anxiety, depression, and anger, which can increase the risk of physical ailments.

Scientifically proven methods to increase positive thoughts

In the same way that negative thoughts can affect your physical health, positive thoughts can make you live longer. A study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that a high degree of optimism was associated with a lower mortality risk in women. Among participants who responded to questionnaires about their health behaviors over 8 years, it was found that women who were optimistic had a significantly reduced risk of dying from several major causes of death, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, and infection, compared with women who were less optimistic.

A seminal study published in Health Psychology also helped to bridge the gap between psychology and biology. In measuring what researchers term “dispositional optimism,” it was found that optimism was clearly associated with better health. In the study, student subjects completed 3 questionnaires one month before the end of a semester. The questions measured optimism, private self-consciousness, and included a 39-item physical symptom checklist. The students completed the same questionnaire again on the last day of class. Results were consistent with what the researchers hypothesized: Participants who initially reported being highly optimistic were subsequently less likely to report being bothered by physical symptoms, than were those who initially reported being less optimistic.

Physical activity, an essential component of good physical health, can also have a positive effect on the brain. For example, physical exercise has been reported to increase synaptic plasticity, neural cell metabolism, and blood supply in the brain, which increases brain processing abilities. In addition, research has confirmed the efficacy of exercise to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. For example, the endorphin hypothesis suggests that a release of endorphins following physical activity is related to a positive mood and an overall sense of wellbeing. Studies have also shown increases in plasma endorphins following acute and chronic exercise; however, it remains unclear if these elevations are directly linked to reduced depression.

For other ways to increase positive thinking, the mind-body approach focuses on strategies like meditation and yoga, to name a few. Meditation has been increasingly studied for its purported ability to improve emotional wellbeing. A study from researchers at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill analyzed the daily emotional reports of adults who meditated over a 9-week period. The results showed significant gains in positive emotions for participants. In addition, those who reported meditating more on average also reported higher than average positive emotions.

Practicing mindfulness is another clinical intervention proven to boost positive thinking. Mindfulness finds its roots in ancient spiritual traditions. To cultivate mindfulness, practice being fully present and aware of thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and the surrounding environment. According to research published in the Clinical Psychology Review, the practice of mindfulness provides various positive psychological benefits, such as increased wellbeing, reduced emotional reactivity, and improved behavioral regulation.

If one thing is certain, your mood can have a profound effect on the way you think, feel, and behave. Negative thinking can have a much more detrimental impact on your brain, and positive thinking can be a strong tool in reducing that impact. As the connection between emotions and biological health continues to be studied, it can be useful to practice the suggested methods to increase positive thoughts—from physical exercise to cultivating mindfulness. Common wisdom suggests that you can train yourself to be both happy and unhappy. For the sake of your health, train for the brighter outcome.

Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation

I do about 2 hours daily, my rumination is about my social life and where I'm going next, not my disability. But have they tested a 90 minute walk in nature swatting mosquitoes? For us stroke survivors this is a real problem, no ability to swat mosquitoes landing on the good arm. How often is your doctor or therapist getting you out into nature to stop your rumination of the problems you are having from your stroke?

Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation

Gregory N. Bratman, J. Paul Hamilton, Kevin S. Hahn, Gretchen C. Daily, and James J. Gross

PNAS July 14, 2015 112 (28) 8567-8572; published ahead of print June 29, 2015 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1510459112

1. Contributed by Gretchen C. Daily, May 28, 2015 (sent for review March 9, 2015; reviewed by Leslie Baxter, Elliot T. Berkman, and Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg)

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Significance

More than 50% of people now live in urban areas. By 2050 this proportion will be 70%. Urbanization is associated with increased levels of mental illness, but it’s not yet clear why. Through a controlled experiment, we investigated whether nature experience would influence rumination (repetitive thought focused on negative aspects of the self), a known risk factor for mental illness. Participants who went on a 90-min walk through a natural environment reported lower levels of rumination and showed reduced neural activity in an area of the brain linked to risk for mental illness compared with those who walked through an urban environment. These results suggest that accessible natural areas may be vital for mental health in our rapidly urbanizing world.

Abstract

Urbanization has many benefits, but it also is associated with increased levels of mental illness, including depression. It has been suggested that decreased nature experience may help to explain the link between urbanization and mental illness. This suggestion is supported by a growing body of correlational and experimental evidence, which raises a further question: what mechanism(s) link decreased nature experience to the development of mental illness? One such mechanism might be the impact of nature exposure on rumination, a maladaptive pattern of self-referential thought that is associated with heightened risk for depression and other mental illnesses. We show in healthy participants that a brief nature experience, a 90-min walk in a natural setting, decreases both self-reported rumination and neural activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex (sgPFC), whereas a 90-min walk in an urban setting has no such effects on self-reported rumination or neural activity. In other studies, the sgPFC has been associated with a self-focused behavioral withdrawal linked to rumination in both depressed and healthy individuals. This study reveals a pathway by which nature experience may improve mental well-being and suggests that accessible natural areas within urban contexts may be a critical resource for mental health in our rapidly urbanizing world.

• environmental neuroscience
• nature experience
• rumination
• psychological ecosystem services
• emotion regulation

Never before has such a large percentage of humanity been so far removed from nature (1); more than 50% of people now live in urban areas, and by 2050, this proportion will be 70% (2). What are the potential mental health implications of this demographic shift? Although urbanization has many benefits, it is also associated with increased levels of mental illness, including anxiety disorders and depression (3⇓–5). Causal mechanisms for this increased prevalence of mental illness are likely manifold and are not well understood (6, 7).

One aspect of urbanization that has attracted research attention in recent years is a corresponding decrease in nature experience (8, 9). Using a variety of methodologies, researchers have demonstrated affective and cognitive benefits of nature experience, thereby contributing to an evolving understanding of the types of psychological benefits of which humanity may be deprived as urbanization continues. Correlational findings show that growing up in rural vs. urban settings is associated with lesser stress responsivity (3). A recent longitudinal study, tracking the well-being and mental distress of more than 10,000 people over a period of nearly two decades demonstrates a significant positive effect of proximity to greenspace on well-being (9). This effect traces to living location within the same individuals as they moved closer or further from greenspace. Other correlational studies reveal that window views that include natural elements (compared with window views that do not) are associated with superior memory, attention, and impulse inhibition (10), as well as greater feelings of subjective well-being (11). These correlational findings are buttressed by experimental findings showing, for example, that nature experience (usually in urban greenspace) can improve memory and attention (12) and increase positive mood (13). Experimenters also have used psychophysiological methods to characterize the ways in which images and sounds of the natural environment lead to decreased stress and negative emotion after participants have been subjected to stressful stimuli (14, 15). Taken together, these and numerous other studies provide compelling evidence that nature experience may confer real psychological benefits.

Although this body of work is now substantial, there remains a fundamental yet unanswered question: by what mechanism(s) might nature experience buffer against the development of mental illness? One possible mechanism—and our focus here—is a decrease in rumination, a maladaptive pattern of self-referential thought that is associated with heightened risk for depression and other mental illnesses (16⇓–18) and with activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex (sgPFC) (19). The sgPFC has been shown to display increased activity during sadness (20) and the behavioral withdrawal and negative self-reflective processes tied to rumination in healthy (21) and depressed (22⇓–24) individuals.

Rumination is a prolonged and often maladaptive attentional focus on the causes and consequences of emotions—most often, negative, self-relational emotions (25). This pattern of thought has been shown to predict the onset of depressive episodes (17), as well as other mental disorders (26). Positive or neutral distraction (vs. maladaptive distractions such as binge drinking of alcohol) has been shown to decrease rumination (27). To be effective in decreasing rumination, these positive or neutral distractions must be engrossing, to maintain the shift of attention onto the distracting stimuli (27). From this perspective, we aimed to observe whether a 90-min nature experience has the potential to decrease rumination. In addition to gathering self-report measures, we examined brain activity in the sgPFC, an area that has been shown to be particularly active during the type of maladaptive, self-reflective thought and behavioral withdrawal that occurs during rumination (19). This behavioral and neural evidence—when taken together—would provide convincing evidence for a change in rumination resultant from nature experience.

We quantified the impacts of a brief nature experience on rumination and neural activity in the sgPFC through a controlled experiment, comparing changes that occur in a 90-min nature walk to those in a 90-min urban walk. We hypothesized that we would observe decreased rumination and decreased neural activity in the sgPFC for urban residents who experienced a nature walk, whereas we would not observe such a decrease in those who experienced an urban walk. We obtained measures of individuals’ self-reported levels of rumination using the rumination portion of the Reflection Rumination Questionnaire (RRQ) (28). We documented activity in the sgPFC by using a neuroimaging method called arterial spin labeling (ASL, presented more fully in Methods), through which we measured regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF): the volume of cerebral blood passing through the region of interest. This technique can detect effects associated with longer-lasting psychological phenomena such as rumination, in contrast to momentary, reactive emotional responses such as a startle response (29).

Thirty-eight healthy participants took part in the study. Although rumination is often studied in the context of clinically depressed individuals, we studied participants with no history of mental disorder to broaden the applicability of our findings. Our sample comprised individuals residing in urban environments. We posited that these individuals, although currently healthy, would enter the study with a somewhat elevated level of rumination resulting from the ongoing and chronic stressors associated with urban experience, and their corresponding deprivation of regular contact with nature. We therefore hypothesized that a nature experience would reduce the baseline rumination levels of such participants, compared with those who had an urban experience.

On arrival at our laboratory, each participant completed a self-report measure of rumination (RRQ) and underwent our scanning procedure. We then randomly assigned each participant to a 90-min walk in either a natural environment (19 participants) or urban environment (19 participants). The nature walk took place near Stanford University, in a greenspace comprising grassland with scattered oak trees and shrubs. The urban walk took place on the busiest thoroughfare in nearby Palo Alto (El Camino Real), a street with three to four lanes in each direction and a steady stream of traffic (Fig. S1). After the walk, each participant returned to the laboratory and provided a second, follow-up self-report of levels of rumination (RRQ) before undergoing a second resting-state ASL scan. Transportation to and from the walk was via a car ride of 15-min duration (for both walks). Participants were given a smartphone and told to take 10 photographs during their walk (Fig. S2). These photographs were used to verify that participants went on the walk. We also tracked the phone itself during the walk, as further verification that the correct route was taken by each participant.

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Fig. S1.

Satellite maps of (A) the nature walk and (B) the urban walk. Both walks were a total of 5.3 km.

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Fig. S2.

Sample photographs taken by participants during (A and B) the nature walk and (C and D) the urban walk.

Results

To analyze the impact of nature experience on self-reported rumination, we conducted a two-way ANOVA, with time as a within-subjects factor (before vs. after the walk) and environment as a between-subjects factor (nature walk vs. urban walk). This analysis revealed an interaction between time and environment [F(1,35) = 3.51, P = 0.07, η2p

= 0.09]. Consistent with our hypothesis, follow-up t tests indicated that our results were driven by a decrease in self-reported rumination for the nature group but not for the urban group (Fig. 1A). There was a simple effect of time for the nature group [t(17) = −2.69, P < 0.05, d = 0.34; mean change pre- to postwalk = −2.33, SE = 0.55; mean score prewalk = 35.39, SE = 1.60; mean score postwalk = 33.06, SE = 1.61], with decreases from pre- to postwalk. There was no such effect for the urban group (mean score prewalk = 30.11, SE = 2.61; mean score postwalk = 30.16, SE = 2.50).