Department of Psychology and Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA.
Department of Psychology and Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA.
Behav Brain Res. 2019 Dec 30;376:112154. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112154. Epub 2019 Aug 14.
Neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus was rediscovered in the 1990's after being reported in the 1960's. Since then, thousands upon thousands of laboratories have reported on the characteristics and presumed functional significance of new neurons in the adult brain. In 1999, we reported that mental training with effortful learning could extend the survival of these new cells and in the same year, others reported that physical training with exercise could increase their proliferation. Based on these studies and others, we developed MAP Train My Brain™, which is a brain fitness program for humans. The program combines mental and physical (MAP) training through 30-min of effortful meditation followed by 30-min of aerobic exercise. This program, when practiced twice a week for eight weeks reduced depressive symptoms and ruminative thoughts in men and women with major depressive disorder (MDD) while increasing synchronized brain activity during cognitive control. It also reduced anxiety and depression and increased oxygen consumption in young mothers who had been homeless. Moreover, engaging in the program reduced trauma-related cognitions and ruminative thoughts while increasing self-worth in adult women with a history of sexual trauma. And finally, the combination of mental and physical training together was more effective than either activity alone. Albeit effortful, this program does not require inordinate amounts of time or money to practice and can be easily adopted into everyday life. MAP Training exemplifies how we as neuroscientists can take discoveries made in the laboratory out into the world for the benefit of others.
成年海马体中的神经发生在 20 世纪 60 年代被报道后，于 20 世纪 90 年代再次被发现。从那时起，成千上万的实验室报告了成年大脑中新神经元的特征和假定的功能意义。1999 年，我们报告说，努力学习的精神训练可以延长这些新细胞的存活时间，同年，其他人报告说，运动锻炼可以增加它们的增殖。基于这些研究和其他研究，我们开发了 MAP Train My Brain™，这是一种针对人类的大脑健身计划。该计划通过 30 分钟的努力冥想和 30 分钟的有氧运动来结合心理和身体（MAP）训练。该计划每周练习两次，持续八周，可减少有重度抑郁症（MDD）的男性和女性的抑郁症状和沉思性思维，同时增加认知控制过程中的同步脑活动。它还可以减轻焦虑和抑郁，增加无家可归的年轻母亲的耗氧量。此外，参与该计划可以减少与创伤相关的认知和沉思性思维，同时增加有性创伤史的成年女性的自我价值感。最后，心理和身体训练的结合比任何单一的活动都更有效。虽然需要付出努力，但该计划不需要过多的时间或金钱来实践，可以很容易地融入日常生活。MAP 训练是我们神经科学家如何将实验室中的发现应用到世界中，为他人谋福利的一个例子。
