Abstract
Objectives
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of self-compassionate thinking (SCT) related to stressful autobiographical memories (SAM) on the prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity and heart rate variability (HRV) parameters in healthy subjects.
Methods
A naturalistic paradigm was built with two conditions, SAM followed by SCT. We used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure oxy and deoxyhemoglobin concentration changes in 33 healthy adults (men = 10) with a mean age of 33.24 years (SD = 6.85). Two HRV parameters were also measured during both conditions: the standard deviations of the normal-to-normal (SDNN-HRV) and the high-frequency component of heart rate variability (HF-HRV).
Results
During the SAM condition, the left dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC) and the frontopolar area showed a significantly increased oxyhemoglobin concentration compared with the control condition (corrected-p < 0.01). During the SCT condition, the frontopolar area showed a significantly increased oxyhemoglobin compared with the control condition (corrected-p < 0.001). A significant increase in time-domain SDNN-HRV (p = 0.002) during SCT compared with the SAM condition was also observed. An association between the frontopolar area fNIRS signal and the HF-HRV during SAM condition was found (corrected-p < 0.05).
Conclusions
Our findings suggested that the SAM condition is associated with activity in the left DLPFC and in the frontopolar area, while the SCF is associated with activity in the frontopolar area. The SCT was related to an increase in SDNN-HRV when compared with the SAM condition, and an association between HF-HRV and PFC activity was seen. Our results also suggested that self-compassionate thinking can be an effective emotional regulation strategy.
Trial Registration
Clinical Trials NCT03737084.
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Data Availability
The authors will share data from the study upon reasonable request to the corresponding author.
Change history
28 March 2022
A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-022-01871-1
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Lama Rinchen Kyenrab for his contribution to the self-compassionate thinking narrative, and also thank Jose Belem de Oliveira Neto for the English review.
Funding
The project was supported by funding provided by Natura Cosméticos S.A. and Instituto Israelita de Ensino e Pesquisa Albert Einstein.
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FRMS: designed and executed the study, collected data, composed and edited the manuscript. PRB: analyzed the data and wrote part of the results and discussion. JBB: collaborated with the design of the study. MAA: collaborated with the design of the study. MR: collaborated with the design of the study. SL: collaborated with the design of the study and analyzed part of the data. GLTN: collaborated with the design of the study. EHK: provided supervision, collaborated with the design of the study and writing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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This trial is registered at Clinical Trials: NCT03737084. It was approved by the Ethics Committee in Research of Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, number: 79179417.4.0000.0071 and follow ethical standards of the Helsinki Declaration of 1964 and its later amendments.
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Informed consent was obtained from all participants who participated in the study.
Conflict of Interest
Maria Adelia de Aratanha is employed by NIRx Medizintechnik GmbH. Paulo Rodrigo Bazán provides scientific consulting to Brain Support Corporation, which is a distributor of NIRx Medizintechnik GmbH.
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dos Santos, F.R.M., Bazán, P.R., Balardin, J.B. et al. Changes in Prefrontal fNIRS Activation and Heart Rate Variability During Self-Compassionate Thinking Related to Stressful Memories. Mindfulness 13, 326–338 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-021-01789-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-021-01789-0