Functional Neural Plasticity and Associated Changes in Positive Affect After Compassion Training

Klimecki, Olga; Leiberg, Susanne; Lamm, Claus; Singer, Tania

doi:10.1093/cercor/bhs142

Cited by 479 publications

(383 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…A priori, the Affect Module was expected to result in changes primarily in affect-relevant cortices, such as AI, midcingulate, and orbital frontal regions, as well as the subgenual ACC, SMG, and dlPFC (8,9,(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24). For Perspective, we primarily expected changes in ToM networks including the medial PFC, ventrolateral PFC, precuneus, temporal neocortices, and TPJ (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structural plasticity of the social brain: Differential change after socio-affective and cognitive mental training

Valk¹,

Bernhardt²,

Trautwein³

et al. 2017

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Although neuroscientific research has revealed experience-dependent brain changes across the life span in sensory, motor, and cognitive domains, plasticity relating to social capacities remains largely unknown. To investigate whether the targeted mental training of different cognitive and social skills can induce specific changes in brain morphology, we collected longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data throughout a 9-month mental training intervention from a large sample of adults between 20 and 55 years of age. By means of various daily mental exercises and weekly instructed group sessions, training protocols specifically addressed three functional domains: (i) mindfulness-based attention and interoception, (ii) socio-affective skills (compassion, dealing with difficult emotions, and prosocial motivation), and (iii) socio-cognitive skills (cognitive perspective-taking on self and others and metacognition). MRIbased cortical thickness analyses, contrasting the different training modules against each other, indicated spatially diverging changes in cortical morphology. Training of present-moment focused attention mostly led to increases in cortical thickness in prefrontal regions, socio-affective training induced plasticity in frontoinsular regions, and sociocognitive training included change in inferior frontal and lateral temporal cortices. Module-specific structural brain changes correlated with training-induced behavioral improvements in the same individuals in domain-specific measures of attention, compassion, and cognitive perspective-taking, respectively, and overlapped with task-relevant functional networks. Our longitudinal findings indicate structural plasticity in well-known socio-affective and socio-cognitive brain networks in healthy adults based on targeted short daily mental practices. These findings could promote the development of evidence-based mental training interventions in clinical, educational, and corporate settings aimed at cultivating social intelligence, prosocial motivation, and cooperation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structural plasticity of the social brain: Differential change after socio-affective and cognitive mental training

Valk¹,

Bernhardt²,

Trautwein³

et al. 2017

Preprint

Self Cite

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“…Human beings are born with the capacity for compassion, and everyone involved in the care of patients and families can learn to deepen their capacity to provide compassionate care in every interaction in which it is called upon. 13,14 Rather than asking whether empathy and compassion can be motivated and learned, we might be better served by asking how we can eliminate or at least diminish the societal forces that suppress the innate compassion of healthcare professionals who are drawn to this work in the first place. While we are advocating for such transformative change, we can also learn more about the attributes and skills of compassionate healthcare professionals and teams and develop educational and performance improvement processes to encourage and assess them.…”

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confidence: 99%

Compassion Is a Necessity and an Individual and Collective Responsibility Comment on "Why and How Is Compassion Necessary to Provide Good Quality Healthcare?"

Lown

2015

Int J Health Policy Manag

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Compassion is a complex process that is innate, determined in part by individual traits, and modulated by a myriad of conscious and unconscious factors, immediate context, social structures and expectations, and organizational "culture. " Compassion is an ethical foundation of healthcare and a widely shared value; it is not an optional luxury in the healing process. While the interrelations between individual motivation and social structure are complex, we can choose to act individually and collectively to remove barriers to the innate compassion that most healthcare professionals bring to their work. Doing so will reduce professional burnout, improve the well-being of the healthcare workforce, and facilitate our efforts to achieve the triple aim of improving patients' experiences of care and health while lowering costs. C ompassion is cited as a first principle of medical ethics across the health professions. [1][2][3] But what does this mean in today's healthcare environment? Prof. Fotaki, arguing for the importance of making compassion an ethical foundation of healthcare in her recent editorial, makes the critical point that only an approach that acknowledges the interrelation between individual motivation and social structure can serve as the foundation of compassion-based ethics of care. 4 We agree and also suggest that we can and must act collectively and individually to tip the scales towards compassion in healthcare. There are far too many examples in which beliefs and values arising within the context of larger societal forces have led to harm from neglect and lack of compassion (acts of omission), and hatred and violence (acts of commission). As Prof. Fotaki suggests, encouraging and educating individuals to provide compassionate care is insufficient in environments and organizations in which administrators, managers and healthcare professionals are focused on cutting costs, meeting performance targets unrelated to patients' health and well-being, and sustaining the organization's productivity rather than focusing on the essential aims of healthcare -promoting health and well-being, curing disease when possible, managing illness, and healing always. We need genuine, widespread commitment to fostering the well-being of the ill and vulnerable, to supporting the primacy of healing relationships, and healthcare workers themselves, as well as patients, families and their communities. Driving healthcare professionals and teams to work faster and harder with fewer resources is not a solution. This will only exacerbate the epidemic of burnout and drop-out among those drawn to professions based on service to persons.5 Compassion involves emotional engagement, human connection and sense of reward, while burnout degrades compassion with emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and low sense of personal accomplishment.6 Lack of compassion towards staff, and the burnout this engenders also undermines the "Triple Aim" of improving patients' experiences of care and health, and reducing costs. 7 Further, these ...

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“…Fortunately, the answer to this quest may lie in neuroplasticity, referring to the ability to change and adapt through experience. Klimecki et al (2013) argued that people's preferences can be altered through changed environmental factors, and that a pro-social mindset can be generated. Also, incorporating pro-social behaviour into an economic model and policy would shape society into one in which people want to live.…”

Section: People's Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sufficiency Economy Philosophy: A Holistic Approach to Economic Development and Mainstream Economic Thought

Mongsawad¹,

Thongpakde²

2016

ASS

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The theories of mainstream economics have been criticised for triggering periodic crises and fluctuations, as well as causing resource depletion and environmental degradation. Also, they are accused of worsening the problems of poverty and income distribution, while ignoring the well-being of people and social issues. The Sufficiency Economy Philosophy, bestowed by His Majesty, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, for Thai people in 1997 as a tool to cope with economic adversity, is an alternative way of viewing development. The essence of the Philosophy is that people should act with due consideration, and in moderation. The Philosophy emphasizes moral behaviour by people and society, which mainstream economic thought lacks. Incorporating such human behaviours as moderation and morality into economic decision making is sensible and yields different outcomes from the typical economic framework. Moderation serves as a tool to filter out greed and consumerist behaviour. Morality leads an individual to consider the consequence of his/her actions to others and to society. Together with the reasonableness concept implying non-excessive risk taking behaviour, under the Philosophy an economy will have reduced economic fluctuations, less likelihood of an economic crisis, and sustained quality growth. The Sufficiency Economy Philosophy will make its mark in the economic development arena as an alternative thought system that works for the people and the economy.

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Functional Neural Plasticity and Associated Changes in Positive Affect After Compassion Training

Cited by 479 publications

References 51 publications

Structural plasticity of the social brain: Differential change after socio-affective and cognitive mental training

Structural plasticity of the social brain: Differential change after socio-affective and cognitive mental training

Compassion Is a Necessity and an Individual and Collective Responsibility Comment on "Why and How Is Compassion Necessary to Provide Good Quality Healthcare?"

Sufficiency Economy Philosophy: A Holistic Approach to Economic Development and Mainstream Economic Thought

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