| 摘要: | 本計畫主旨在探討（1）以專注力/正念（mindfulness）理論為基礎的禪坐/冥想（meditation）練習，是否能夠促成行為改變；而不同性格特質的人群是否對這些練習有不一樣的效果。（2）對於衝動控制不良或高暴力傾向的個體，能否透過正念訓練這類簡易的認知訓練方法，改善其表現。 近年來，研究者對人格特質與透過實驗室測量的認知功能指標間的關係產生更多的興趣，例如兒童的認知功能表現與其未來發展的關係，或者衝動控制功能與人格特質如何影響反社會及暴力行為的發生。由於正念或禪坐等活動在社會上逐漸流行，而它們被認為對情緒調節及生活品質有正面的影響，有愈來愈多的研究試圖找出正念訓練和認知功能表現間的連結。然而，研究者目前對此尚未定論。本計畫嘗試提出一個整合型的研究取向，結合一系列的行為作業測量、生活品質自我評估、人格特質問卷，、功能性磁造影（fMRI）、腦磁波（MEG）、核磁共振頻譜分析（MRS）等方式和技術，為正念訓練對認知功能的影響提供更詳盡的描述，以建立認知功能改變與腦區活化程度、同步情形隨時間的變化、神經網路節點間交互作用的關聯，並透過分析受試者人格特質，進一步解釋正念訓練對認知功能改變效果的個體差異。例如，低焦慮程度及高正念的群體在改變偵測作業及Stroop叫名作業的表現皆優於高焦慮程度及低正念的群體。類似取向可延伸到執行功能相關作業上，探討不同人格特質的受試者在衝突解決歷程中之腦部運作機制的差別，以及正念訓練是否對該機制產生調節效果。 本計畫將結合五位不同領域學者的專長，從問卷分析、認知實驗設計、以及巨量時間序列資料分析等方面進行研究，執行流程如下：（1）將志願參與者依其背景與性格特質作妥善分類。（2）設計一系列的行為實驗，測量相關認知功能指標，並探討正念訓練對作業表現是否有幫助。（3）進行MEG實驗，並利用全息頻譜分析（Holospectral analysis, HSA）探討認知歷程改變與大腦局部及整體神經元同步情況的關聯。（4）進行MRI/MRS相關實驗，探討正念調節認知歷程在空間上的變化情形。 ;This project proposes to primarily investigate two main points. First, whether and how meditation based practices, primarily those related to mindfulness, may result in altered behavior and, if such alterations do occur, how they relate to different personality measures. Second, whether meditation/mindfulness can modulate impulse-related behavior and measures of aggression, either alone or in conjunction with cognitive training. There is increasing interest in the relationship between cognitive functions, measured by tasks presented in the laboratory, and a range of personality traits. Examples of this include interest in the relationship between performance in children and their development later in life or whether cognitive measures can be informative about effects of aging on cognition. There is also interest in the relationship between personality traits and the breakdown of socially acceptable behavior, how this might be associated with poorer inhibitory control and the likelihood of violent behavior. Meditation and mindfulness activities have become increasingly popular and are thought to be beneficial in terms of effects on mood and ‘quality of life’ measures. There is also an increasing number of studies that have looked at any association between mindfulness and cognitive performance, although it should be emphasized that such a link is by no means definite. The projects proposed here approach these questions with a combination of behavioral measures, from assessment of daily life to the more typical assessment of cognitive performance, and measures from fMRI, MRS, and MEG recording. It is expected that this approach will provide a range of measures that will allow insight into brain areas, brain mechanisms, and network interactions involved in the tasks being considered. Second, and importantly, it will be possible for data to be analyzed in the context of the individual attributes of the participants. For example, consideration of mindfulness levels in conjunction with individual anxiety levels will allow better consideration of which of these relates better to performance or performance changes seen. Similarly, the effects of personality traits on conflict adaptation can be probed in a similar way, with the association between traits and performance considered in conjunction with neural areas and pathways which may influence such interactions. Third, and importantly, the potential for deliberate modulation of task performance by such relatively simple interventions as meditation/mindfulness training will be investigated. Critically, this offers the potential for both modulation of the measures investigated, which would be predicted to be in a beneficial manner, and, more broadly, should indicate whether this approach can alter measures often associated with the tendency to show negative behavior such as violence. The range of the proposal and the proposed analytic methods will all support this approach, and will be conducted by PIs with significant experience in diverse but complementary techniques. This proposal is expected to provide improved knowledge of a range of cognitive functions, offer better insight into how these relate to characteristics of individual participants in the tasks employed, and offer assessment of potentially beneficial modulation of task performance and life measures by interventions such as mindfulness and/or meditation training. |
