Research!

Hello all, welcome to a summarization of my first week at the Mayo Clinic.

Monday:

After some minor confusion about how to log into the Mayo server, I took a Human Subject Training course. I learned some of the history behind different ethics organizations such as the HHS (US Department of Health and Human Services) and the NIH (National Institute of Health) as well as the meaning and significance of terms such as equity, equality, beneficence, justice, and more. Following the test was some more confusion as apparently I do not know how to print off computers other than my own!

Scattered:

Throughout the week, I searched databases such as JSTOR and PubMed for papers relating to ACT. Search terms such as "acceptance and commitment therapy," "mindfulness training," and "neurological pathways" were used. Dr. Geda's ASU student, Patherica Charoenmins, helped me better understand the topic of my systematic review, sharing some papers with me which related to the subject at hand: the neurobiological underpinnings of ACT.

If you are a bit confused by what I mean when I say that I will be writing a systematic review on the neurobiological underpinnings of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, I assure you that you are not the only one. This can be broken down into three sections: "systematic review," "neurobiological underpinnings," and "Acceptance and Commitment Therapy." I will briefly explain all three parts for the sake of clarity and if you have further questions please feel free to ask them!
     -systematic review: a literary review ideally compiling all studies on a specific subject, summarizing and analyzing each study
     -neurobiological underpinnings: the genetic or neurophysical aspects
     -ACT: a behavioral therapy promoting compassion and acceptance
     -also, I will include:
            -psychological underpinnings of ACT: the philosophy behind the therapy
            -mindfulness training: "intentionally alter[ing] the direction of information flow—to use the skilled focus of attention to change the mind—[enabling amplifying] activity of certain pathways and inhibit[ing] others"*

So, simply put, I will write a literary review about how through ACT, one can train their brain's

pathways to function in an alternate manner, leading to a heightened quality of life. These alterations in one’s neurophysiology relate to the psychological underpinnings of ACT due to the achievement of a different physiology not through forceful or aggressive techniques but through peaceful and smooth means. In order for the physiological changes to be best understood, the philosophical aspects of ACT must also be understood.

Also Monday/Partly Thursday:

I started working on a rough draft for my abstract (the final abstract will be featured in next week's post). However, I will tell you the gist because it might make the whole "neurobiological underpinnings" thing a bit more clear. Many of the papers which I identified this week for possible use in my systematic review related to Buddhism, meditation, and yoga. I found this a bit curious at first but after some contemplation, realized that the principles of these somewhat spiritual orders are very similar to those of ACT (although I must admit that my knowledge of Buddhism, meditation, and yoga is very limited and that I am by no means an expert on ACT). Despite my self-proclaimed limited knowledge on these subjects, I know that these orders prioritize peace and reflection. That, like ACT, they promote acceptance. Another link is the emphasis on purging negatives not through aggression or ill-intent but through resolution and tranquility.

(If anyone can confidently correct any statements which I have made please do so in the comments.)

Final Thoughts:

Overall, this week comprised mostly of sorting through abstracts to find which papers might have information relevant to the neurobiological underpinnings of ACT - how many times have I said that in this post? Probably too many - and figuring out what exactly the phrase means. I would like to thank Patherica for being so helpful by answering my many questions and letting me into the building as I did not have my badge until Friday (today!).

Also, I would like to share the blog of a dear friend of mine: Saleena. Her SRP is a sort of mythbusters for different psychological disorders, featuring a different disorder every week. This week, she talked about anxiety, a condition which behavioral therapies such as ACT have had success in treating.

*: A systematic review of the neurobiological underpinnings of borderline personality disorder (BPD) in childhood and adolescence.