A suspended act: increased reflectivity and gender-dependent electrophysiological change following Quadrato Motor Training

Quadrato Motor Training (QMT) is a specifically-structured walking meditation, aimed at improving reflectivity and lowering habitual thought and movement. Here we set out to examine the possible effect of QMT on reflectivity, employing the Hidden Figures Test (HFT), which assesses both spatial perfo...

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Main Authors: Tal Dotan Ben-Soussan, Aviva eBerkovich-Ohana, Joseph eGlicksohn, Abraham eGoldstein
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2014-02-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00055/full
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spelling doaj-f82b377c63dc4aeb9cb94c93e6bff07d2020-11-24T20:51:06ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782014-02-01510.3389/fpsyg.2014.0005566192A suspended act: increased reflectivity and gender-dependent electrophysiological change following Quadrato Motor TrainingTal Dotan Ben-Soussan0Tal Dotan Ben-Soussan1Aviva eBerkovich-Ohana2Joseph eGlicksohn3Joseph eGlicksohn4Abraham eGoldstein5Abraham eGoldstein6Research Institute for Neuroscience, Education and Didactics, Patrizio Paoletti FoundationBar - Ilan UniversityWeizmann Institute of ScienceBar - Ilan UniversityBar-Ilan UniversityBar - Ilan UniversityBar-Ilan UniversityQuadrato Motor Training (QMT) is a specifically-structured walking meditation, aimed at improving reflectivity and lowering habitual thought and movement. Here we set out to examine the possible effect of QMT on reflectivity, employing the Hidden Figures Test (HFT), which assesses both spatial performance (measured by correct answers) as well as reflectivity (interpolated from correct answers and reaction time). In the first study (n = 24, only females), we showed that QMT significantly improves HFT performance, compared to two groups, controlling for cognitive or motor aspects of the QMT: Verbal Training (identical cognitive training with verbal response) and Simple Motor Training (similar motor training with reduced choice requirements). These results show that QMT improves HFT performance above the pre-post expected learning. In the second study, building on previous literature showing gender-dependent effects on cognitive performance, we conducted a preliminary pilot examining gender-dependent effect of training on reflectivity and its electrophysiological counterparts. EEG analyses focused on theta, alpha and gamma coherence. HFT performance and resting-state EEG were measured in 37 participants (20 males), using a within-subject pre-post design. Following training, HFT performance improved in both genders. However, we found a gender-dependent difference in functional connectivity: While theta and alpha intra-hemispheric coherence was enhanced in females, the opposite pattern was found in males. These results are discussed in relation to neuronal efficiency theory. Together, the results demonstrate that QMT improves spatial performance, and may involve a gender-dependent electrophysiological effect. This study emphasizes both the importance of studying gender-related training effects within the contemplative neuroscience endeavor, as well as the need to widen its scope towards including contemplation in action.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00055/fullspatial cognitioncognitive improvementEEG CoherenceGender differencemotor trainingReflectivity
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Tal Dotan Ben-Soussan
Tal Dotan Ben-Soussan
Aviva eBerkovich-Ohana
Joseph eGlicksohn
Joseph eGlicksohn
Abraham eGoldstein
Abraham eGoldstein
spellingShingle Tal Dotan Ben-Soussan
Tal Dotan Ben-Soussan
Aviva eBerkovich-Ohana
Joseph eGlicksohn
Joseph eGlicksohn
Abraham eGoldstein
Abraham eGoldstein
A suspended act: increased reflectivity and gender-dependent electrophysiological change following Quadrato Motor Training
Frontiers in Psychology
spatial cognition
cognitive improvement
EEG Coherence
Gender difference
motor training
Reflectivity
author_facet Tal Dotan Ben-Soussan
Tal Dotan Ben-Soussan
Aviva eBerkovich-Ohana
Joseph eGlicksohn
Joseph eGlicksohn
Abraham eGoldstein
Abraham eGoldstein
author_sort Tal Dotan Ben-Soussan
title A suspended act: increased reflectivity and gender-dependent electrophysiological change following Quadrato Motor Training
title_short A suspended act: increased reflectivity and gender-dependent electrophysiological change following Quadrato Motor Training
title_full A suspended act: increased reflectivity and gender-dependent electrophysiological change following Quadrato Motor Training
title_fullStr A suspended act: increased reflectivity and gender-dependent electrophysiological change following Quadrato Motor Training
title_full_unstemmed A suspended act: increased reflectivity and gender-dependent electrophysiological change following Quadrato Motor Training
title_sort suspended act: increased reflectivity and gender-dependent electrophysiological change following quadrato motor training
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
series Frontiers in Psychology
issn 1664-1078
publishDate 2014-02-01
description Quadrato Motor Training (QMT) is a specifically-structured walking meditation, aimed at improving reflectivity and lowering habitual thought and movement. Here we set out to examine the possible effect of QMT on reflectivity, employing the Hidden Figures Test (HFT), which assesses both spatial performance (measured by correct answers) as well as reflectivity (interpolated from correct answers and reaction time). In the first study (n = 24, only females), we showed that QMT significantly improves HFT performance, compared to two groups, controlling for cognitive or motor aspects of the QMT: Verbal Training (identical cognitive training with verbal response) and Simple Motor Training (similar motor training with reduced choice requirements). These results show that QMT improves HFT performance above the pre-post expected learning. In the second study, building on previous literature showing gender-dependent effects on cognitive performance, we conducted a preliminary pilot examining gender-dependent effect of training on reflectivity and its electrophysiological counterparts. EEG analyses focused on theta, alpha and gamma coherence. HFT performance and resting-state EEG were measured in 37 participants (20 males), using a within-subject pre-post design. Following training, HFT performance improved in both genders. However, we found a gender-dependent difference in functional connectivity: While theta and alpha intra-hemispheric coherence was enhanced in females, the opposite pattern was found in males. These results are discussed in relation to neuronal efficiency theory. Together, the results demonstrate that QMT improves spatial performance, and may involve a gender-dependent electrophysiological effect. This study emphasizes both the importance of studying gender-related training effects within the contemplative neuroscience endeavor, as well as the need to widen its scope towards including contemplation in action.
topic spatial cognition
cognitive improvement
EEG Coherence
Gender difference
motor training
Reflectivity
url http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00055/full
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