Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
March 23, 2025
Feni Betriana, Sunarno Sunarno, Wiwit Nurwidyaningtyas et al.
Hypnobirthing, a non-invasive therapy involving hypnosis, relaxation, breathing exercises, and visualization, appears to reduce depression during pregnancy. A systematic review of nine studies and meta-analysis of four found that most studies reported improvements in antenatal depression, despite differences in how the therapy was delivered and how long it lasted. The therapy was administered through various methods including daily relaxation, progressive muscle relaxation, J-breathing, meditation, and ego strengthening, with participants encouraged to practice at home and followed up via visits, phone calls, or messages. The findings suggest hypnobirthing can help, but more research is needed to standardize protocols and assess long-term effects.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
June 1, 2026
Thurmon E Lockhart, Rahul Soangra, Christopher Frames et al.
A one-month wearable-based mindfulness intervention improved heart rate variability complexity in 87 first responders, indicating better autonomic regulation and adaptive capacity. Participants wore Garmin Vivosmart 5 devices and received daily mindfulness messages, audio exercise prompts, or no treatment via a mobile app. Sample Entropy increased from 1.39 to 1.42, Multiscale Entropy showed significant gains, and Recurrence Rate and Determinism decreased, suggesting reduced physiological rigidity. Traditional metrics like heart rate and SDNN did not change significantly. The findings support digital mindfulness strategies for stress management in high-risk occupations.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
February 6, 2025
Dong Ah Shin, Min Cheol Chang
Pain offers a measurable model for studying consciousness because both involve subjective experience and neural activity. Key theories like Global Workspace Theory and Integrated Information Theory provide frameworks for understanding consciousness, while pain research highlights how subjective interpretation and emotional context shape sensory experiences. Brain regions such as the anterior cingulate cortex and insula bridge sensory and emotional dimensions. Current methods struggle to objectively measure subjective phenomena, making neural correlates important. This work suggests that leveraging pain as a proxy can advance understanding of consciousness, with implications for mental health treatment and artificial intelligence.