Brandon G. King
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View article: Remote Blood Collection for Telomere Length Measurement: Assessing the Impact of Sample Characteristics and Handling on <scp>DNA</scp> Quality and Assay Outcomes
Remote Blood Collection for Telomere Length Measurement: Assessing the Impact of Sample Characteristics and Handling on <span>DNA</span> Quality and Assay Outcomes Open
Background Telomere length (TL) is a valuable marker of aging and stress that reflects both genetic and environmental influences. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) TL measurement is a powerful and cost‐effective assay, especially in population studi…
View article: Benefits and Challenges of Delivering Meditation Instruction Live Online: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic Regarding Accessibility and Connection
Benefits and Challenges of Delivering Meditation Instruction Live Online: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic Regarding Accessibility and Connection Open
Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic prompted an unprecedented shift in the dissemination of meditation and mindfulness-based instruction from being predominantly in-person to almost exclusively online. Here, we investigated the advantages and…
View article: Changes in peripheral oxytocin and vasopressin during a silent month-long Insight meditation retreat
Changes in peripheral oxytocin and vasopressin during a silent month-long Insight meditation retreat Open
Background Given its putative roles in mediating prosocial behavior, attachment bonds, and stress physiology, oxytocin modulation has been hypothesized to be a biological correlate of the salubrious effects of meditation practice. Here we …
View article: Serum BDNF predicts increases in telomere length during a month-long residential meditation retreat
Serum BDNF predicts increases in telomere length during a month-long residential meditation retreat Open
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a modulatory neuroprotein implicated in learning, memory, and neuroplasticity. Studies have found increased peripheral BDNF in participants of meditation interventions, indicating that BDNF may p…
View article: Shifting Baselines: Longitudinal Reductions in EEG Beta Band Power Characterize Resting Brain Activity with Intensive Meditation
Shifting Baselines: Longitudinal Reductions in EEG Beta Band Power Characterize Resting Brain Activity with Intensive Meditation Open
ObjectivesA core assumption of meditation training is that cognitive capacities developed during formal practice will transfer to other contexts or activities as expertise develops over time. This implies that meditation training might inf…
View article: Shifting Baselines: Longitudinal Reductions in EEG Beta Band Power Characterize Resting Brain Activity with Intensive Meditation
Shifting Baselines: Longitudinal Reductions in EEG Beta Band Power Characterize Resting Brain Activity with Intensive Meditation Open
Objectives A core assumption of meditation training is that cognitive capacities developed during formal practice will transfer to other contexts or activities as expertise develops over time. This implies that meditation training might in…
View article: Cultivating Concern for Others: Meditation Training and Motivated Engagement with Human Suffering
Cultivating Concern for Others: Meditation Training and Motivated Engagement with Human Suffering Open
Contemplative traditions have long affirmed that compassion and kindness are trainable skills. While research on meditation practice has recently flourished, the mechanisms that might engender such changes are still poorly understood. Here…
View article: Changes in the expression of inflammatory and epigenetic-modulatory genes after an intensive meditation retreat
Changes in the expression of inflammatory and epigenetic-modulatory genes after an intensive meditation retreat Open
These findings indicate that meditation retreat participation may influence some of the inflammatory mechanisms involved in the development of chronic diseases, and that this style of psychosocial intervention may have therapeutic potentia…
View article: Meditation training modulates brain electric microstates and felt states of awareness
Meditation training modulates brain electric microstates and felt states of awareness Open
Meditation practice is believed to foster states of mindful awareness and mental quiescence in everyday life. If so, then the cultivation of these qualities with training ought to leave its imprint on the activity of intrinsic functional b…
View article: Within and Between-person Correlates of the Temporal Dynamics of Resting EEG Microstates
Within and Between-person Correlates of the Temporal Dynamics of Resting EEG Microstates Open
Microstates reflect transient brain states resulting from the activity of synchronously active brain networks that predominate in the broadband EEG time series. Despite increasing interest in understanding how the functional organization o…
View article: Executive control and felt concentrative engagement following intensive meditation training
Executive control and felt concentrative engagement following intensive meditation training Open
Various forms of mental training have been shown to improve performance on cognitively demanding tasks. Individuals trained in meditative practices, for example, show generalized improvements on a variety of tasks assessing attentional per…
View article: Intensive training induces longitudinal changes in meditation state-related EEG oscillatory activity
Intensive training induces longitudinal changes in meditation state-related EEG oscillatory activity Open
The capacity to focus one's attention for an extended period of time can be increased through training in contemplative practices. However, the cognitive processes engaged during meditation that support trait changes in cognition are not w…
View article: Meditation training modulates brain electric microstates and felt states of awareness
Meditation training modulates brain electric microstates and felt states of awareness Open
Meditation practice is believed to foster states of mindful awareness and mental quiescence in everyday life. If so, then the cultivation of these qualities with training ought to leave its imprint on the activity of intrinsic functional b…
View article: Residential Meditation Retreats: Their Role in Contemplative Practice and Significance for Psychological Research
Residential Meditation Retreats: Their Role in Contemplative Practice and Significance for Psychological Research Open
Contemporary investigations of mindfulness and meditation have predominately emphasized the short-term effects of brief inductions or standardized, multi-week interventions in people with little to no prior meditation experience. Considera…
View article: Students' Use of Second Life in Learning Spanish as a Foreign Language
Students' Use of Second Life in Learning Spanish as a Foreign Language Open
The affordances of Second Life provide a life-like environment for language learning. This study explores how college students learn Spanish as a foreign language in the Second Life environment. We investigated their perceptions of and exp…
View article: Cognitive Aging and Long-Term Maintenance of Attentional Improvements Following Meditation Training
Cognitive Aging and Long-Term Maintenance of Attentional Improvements Following Meditation Training Open
Sustained attention is effortful, demanding, and subject to limitations associated with age-related cognitive decline. Researchers have sought to examine whether attentional capacities can be enhanced through directed mental training, with…
View article: Insight meditation and telomere biology: The effects of intensive retreat and the moderating role of personality
Insight meditation and telomere biology: The effects of intensive retreat and the moderating role of personality Open
A growing body of evidence suggests that meditation training may have a range of salubrious effects, including improved telomere regulation. Telomeres and the enzyme telomerase interact with a variety of molecular components to regulate ce…
View article: Intensive meditation training influences emotional responses to suffering.
Intensive meditation training influences emotional responses to suffering. Open
Meditation practices purportedly help people develop focused and sustained attention, cultivate feelings of compassionate concern for self and others, and strengthen motivation to help others who are in need. We examined the impact of 3 mo…