Evidence of a Christmas spirit network in the brain: functional MRI study
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Evidence of a Christmas spirit network in the brain : functional MRI study. / Hougaard, Anders; Lindberg, Ulrich; Arngrim, Nanna; Larsson, Henrik B W; Olesen, Jes; Amin, Faisal Mohammad; Ashina, Messoud; Haddock, Bryan T.
I: B M J, Bind 351, h6266, 2015, s. 1-6.Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Evidence of a Christmas spirit network in the brain
T2 - functional MRI study
AU - Hougaard, Anders
AU - Lindberg, Ulrich
AU - Arngrim, Nanna
AU - Larsson, Henrik B W
AU - Olesen, Jes
AU - Amin, Faisal Mohammad
AU - Ashina, Messoud
AU - Haddock, Bryan T
N1 - Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - OBJECTIVE: To detect and localise the Christmas spirit in the human brain.DESIGN: Single blinded, cross cultural group study with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).SETTING: Functional imaging unit and department of clinical physiology, nuclear medicine and PET in Denmark.PARTICIPANTS: 10 healthy people from the Copenhagen area who routinely celebrate Christmas and 10 healthy people living in the same area who have no Christmas traditions.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Brain activation unique to the group with Christmas traditions during visual stimulation with images with a Christmas theme.METHODS: Functional brain scans optimised for detection of the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) response were performed while participants viewed a series of images with Christmas themes interleaved with neutral images having similar characteristics but containing nothing that symbolises Christmas. After scanning, participants answered a questionnaire about their Christmas traditions and the associations they have with Christmas. Brain activation maps from scanning were analysed for Christmas related activation in the "Christmas" and "non-Christmas" groups individually. Subsequently, differences between the two groups were calculated to determine Christmas specific brain activation.RESULTS: Significant clusters of increased BOLD activation in the sensory motor cortex, the premotor and primary motor cortex, and the parietal lobule (inferior and superior) were found in scans of people who celebrate Christmas with positive associations compared with scans in a group having no Christmas traditions and neutral associations. These cerebral areas have been associated with spirituality, somatic senses, and recognition of facial emotion among many other functions.CONCLUSIONS: There is a "Christmas spirit network" in the human brain comprising several cortical areas. This network had a significantly higher activation in a people who celebrate Christmas with positive associations as opposed to a people who have no Christmas traditions and neutral associations. Further research is necessary to understand this and other potential holiday circuits in the brain. Although merry and intriguing, these findings should be interpreted with caution.
AB - OBJECTIVE: To detect and localise the Christmas spirit in the human brain.DESIGN: Single blinded, cross cultural group study with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).SETTING: Functional imaging unit and department of clinical physiology, nuclear medicine and PET in Denmark.PARTICIPANTS: 10 healthy people from the Copenhagen area who routinely celebrate Christmas and 10 healthy people living in the same area who have no Christmas traditions.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Brain activation unique to the group with Christmas traditions during visual stimulation with images with a Christmas theme.METHODS: Functional brain scans optimised for detection of the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) response were performed while participants viewed a series of images with Christmas themes interleaved with neutral images having similar characteristics but containing nothing that symbolises Christmas. After scanning, participants answered a questionnaire about their Christmas traditions and the associations they have with Christmas. Brain activation maps from scanning were analysed for Christmas related activation in the "Christmas" and "non-Christmas" groups individually. Subsequently, differences between the two groups were calculated to determine Christmas specific brain activation.RESULTS: Significant clusters of increased BOLD activation in the sensory motor cortex, the premotor and primary motor cortex, and the parietal lobule (inferior and superior) were found in scans of people who celebrate Christmas with positive associations compared with scans in a group having no Christmas traditions and neutral associations. These cerebral areas have been associated with spirituality, somatic senses, and recognition of facial emotion among many other functions.CONCLUSIONS: There is a "Christmas spirit network" in the human brain comprising several cortical areas. This network had a significantly higher activation in a people who celebrate Christmas with positive associations as opposed to a people who have no Christmas traditions and neutral associations. Further research is necessary to understand this and other potential holiday circuits in the brain. Although merry and intriguing, these findings should be interpreted with caution.
KW - Adult
KW - Brain Mapping
KW - Christianity
KW - Culture
KW - Emotions
KW - Female
KW - Holidays
KW - Humans
KW - Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
KW - Magnetic Resonance Imaging
KW - Male
KW - Motor Cortex
KW - Parietal Lobe
KW - Photic Stimulation
KW - Spirituality
KW - Visual Perception
U2 - 10.1136/bmj.h6266
DO - 10.1136/bmj.h6266
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 26676562
VL - 351
SP - 1
EP - 6
JO - The BMJ
JF - The BMJ
SN - 0959-8146
M1 - h6266
ER -
ID: 162722300