Attention and distraction

وَأَنذِرۡهُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡحَسۡرَةِ إِذۡ قُضِيَ ٱلۡأَمۡرُ وَهُمۡ فِي غَفۡلَةࣲ وَهُمۡ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ

for they are heedless and do not believe

ٱقۡتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمۡ وَهُمۡ فِي غَفۡلَةࣲ مُّعۡرِضُونَ

Ever closer to people draws their reckoning, while they turn away, heedless

قُلۡ يَٰٓأَهۡلَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ لِمَ تَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ مَنۡ ءَامَنَ تَبۡغُونَهَا عِوَجࣰ ا وَأَنتُمۡ شُهَدَآءُۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعۡمَلُونَ

Say, ‘People of the Book, why do you turn the believers away from God’s path and try to make it crooked, when you yourselves [should be] witnesses to the [truth]? God is not heedless of anything you do.’

وَإِذَا كُنتَ فِيهِمۡ فَأَقَمۡتَ لَهُمُ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ فَلۡتَقُمۡ طَآئِفَةࣱ مِّنۡهُم مَّعَكَ وَلۡيَأۡخُذُوٓاْ أَسۡلِحَتَهُمۡۖ فَإِذَا سَجَدُواْ فَلۡيَكُونُواْ مِن وَرَآئِكُمۡ وَلۡتَأۡتِ طَآئِفَةٌ أُخۡرَىٰ لَمۡ يُصَلُّواْ فَلۡيُصَلُّواْ مَعَكَ وَلۡيَأۡخُذُواْ حِذۡرَهُمۡ وَأَسۡلِحَتَهُمۡۗ وَدَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوۡ تَغۡفُلُونَ عَنۡ أَسۡلِحَتِكُمۡ وَأَمۡتِعَتِكُمۡ فَيَمِيلُونَ عَلَيۡكُم مَّيۡلَةࣰ وَٰحِدَةࣰۚ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ إِن كَانَ بِكُمۡ أَذࣰ ى مِّن مَّطَرٍ أَوۡ كُنتُم مَّرۡضَىٰٓ أَن تَضَعُوٓاْ أَسۡلِحَتَكُمۡۖ وَخُذُواْ حِذۡرَكُمۡۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَعَدَّ لِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ عَذَابࣰ ا مُّهِينࣰ ا

When you [Prophet] are with the believers, leading them in prayer, let a group of them stand up in prayer with you, taking their weapons with them, and when they have finished their prostration, let them take up their positions at the back. Then let the other group, who have not yet prayed, pray with you, also on their guard and armed with their weapons: the disbelievers would dearly like you to be heedless of your weapons and baggage, in order for them to take you in a single assault. You will not be blamed if you lay aside your arms when you are overtaken by heavy rain or illness, but be on your guard. Indeed, God has prepared a humiliating punishment for the disbelievers

وَلَقَدۡ ذَرَأۡنَا لِجَهَنَّمَ كَثِيرࣰ ا مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ وَٱلۡإِنسِۖ لَهُمۡ قُلُوبࣱ لَّا يَفۡقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمۡ أَعۡيُنࣱ لَّا يُبۡصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمۡ ءَاذَانࣱ لَّا يَسۡمَعُونَ بِهَآۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ كَٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ بَلۡ هُمۡ أَضَلُّۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡغَٰفِلُونَ

We have created many jinn and people who are destined for Hell, with hearts they do not use for comprehension, eyes they do not use for sight, ears they do not use for hearing. They are like cattle, no, even further astray: these are the ones who are entirely heedless

وَٱذۡكُر رَّبَّكَ فِي نَفۡسِكَ تَضَرُّعࣰ ا وَخِيفَةࣰ وَدُونَ ٱلۡجَهۡرِ مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡلِ بِٱلۡغُدُوِّ وَٱلۡأٓصَالِ وَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ ٱلۡغَٰفِلِينَ

[Prophet], remember your Lord inwardly, in all humility and awe, without raising your voice, in the mornings and in the evenings- do not be one of the heedless

Warn them of the day of remorse. The Day of Remorse is the Day of Resurrection. Wretchedness preceded for one group without their having committing disobedience, and felicity for another group without their having done beautiful deeds. The Day of Remorse is the first day in the era of the Beginningless, when it was ruled and decreed that everyone would be given what was suited for him: One would be driven away without any offense, and the other caressed but not because of obedience. For one a robe of elevation was woven without bias, and the other was burned in the fire of severance without iniquity. One was full of joy on the carpet of gentleness and heard the address, “So rejoice in your sale!” [9:111]. The other was in the pit of abandonment with the attribute of deprivation and tasted the venom of “Die in your rage!” [3:119]. Yes, He put into effect the precedent as He knew it, and H

And warn them threaten O Muhammad (s) the disbelievers of Mecca of the Day of Regret namely the Day of Resurrection on which the sinner will regret not having been virtuous in the life of this world when the matter will be decided for them thereupon that they be chastised while they in this world are yet heedless of it and do not believe in it the Day of Resurrection.

Nigh has drawn for mankind the people of Mecca the deniers of the Resurrection their reckoning on the Day of Resurrection yet they are heedless of it disregardful of the preparation required for it by way of embracing faith.

The Virtues of Surat Al-Anbiya' Al-Bukhari recorded that 'Abdur-Rahman bin Yazid said that 'Abdullah said, "Banu Isra'il, Al-Kahf, Maryam, Ta Ha and Al-Anbiya' - they are among the earliest and most beautiful Surahs and they are my treasure." بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. اقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمْ وَهُمْ فِي غَفْلَةٍ مُّعْرِضُونَ - مَا يَأْتِيهِم مِّن ذِكْرٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِم مُّحْدَثٍ إِلَّا اسْتَمَعُوهُ وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ - لَاهِيَةً قُلُوبُهُمْ ۗ وَأَسَرُّوا النَّجْوَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا هَلْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ ۖ أَفَتَأْتُونَ السِّحْرَ وَأَنتُمْ تُبْصِرُونَ - قَالَ رَبِّي يَعْلَمُ الْقَوْلَ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ - بَلْ قَالُوا أَضْغَاثُ أَحْلَامٍ بَلِ افْتَرَاهُ بَلْ هُوَ شَاعِرٌ فَلْيَأْتِنَا بِآيَةٍ كَمَا أُرْسِلَ الْأَوَّلُونَ - مَا آمَنَتْ قَبْلَهُم مِّن ق

(And when thou (O Muhammad) art among them and arrangest (their) worship for them�) [4:102]. The teacher Abu �Uthman al-Za�farani al-Muqri� informed us in the year [4]25> Abu Muhammad �Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn �Ali ibn Ziyad al-Suddi in the year 363> Abu Sa�id al-Fadl ibn Muhammad al-Jazari in the Sacred Mosque, Mecca, in 304> �Ali ibn Ziyad al-Lahji> Abu Qurrah Musa ibn Tariq> Sufyan> Mansur> Mujahid> Abu �Ayyash al-Zurraqi who said: �We performed the prayer of Zuhr with the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, upon which the idolaters exclaimed: �They were in a vulnerable situation, why did we not attack them by surprise?� Then they said: �There shall come another prayer which is more beloved to them than their own fathers, which is the midafternoon (�Asr) prayer�. Gabriel, peace be upon him, then came down with these verses between the Zuhr and the �Asr prayers. (

And remember thy Lord in thyself. The rememberers are three men: One remembers with the tongue while the heart is unaware. Another remembers with both tongue and heart, but his work is in danger, as has been said, " The self-purifiers are in grave danger. " Still another is silent with the tongue but his heart is drowned in Him. The Pir of the Tariqah said, " O God, how can I remember, for I myself am all remembrance? I have given the harvest of my marks to the wind. How can I remember Him whom I have not for- gotten? O remembrance of the spirits, remembered by the hearts, and mentioned by the tongues! Remember me with Your bounty and make me happy with gentle remembrance! "

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ابْنِ بُحَيْنَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّهُ قَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَامَ مِنِ اثْنَتَيْنِ مِنَ الظُّهْرِ لَمْ يَجْلِسْ بَيْنَهُمَا، فَلَمَّا قَضَى صَلاَتَهُ سَجَدَ سَجْدَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ سَلَّمَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ‏.‏

Narrated `Abdullah bin Buhaina:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) got up after the second rak`a of the Zuhr prayer without sitting in between (the second and the third rak`at). When he finished the prayer he performed two prostrations (of Sahu) and then finished the prayer with Taslim

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنِ الْحَكَمِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم صَلَّى الظُّهْرَ خَمْسًا فَقِيلَ لَهُ أَزِيدَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ وَمَا ذَاكَ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ صَلَّيْتَ خَمْسًا‏.‏ فَسَجَدَ سَجْدَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ مَا سَلَّمَ‏.‏

Narrated' `Abdullah:Once Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) offered five rak`at in the Zuhr prayer, and somebody asked him whether there was some increase in the prayer. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "What is that?" He said, "You have offered five rak`at." So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) performed two prostrations of Sahu after Taslim

أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عَمَّارٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بَابَيْهِ، عَنْ يَعْلَى بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِعُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ ‏{‏ لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ تَقْصُرُوا، مِنَ الصَّلاَةِ إِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَنْ يَفْتِنَكُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ‏}‏ فَقَدْ أَمِنَ النَّاسُ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ رضى الله عنه عَجِبْتُ مِمَّا عَجِبْتَ مِنْهُ فَسَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ صَدَقَةٌ تَصَدَّقَ اللَّهُ بِهَا عَلَيْكُمْ فَاقْبَلُوا صَدَقَتَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

It was narrated that Ya'la bin Umayyah said:"I said to 'Umar bin Al-Khattab: 'There is no sin on you if you shorten salah and if you fear that the disbelievers may put you in trial (attack you). But now the people are safe.' 'Umar said: 'I wondered the same thing, so I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about that and he said: This is a favor from Allah (SWT) to you, so accept His favor

أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أُمَيَّةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ إِنَّا نَجِدُ صَلاَةَ الْحَضَرِ وَصَلاَةَ الْخَوْفِ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَلاَ نَجِدُ صَلاَةَ السَّفَرِ فِي الْقُرْآنِ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُ عُمَرَ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بَعَثَ إِلَيْنَا مُحَمَّدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم وَلاَ نَعْلَمُ شَيْئًا وَإِنَّمَا نَفْعَلُ كَمَا رَأَيْنَا مُحَمَّدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم يَفْعَلُ ‏.‏

It was narrated from Umayyah bin 'Abdullah bin Khalid that:He said to 'Abdullah bin 'Umar: "We find (mention of) prayer when one is at home (i.e., not traveling) and prayer at times of fear in the Qur'an, but we do not find any mention in the Qur'an of prayer when traveling. Ibn Umar said to him: 'O son of my brother, Allah (SWT) send Muhammad (ﷺ) to us when we did not know anything, and all we should do is to do that which we saw Muhammad (ﷺ) doing

حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ فُضَيْلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ كُنَّا نُسَلِّمُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهُوَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَيَرُدُّ عَلَيْنَا، فَلَمَّا رَجَعْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِ النَّجَاشِيِّ سَلَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيْنَا وَقَالَ ‏ "‏ إِنَّ فِي الصَّلاَةِ شُغْلاً ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated `Abdullah:We used to greet the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was praying and he used to answer our greetings. When we returned from An-Najashi (the ruler of Ethiopia), we greeted him, but he did not answer us (during the prayer) and (after finishing the prayer) he said, "In the prayer one is occupied (with a more serious matter)

حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، حَدَّثَنَا هُرَيْمُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَحْوَهُ‏.‏

Narrated `Abdullah:The same as No. 290. from the Prophet

فدلت هذه الحكايات والأخبار مع ما سبق على أن الأصل في الصلاة الخشوع وحضور القلب وأن مجرد الحركات مع الغفلة قليل الجدوى في المعاد والله أعلم

والحضور مضاد للعزوب والغفلة وإن لم يكن مفصلا

وأما ذكر الرعاية : فمثل قول الذاكر : الله معي والله ناظر إلي الله شاهدي ونحو ذلك مما يستعمل لتقوية الحضور مع الله وفيه رعاية لمصلحة القلب ولحفظ الأدب مع الله والتحرز من الغفلة والاعتصام من الشيطان والنفس

يريد بالخفي ههنا : الذكر بمجرد القلب بما يعرض له من الواردات وهذا ثمرة الذكر الأول ويريد بالخلاض من القيود : التخلص من الغفلة والنسيان والحجب الحائلة بين القلب وبين الرب سبحانه والبقاء مع الشهود : ملازمة الحضور مع المذكور ومشاهدة القلب له حتى كأنه يراه

ثم يتشعب من كل واحدة من هذه الخصال العشر عشر أخرى من الرذائل لم نطول بذكرها وتفصيل آحادها مثل الأنفة والغضب والبغضاء والطمع وحب طلب المال والجاه للتمكن من الغلبة والمباهاة والأشر والبطر وتعظيم الأغنياء والسلاطين والتردد إليهم والأخذ من حرامهم والتجمل بالخيول والمراكب والثياب المحظورة والاستحقار للناس بالفخر والخيلاء والخوض فيما لا يعني وكثرة الكلام وخروج الخشية والخوف والرحمة من القلب واستيلاء الغفلة عليه حتى لا يدري المصلي منهم في صلاته ما صلى وما الذي يقرأ ومن الذي يناجيه ولايحس بالخشوع من قلبه مع استغراق العمر في العلوم التي تعين في المناظرة مع أنها لا تنفع في الآخرة من تحسين العبارة وتسجيع اللفظ وحفظ النوادر إلى غير ذلك من أمور لا تحصى

وإذا أردت منهم هذا القدر كما ينبغي فانظر وقت أخذك في القراءة إذا أعرضت عن واجبها وتدبرها وتعقلها وفهم ما أريد بكل آية وحظك من الخطاب بها وتنزيلها على أدواء قلبك والتقيد بها كيف تدرك الختمة أو أكثرها أو ما قرأت منها بسهولة وخفة مستكثرا من القراءة فإذا ألزمت نفسك التدبر ومعرفة المراد والنظر إلى ما يخصك منه والتعبد به وتنزيل دوائه على أدواء قلبك والإستشفاء به لم تكد تجوز السورة أو الآية إلى غيرها وكذلك إذا جمعت قلبك كله على ركعتين أعطيتهما ما تقدر عليه من الحضور والخشوع والمراقبة لم تكد أن تصلي غيرهما إلا بجهد فإذا خلا القلب من ذلك عددت الركعات بلا حساب فالإستكثار من الطاعات دون مراعاة آفاتها وعيوبها ليتوب منها هي توبة العامة

Effects of L-theanine-caffeine combination on sustained attention and inhibitory control among children with ADHD: a proof-of-concept neuroimaging RCT.: We examined the acute effects of L-theanine, caffeine and their combination on sustained attention, inhibitory control and overall cognition in boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). L-Theanine (2.5 mg/kg), caffeine (2.0 mg/kg), their combination and a placebo were administered in a randomized four-way repeated-measures crossover with washout, to five boys (8-15 years) with ADHD. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed during a Go/NoGo task and a Stop-signa

Stimulating meditation: a pre-registered randomised controlled experiment combining a single dose of the cognitive enhancer, modafinil, with brief mindfulness training.: Background: Mindfulness-meditation has a variety of benefits on well-being. However, individuals with primary attentional impairments (e.g. attention deficit disorder) or attentional symptoms secondary to anxiety, depression or addiction, may be less likely to benefit, and require additional mindfulness-augmenting strategies. Aims: To determine whether a single dose of the cognitive enhancer, modafinil, acutely increases subjective and behavioural indices of mindfulness, and augments brief mindf

Mind Wandering (Internal Distractibility) in ADHD: A Literature Review.: Objective: Mind wandering, the unintended shifting of attention from a task, has been previously associated with symptoms of ADHD. To this end, we conducted a literature search to investigate the association between mind wandering and ADHD. Method: We conducted a systematic search of the literature of relevant articles assessing mind wandering and ADHD in PubMed, PsycINFO/OVID, and Medline. Included were original articles in English that had operationalized definitions of ADHD and mind wandering

A novel digital intervention for actively reducing severity of paediatric ADHD (STARS-ADHD): a randomised controlled trial.: Background: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common paediatric neurodevelopmental disorder with substantial effect on families and society. Alternatives to traditional care, including novel digital therapeutics, have shown promise to remediate cognitive deficits associated with this disorder and may address barriers to standard therapies, such as pharmacological interventions and behavioural therapy. AKL-T01 is an investigational digital therapeutic designed to target attenti

Randomised sham-controlled study of high-frequency bilateral deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) to treat adult attention hyperactive disorder (ADHD): Negative results.: Objectives: Recent studies support the possible effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as a treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and possible efficacy of bilateral prefrontal deep rTMS for the treatment of adult ADHD. Methods: Twenty-six adult ADHD patients were randomised blindly to sham or actual deep TMS (dTMS). Twenty daily sessions were conducted using the bilateral H5 dTMS coil (B

Atomoxetine treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in young adults with assessment of functional outcomes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.: Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with significant impairment in multiple functional domains. This trial evaluated efficacy in ADHD symptoms and functional outcomes in young adults treated with atomoxetine. Methods: Young adults (18-30 years old) with ADHD were randomized to 12 weeks of double-blind treatment with atomoxetine (n = 220) or placebo (n = 225). The primary efficacy measure of ADHD symptom change was Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS): In

The influence of Oxytocin on automatic motor simulation.

Motor simulation is important for imitation, action understanding, and a wide range of social cognitive skills. Furthermore, the neuropeptide hormone Oxytocin (OT) has also been related to social information processing in humans, improving perception of social stimuli and increasing altruism and trust. Surprisingly, however, a direct link between OT and motor simulation has never been systematically investigated. The current study examined this question using the imitation-inhibition task, a paradigm used to investigate automatic imitation behaviour and motor simulation. In this task, participants carry out simple finger movements while observing irrelevant movements that either match (congruent condition) or do not match (incongruent condition) the instructed movements. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled design, male participants were administered either OT (N=24) or placebo (N=24), …

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Sweet delusion. Glucose drinks fail to counteract ego depletion.

Initial acts of self-control have repeatedly been shown to reduce individuals' performance on a consecutive self-control task. In addition, sugar containing drinks have been demonstrated to counteract this so-called ego-depletion effect, both when being ingested and when merely being sensed in the oral cavity. However, since the underlying evidence is less compelling than suggested, replications are crucially required. In Experiment 1, 70 participants consumed a drink containing either sugar or a non-caloric sweetener between two administrations of delay-discounting tasks. Experiment 2 (N=115) was designed to unravel the psychological function of oral glucose sensing by manipulating the temporal delay between a glucose mouth rinse and the administration of the consecutive self-control task. Despite applying powerful research designs, no effect of sugar sensing or ingestion on ego depleti…

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Short-term improvement in insomnia symptoms predicts long-term improvements in sleep, pain, and fatigue in older adults with comorbid osteoarthritis and insomnia.

Unlabelled: In a primary care population of 367 older adults (aged ⩾60 years) with osteoarthritis (OA) pain and insomnia, we examined the relationship between short-term improvement in sleep and long-term sleep, pain, and fatigue outcomes through secondary analyses of randomized controlled trial data. Study participants, regardless of experimental treatment received, were classified either as improvers (⩾30% baseline to 2-month reduction on the Insomnia Severity Index [ISI]) or as nonimprovers. After controlling for treatment arm and potential confounders, improvers showed significant, sustained improvements across 18 months compared with nonimprovers in pain severity (P<0.001, adjusted mean difference=-0.51 [95% CI: -0.80, -0.21), arthritis symptoms (P<0.001, 0.63 [0.26, 1.00]), and fear avoidance (P=0.009, -2.27 [-3.95, -0.58]) but not in catastrophizing or depression. Improvers also s…

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Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM) of obsessive compulsive beliefs.

Background: Cognitive bias modification (CBM) protocols have been developed to help establish the causal role of biased cognitive processing in maintaining psychopathology and have demonstrated therapeutic benefits in a range of disorders. The current study evaluated a cognitive bias modification training paradigm designed to target interpretation biases (CBM-I) associated with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Methods: We evaluated the impact of CBM-I on measures of interpretation bias, distress, and on responses to three OC stressor tasks designed to tap the core belief domains of Importance of Thoughts/Control, Perfectionism/Intolerance of Uncertainty, and Contamination/Estimation of Threat in a selected sample of community members reporting obsessive compulsive (OC) symptoms (N = 89). Results: Participants randomly assigned to the Positive condition evidenced a change in interpret…

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The effect of a single session of short duration heart rate variability biofeedback on EEG: a pilot study.

This pilot study examines the effect of heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback on measures of electroencephalogram (EEG) during and immediately after biofeedback. Eighteen healthy males exposed to work-related stress, were randomised into an HRV biofeedback (BIO) or a comparative group (COM). EEG was recorded during the intervention and during rest periods before and after the intervention. Power spectral density in theta, alpha and beta frequency bands and theta/beta ratios were calculated. During the intervention, the BIO group had higher relative theta power [Fz and Pz (p < 0.01), Cz (p < 0.05)], lower fronto-central relative beta power (p < 0.05), and higher theta/beta [Fz and Cz (p < 0.01), Pz (p < 0.05)] than the COM group. The groups showed different responses after the intervention with increased posterior theta/beta (p < 0.05) in the BIO group and altered posterior relative th…

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No evidence of intelligence improvement after working memory training: a randomized, placebo-controlled study.

Numerous recent studies seem to provide evidence for the general intellectual benefits of working memory training. In reviews of the training literature, Shipstead, Redick, and Engle (2010, 2012) argued that the field should treat recent results with a critical eye. Many published working memory training studies suffer from design limitations (no-contact control groups, single measures of cognitive constructs), mixed results (transfer of training gains to some tasks but not others, inconsistent transfer to the same tasks across studies), and lack of theoretical grounding (identifying the mechanisms responsible for observed transfer). The current study compared young adults who received 20 sessions of practice on an adaptive dual n-back program (working memory training group) or an adaptive visual search program (active placebo-control group) with a no-contact control group that received …

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MBSR vs aerobic exercise in social anxiety: fMRI of emotion regulation of negative self-beliefs.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is thought to reduce emotional reactivity and enhance emotion regulation in patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD). The goal of this study was to examine the neural correlates of deploying attention to regulate responses to negative self-beliefs using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Participants were 56 patients with generalized SAD in a randomized controlled trial who were assigned to MBSR or a comparison aerobic exercise (AE) stress reduction program. Compared to AE, MBSR yielded greater (i) reductions in negative emotion when implementing regulation and (ii) increases in attention-related parietal cortical regions. Meditation practice was associated with decreases in negative emotion and social anxiety symptom severity, and increases in attention-related parietal cortex neural responses when implementing attention regulation of neg…

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Too exhausted to remember: ego depletion undermines subsequent event-based prospective memory.

Past research has consistently found that people are likely to do worse on high-level cognitive tasks after exerting self-control on previous actions. However, little has been unraveled about to what extent ego depletion affects subsequent prospective memory. Drawing upon the self-control strength model and the relationship between self-control resources and executive control, this study proposes that the initial actions of self-control may undermine subsequent event-based prospective memory (EBPM). Ego depletion was manipulated through watching a video requiring visual attention (Experiment 1) or completing an incongruent Stroop task (Experiment 2). Participants were then tested on EBPM embedded in an ongoing task. As predicted, the results showed that after ruling out possible intervening variables (e.g. mood, focal and nonfocal cues, and characteristics of ongoing task and ego depleti…

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Efficacy and safety of prolonged-release OROS methylphenidate in adults with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a 13-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, fixed-dose study.

Objectives: Methylphenidate (MPH) is effective for adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of OROS MPH in adults with ADHD. Methods: Randomized, double-blind study; 279 subjects received OROS MPH 54 or 72 mg/day, or placebo, for 13 weeks. Primary endpoint was the Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale - Screening Version (CAARS-O:SV). Secondary outcomes included CAARS Self Report - Short Version (CAARS-S:S), Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) and ADHD Impact Module - Adult (AIM-A). Results: Improvements in CAARS-O:SV were significantly greater with OROS MPH 72 mg vs. placebo (P = 0.0024). CAARS-S:S scores decreased significantly vs. placebo in both OROS MPH arms (P < 0.05). There was no significant change in SDS score from baseline in either treatment arm, although significant benefit vs. placebo was observed on several AIM-…

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Neurofeedback training improves attention and working memory performance.

Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the frontal-midline theta (fmθ) activity uptraining protocol on attention and working memory performance of older and younger participants. Methods: Thirty-two participants were recruited. Participants within each age group were randomly assigned to either the neurofeedback training (fmθ uptraining) group or the sham-neurofeedback training group. Results: There was a significant improvement in orienting scores in the older neurofeedback training group. In addition, there was a significant improvement in conflict scores in both the older and young neurofeedback training groups. However, alerting scores failed to increase. In addition, the fmθ training was found to improve working memory function in the older participants. The results further showed that fmθ training can modulate resting EEG for both neurofeedback grou…

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The effects of depleted self-control strength on skill-based task performance.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of depleted self-control strength on skill-based sports task performance. Sixty-two participants completed the following: a baseline dart-tossing task (20 tosses), with measures of accuracy, reaction time, and myoelectrical activity of the arms taken throughout; a self-control depletion (experimental) or a nondepletion (control) manipulation; and a second round of dart tossing. As hypothesized, participants in the experimental condition had poorer mean accuracy at Round 2 than control condition participants, and a significant decline in accuracy from Round 1 to Round 2. Experimental condition participants also demonstrated poorer consistency in accuracy compared with control condition participants at Round 2 and a significant deterioration in consistency from Round 1 to Round 2. In addition, consistency in reaction time improved signif…

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Preliminary evidence about the effects of meditation on interoceptive sensitivity and social cognition.

Background: Interoception refers to the conscious perception of body signals. Mindfulness is a meditation practice that encourages individuals to focus on their internal experiences such as bodily sensations, thoughts, and emotions. In this study, we selected a behavioral measure of interoceptive sensitivity (heartbeat detection task, HBD) to compare the effect of meditation practice on interoceptive sensitivity among long term practitioners (LTP), short term meditators (STM, subjects that completed a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program) and controls (non-meditators). All participants were examined with a battery of different tasks including mood state, executive function and social cognition tests (emotion recognition, empathy and theory of mind). Findings: Compared to controls, both meditators' groups showed lower levels of anxiety and depression, but no improvement in ex…

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Working memory training in survivors of pediatric cancer: a randomized pilot study.

Objectives: Survivors of pediatric brain tumors and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are at increased risk for neurocognitive deficits, but few empirically supported treatment options exist. We examined the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a home-based, computerized working memory training program, CogmedRM, with survivors of childhood cancer. Methods: Survivors of brain tumors or ALL (n = 20) with identified deficits in attention and/or working memory were randomized to either the success-adapted computer intervention or a non-adaptive, active control condition. Specifically, children in the adaptive condition completed exercises that became more challenging with each correct trial, whereas those in the non-adaptive version trained with exercises that never increased in difficulty. All participants were asked to complete 25 training sessions at home, with weekly, phone-based co…

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A parenting intervention for childhood behavioral problems: a randomized controlled trial in disadvantaged community-based settings.

Objective: A community-based randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted in urban areas characterized by high levels of disadvantage to test the effectiveness of the Incredible Years BASIC parent training program (IYBP) for children with behavioral problems. Potential moderators of intervention effects on child behavioral outcomes were also explored. Method: Families were included if the child (aged 32-88 months) scored above a clinical cutoff on the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI). Participants (n = 149) were randomly allocated on a 2:1 ratio to an intervention group (n = 103) or a waiting-list control group (n = 46). Child behavior, parenting skills, and parent well-being were assessed at baseline and 6 months later using parent-report and independent observations. An intention-to-treat analysis of covariance was used to examine postintervention differences between groups. R…

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Long-term functional outcome in adult prison inmates with ADHD receiving OROS-methylphenidate.

In a recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we established a robust efficacy (Cohen's d = 2.17) of osmotic release oral system-methylphenidate (OROS-methylphenidate) delivered 72 mg daily for 5 weeks versus placebo on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, global severity and global functioning in 30 adult male prison inmates with ADHD and coexisting disorders. Outcomes continued to improve during the subsequent 47-week open-label extension with OROS-methylphenidate delivered at a flexible daily dosage of up to 1.3 mg/kg body weight. In the present study, we evaluated long-term effectiveness and maintenance of improvement over the cumulated 52-week trial on cognition, motor activity, institutional behaviour and quality of life. Post hoc, we explored the associations between investigators' and self-ratings of ADHD symptoms and between ratings of symp…

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Methylphenidate treatment of adult male prison inmates with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial with open-label extension.

Background: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is highly prevalent in prison inmates, but pharmacological treatment has not yet been evaluated in this group. Aims: To evaluate osmotic-release oral system (OROS) methylphenidate in adult male long-term prison inmates with ADHD. Method: Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled 5-week trial, followed by 47-week open-label extension in 30 prison inmates with ADHD and comorbid disorders. Primary outcome was level of ADHD symptoms after 5 weeks, evaluated by a masked assessor. Secondary outcomes were self-reported ADHD symptoms, global severity and global functioning throughout the 52-week trial, and post hoc treatment response and numbers needed to treat (NNT) (trial registration: NCT00482313.) Results: Treatment significantly improved ADHD during the trial (P<0.001; Cohen's d = 2.17), with reduced symptom severity and improve…

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Long-term efficacy and safety outcomes with OROS-MPH in adults with ADHD.

Methylphenidate (MPH) is widely prescribed for adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but data on long-term treatment and maintenance of effect are lacking. Osmotic release oral system-methylphenidate (OROS-MPH) was evaluated in a 52-wk open-label study in subjects who had previously completed a short-term placebo-controlled trial and short-term open-label extension. Efficacy was assessed using the investigator- and subject-rated Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS:O-SV and CAARS:S-S), and the Clinical Global Impression - Severity (CGI-S), Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) and Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Q-LES-Q). Subjects completing ≥52 wk of treatment were eligible for a 4-wk randomized, placebo-controlled withdrawal phase in which loss of treatment effect was assessed using CAARS:O-SV and CGI-S. In the open-label phase (n=156), mea…

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Processing mode during repetitive thinking in socially anxious individuals: evidence for a maladaptive experiential mode.

Background and objectives: Evidence from the depression literature suggests that an analytical processing mode adopted during repetitive thinking leads to maladaptive outcomes relative to an experiential processing mode. To date, in socially anxious individuals, the impact of processing mode during repetitive thinking related to an actual social-evaluative situation has not been investigated. We thus tested whether an analytical processing mode would be maladaptive relative to an experiential processing mode during anticipatory processing and post-event rumination. Methods: High and low socially anxious participants were induced to engage in either an analytical or experiential processing mode during: (a) anticipatory processing before performing a speech (Experiment 1; N = 94), or (b) post-event rumination after performing a speech (Experiment 2; N = 74). Mood, cognition, and behavioura…

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Anxiety, ego depletion, and sports performance.

In the present article, we analyzed the role of self-control strength and state anxiety in sports performance. We tested the hypothesis that self-control strength and state anxiety interact in predicting sports performance on the basis of two studies, each using a different sports task (Study 1: performance in a basketball free throw task, N = 64; Study 2: performance in a dart task, N = 79). The patterns of results were as expected in both studies: Participants with depleted self-control strength performed worse in the specific tasks as their anxiety increased, whereas there was no significant relation for participants with fully available self-control strength. Furthermore, different degrees of available self-control strength did not predict performance in participants who were low in state anxiety, but did in participants who were high in state anxiety. Thus increasing self-control st…

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Therapeutic mechanisms of a mindfulness-based treatment for IBS: effects on visceral sensitivity, catastrophizing, and affective processing of pain sensations.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a prevalent functional disorder characterized by abdominal pain and hypervigilance to gastrointestinal sensations. We hypothesized that mindfulness training (MT), which promotes nonreactive awareness of emotional and sensory experience, may target underlying mechanisms of IBS including affective pain processing and catastrophic appraisals of gastrointestinal sensations. Seventy five female IBS patients were randomly assigned to participate in either 8 weeks of MT or a social support group. A theoretically grounded, multivariate path model tested therapeutic mediators of the effect of MT on IBS severity and quality of life. Results suggest that MT exerts significant therapeutic effects on IBS symptoms by promoting nonreactivity to gut-focused anxiety and catastrophic appraisals of the significance of abdominal sensations coupled with a refocusing of atten…

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Efficacy and safety of the novel α₄β₂ neuronal nicotinic receptor partial agonist ABT-089 in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study.

Rationale: α(4)β(2) Neuronal nicotinic receptors (NNRs) are implicated in the pathophysiology of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Objectives: This study examined the efficacy and safety of the α(4)β(2) NNR partial agonist ABT-089 versus placebo in adults with ADHD. Methods: In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study, subjects received placebo followed by ABT-089 (2 mg once daily [QD], 5 mg QD, 15 mg QD, 40 mg QD, or 40 mg twice daily [BID]), or vice versa, in a 2 × 2 crossover design. Each treatment period was 4 weeks, separated by a 2-week washout period. The primary efficacy endpoint was the Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale-Investigator Rated (CAARS:Inv) total score at the end of each treatment period. Secondary outcomes based on clinician- and self-rated efficacy scales were evaluated. Results: Of the 221 subjects enrolled, 171 me…

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Mind over matter: reappraising arousal improves cardiovascular and cognitive responses to stress.

Researchers have theorized that changing the way we think about our bodily responses can improve our physiological and cognitive reactions to stressful events. However, the underlying processes through which mental states improve downstream outcomes are not well understood. To this end, we examined whether reappraising stress-induced arousal could improve cardiovascular outcomes and decrease attentional bias for emotionally negative information. Participants were randomly assigned to either a reappraisal condition in which they were instructed to think about their physiological arousal during a stressful task as functional and adaptive, or to 1 of 2 control conditions: attention reorientation and no instructions. Relative to controls, participants instructed to reappraise their arousal exhibited more adaptive cardiovascular stress responses-increased cardiac efficiency and lower vascular…

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Evaluating a comprehensive strategy to improve engagement to group-based behavioral parent training for high-risk families of children with ADHD.

Behavioral parent training (BPT) is an evidence-based intervention for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and related disruptive behavioral disorders of childhood. Despite convincing data on effectiveness, engagement to BPT, particularly for high-risk families, has been a long standing, yet understudied, issue. Data from a clinical trial of a comprehensive BPT approach to enhance engagement and outcomes (the Strategies to Enhance Positive Parenting [STEPP] program) are presented herein. The STEPP program was compared to a traditional group-based BPT program on propensity to attend treatment, propensity to complete homework over the course of treatment, and dropout from BPT. Additionally, factors empirically related to engagement to treatment and targeted by the STEPP program were analyzed to determine whether these factors were enhanced by participation in t…

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Maternal cognitions and mother-infant interaction in postnatal depression and generalized anxiety disorder.

Postnatal depression and anxiety have been shown to increase the risk of disturbances in mother-child interaction and child development. Research into mechanisms has focused on genetics and maternal behavior; maternal cognitions have received little attention. Our aim was to experimentally determine if worry and rumination in mothers with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD), diagnosed in the postnatal 6 months, interfered with maternal responsiveness to their 10-month old infants. Mothers (N = 253: GAD n = 90; MDD n = 57; control n = 106) and their infants were randomized to either a worry/rumination prime (WRP) or a neutral prime (NP); mother-infant interactions were assessed before and after priming. Type of priming was a significant predictor of maternal cognitions, with WRP resulting in more negative thoughts, higher thought recurrence and more self…

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Ego depletion increases ad-lib alcohol consumption: investigating cognitive mediators and moderators.

When self-control resources are depleted ("ego depletion"), alcohol-seeking behavior becomes closely associated with automatic alcohol-related processing biases (e.g., Ostafin, Marlatt, & Greenwald, 2008). The current study aimed to replicate and extend these findings, and also to investigate whether the effects of ego depletion on drinking behavior would be mediated by temporary impairments in executive function or increases in impulsivity. Eighty heavy social drinkers (46 female) initially completed measures of automatic approach tendencies (stimulus response compatibility [SRC] task) and attentional bias (visual probe task) elicited by alcohol-related cues. Participants were then exposed to either an ego depletion manipulation or a control manipulation, before completing a bogus taste test in order to assess ad-lib alcohol consumption. In a subsequent testing session, we examined effe…

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