Characterization of Brain Signatures to Add Precision to Self-Management Health Information Interventions

We describe a program of research addressing the identification of brain biomarkers that differentially predict responses to two types of health information (analytic focused and emotion focused) designed to support optimal self-management of chronic conditions. Methods We pooled data from two pilot studies (N = 52) that included functional magnetic resonance imaging during a specially designed, ecologically valid protocol to examine brain activation (task differentiation) associated with two large-scale neural networks—the Analytic Network and the Empathy Network—and the ventral medial prefrontal cortex while individuals responded to different types of health information (analytic and emotional). Results Findings indicate that analytic information and emotional information are processed differently in the brain, and the magnitude of this differentiation in response to type of information varies from person to person. Activation in the a priori regions identified in response to both analytic and emotion information was confirmed. The feasibility of obtaining brain imaging data from persons with chronic conditions also is demonstrated. Discussion An understanding of brain signatures related to information processing has potential to assist in the design of more individualized, effective self-management interventions.
Source: Nursing Research - Category: Nursing Tags: FEATURE ARTICLES Source Type: research