PMID- 31860792
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20201225
LR  - 20210110
IS  - 2162-3279 (Electronic)
VI  - 10
IP  - 1
DP  - 2020 Jan
TI  - Belief in the miracles of Lourdes: A voxel-based morphometry study.
PG  - e01481
LID - 10.1002/brb3.1481 [doi]
LID - e01481
AB  - BACKGROUND: It has been shown that particular religious beliefs and practices are 
      associated with brain function and structure. The present voxel-based morphometry 
      study investigated the correlation between the belief in the miracles of Lourdes 
      (a major Catholic pilgrimage site) and gray matter volume in specific brain 
      regions associated with theory of mind (ToM). METHOD: Structural brain data from 
      84 women (mean age: 25 years; no current somatic illness; 80% Roman-Catholic) 
      were correlated with self-report measures on belief in miracles, 
      religious-spiritual well-being, and psychological problems. Selected brain 
      regions of the ToM network included the temporoparietal junction (TPJ), 
      hippocampus, amygdala, and medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC). RESULTS: The belief 
      in the miracles of Lourdes was positively correlated with general religiousness 
      and with feelings of connectedness; there was no association with psychological 
      problems. Belief in miracles of Lourdes correlated positively with TPJ volume and 
      negatively with MPFC volume. CONCLUSION: Belief in the miracles was associated 
      with brain volume in regions involved in mentalizing and self-control.
CI  - (c) 2019 The Authors. Brain and Behavior published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
FAU - Schienle, Anne
AU  - Schienle A
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0003-2173-6626
AD  - BioTechMed, Clinical Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
FAU - Hofler, Carina
AU  - Hofler C
AD  - BioTechMed, Clinical Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
FAU - Wabnegger, Albert
AU  - Wabnegger A
AD  - BioTechMed, Clinical Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
LA  - eng
GR  - Fundacao Bial/International
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
DEP - 20191220
PL  - United States
TA  - Brain Behav
JT  - Brain and behavior
JID - 101570837
SB  - IM
MH  - Adolescent
MH  - Adult
MH  - Brain/*diagnostic imaging
MH  - Brain Mapping
MH  - Emotions/*physiology
MH  - Female
MH  - Gray Matter/*diagnostic imaging
MH  - Humans
MH  - Magnetic Resonance Imaging
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - *Religion
MH  - Theory of Mind/physiology
MH  - Young Adult
PMC - PMC6955922
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - miracles of Lourdes
OT  - religious-spiritual well-being
OT  - specific religious beliefs
OT  - voxel-based morphometry
COIS- None declared.
EDAT- 2019/12/21 06:00
MHDA- 2020/12/29 06:00
PMCR- 2019/12/20
CRDT- 2019/12/21 06:00
PHST- 2019/07/25 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2019/10/17 00:00 [revised]
PHST- 2019/10/30 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2019/12/21 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2020/12/29 06:00 [medline]
PHST- 2019/12/21 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2019/12/20 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - BRB31481 [pii]
AID - 10.1002/brb3.1481 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Brain Behav. 2020 Jan;10(1):e01481. doi: 10.1002/brb3.1481. Epub 2019 Dec 20.