Dr. Hemal H. Patel, Director at UCSD Cardiac/Neuro Protection Laboratories, leads the pioneering PAIR (Partnering Age groups Into Resilience) Study. This study aims to explore the potential biological impact of intense mental work and social engagement during a week-long meditation event where young participants are paired with older participants.
The Concept of Mental Parabiosis
Dr. Patel's team has invented and plans to advance the concept of Mental Parabiosis. In this innovative approach, young individuals are paired with older individuals, with at least three decades of age difference. The pair are linked throughout the week, meditating, socializing at meals, learning about each other, and evolving together. The objective is to investigate how this generational pairing could influence their biology through mental engagement and social interaction.
Participants undergo a comprehensive set of assessments both before and after the week-long engagement to track any changes in various parameters. Assessments included:
- Cognitive Tests: Participants completed a set of cognitive tests pre and post event. NeuroUX Mobile Cognitive Testing platform was used to deliver online cognitive tests to participants on their mobile devices. NeuroUX offers a gamified, web-based interface to administer cognitive tests. These cognitive tests are brief, culture neutral and designed to administered in short bursts.
- EEG: Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings tracked changes in brain activity.
- Garmin Wearables: Participants wore Garmin devices to monitor physiological data.
- Health Surveys: Participants provided insights into their well-being through health surveys.
- Microbiome Analysis: Blood and stool samples were collected for microbiome analysis. Blood samples will be used for multi-omic analysis of transcriptome, epigenome, proteomics, and metabolome.
- Video Documentation: Participants documented their experiences through video recordings.
The PAIR Study represents an innovative exploration into the impact of Mental Parabiosis on human biology, shedding light on the potential benefits of generational pairing during meditation and social interaction.
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