If the gut-to-brain pathway found in mice also exists in humans, it could be used as an effective method to enhance exercise and promote better overall health.
Researchers have discovered a gut-to-brain pathway in mice that increases exercise performance.
According to a study published in Nature, led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, certain types of gut bacteria can activate nerves in the gut to increase the drive to exercise. The study in mice identified a gut-to-brain pathway that explains how these bacteria can enhance exercise performance.
The study found that variations in running performance among a group of lab mice were mainly caused by the presence of specific gut bacterial species in the mice with better performance. The researchers identified that this effect is linked to the small molecules called metabolites that these bacteria produce. These metabolites activate sensory nerves in the gut which in turn, increase activity in a brain region that controls motivation during exercise.
“If we can confirm the presence of a similar pathway in humans, it could offer an effective way to boost people’s levels of exercise to improve public health generally,” said study senior author Christoph Thaiss, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Microbiology at Penn Medicine.
Thaiss and colleagues set up the study to search broadly for factors that determine exercise performance. They recorded the genome sequences, gut bacterial species, bloodstream metabolites, and other data for genetically diverse mice. They then measured the amount of daily voluntary wheel running the animals did, as well as their endurance.
The researchers analyzed these data using machine learning, seeking attributes of the mice that could best explain the animals’ sizeable inter-individual differences in running performance. They were surprised to find that genetics seemed to account for only a small portion of these performance differences—whereas differences in gut bacterial populations appeared to be substantially more important. In fact, they observed that giving mice broad-spectrum antibiotics to get rid of their gut bacteria reduced the mice’s running performance by about half.
Ultimately, in a years-long process of scientific detective work involving more than a dozen separate laboratories at Penn and elsewhere, the researchers found that two bacterial species closely tied to better performance, Eubacterium rectale and Coprococcus eutactus, produce metabolites known as fatty
Apart from possibly offering cheap, safe, diet-based ways of getting ordinary people running and optimizing elite athletes’ performance, he added, the exploration of this pathway might also yield easier methods for modifying motivation and mood in settings such as addiction and depression.
Reference: “A microbiome-dependent gut–brain pathway regulates motivation for exercise” by Lenka Dohnalová, Patrick Lundgren, Jamie R. E. Carty, Nitsan Goldstein, Sebastian L. Wenski, Pakjira Nanudorn, Sirinthra Thiengmag, Kuei-Pin Huang, Lev Litichevskiy, Hélène C. Descamps, Karthikeyani Chellappa, Ana Glassman, Susanne Kessler, Jihee Kim, Timothy O. Cox, Oxana Dmitrieva-Posocco, Andrea C. Wong, Erik L. Allman, Soumita Ghosh, Nitika Sharma, Kasturi Sengupta, Belinda Cornes, Nitai Dean, Gary A. Churchill, Tejvir S. Khurana, Mark A. Sellmyer, Garret A. FitzGerald, Andrew D. Patterson, Joseph A. Baur, Amber L. Alhadeff, Eric J. N. Helfrich, Maayan Levy, J. Nicholas Betley and Christoph A. Thaiss, 14 December 2022, Nature. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05525-z
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Pew Charitable Trust, the Edward Mallinckrodt, Jr. Foundation, the Agilent Early Career Professor Award, the Global Probiotics Council, the IDSA Foundation, the Thyssen Foundation, the Human Frontier Science Program, and Penn Medicine, including the Dean’s Innovation Fund.
Summary: Higher levels of glutathione in the nucleus accumbens correlated with better and more steady performance in motivation-based tasks. Findings suggest improvements in accumbal anti-oxidant function that can be acquired via diet or supplementation may be a feasible approach to help boost motivation.
Source: EPFL
In life, motivation can be the difference between success and failure, goal-setting and aimlessness, well-being and unhappiness. And yet, becoming and staying motivated is often the hardest step, a problem which has prompted much research.
A very small part of that research has looked into the question of metabolism. “Do differences in metabolites in the brain affect our capacity for motivation?” asks Professor Carmen Sandi at EPFL’s School of Life Sciences. “If that is the case, could nutritional interventions that can affect metabolite levels be an effective vehicle to improve motivated performance?”
Sandi’s group, with their colleagues at the Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, have now published a study that shines the first light into answering that question. The researchers focused on an area deep into the brain called the “nucleus accumbens”, which is known to play a major role regulating functions like reward, reinforcement, aversion, and not least, motivation.
Metabolism and oxidative stress in the brain
The idea behind the study was that the brain itself—like all tissues in our body—is subjected to constant oxidative stress, as a result of its metabolism.
What is oxidative stress? As cells “eat” various molecules for fuel, they produce a number of toxic waste products in the form of highly reactive molecules collectively known as “oxidative species”. Of course, cells have a number of mechanisms in place to clear oxidative species out, restoring the cell’s chemical balance. But that battle is ongoing, sometimes that balance is disturbed and that disturbance that’s what we call “oxidative stress”.
The glutathione connection
The brain then is often subjected to excessive oxidative stress from its neurometabolic processes—and the question for the researchers was whether antioxidant levels in the nucleus accumbens can affect motivation. To answer the question, the scientists looked at the brain’s most important antioxidant, a protein called glutathione (GSH), and its relationship to motivation.
“We assessed relationships between metabolites in the nucleus accumbens—a key brain region—and motivated performance,” says Sandi. “We then turned to animals to understand the mechanism and probe causality between the found metabolite and performance, proving as well that nutritional interventions modify behavior through this pathway.”
Tracking GSH in the nucleus accumbens
First, they used a technique called “proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy,” which can assess and quantify the biochemistry in a specific region of the brain in a non-invasive way.
The researchers applied the technique to the nucleus accumbens of both humans and rats to measure the levels of GSH. They then compared those levels to how well or poorly their human and animal subjects performed in standardized, effort-related tasks that measure motivation.
What they found was that higher levels of GSH in the nucleus accumbens correlated with better and steady performance in the motivation tasks.
GSH levels and motivation
But correlation does not imply causation, so the team moved on to live experiments with rats that were given micro-injections of a GSH blocker, downregulating the synthesis and levels of the antioxidant. The rats now showed less motivation, as seen in a poorer performance in effort-based, reward-incentivized tests.
Cysteine is contained in ‘high-protein foods’, such as meat, chicken, fish or seafood. Image is in the public domain
On the contrary, when the researchers gave rats a nutritional intervention with the GSH precursor N-acetylcysteine—which increased GSH levels in the nucleus accumbens—the animals performed better. The effect was “potentially mediated by a cell-type specific shift in glutamatergic inputs to accumbal medium spiny neurons,” as the authors write.
Can nutrition or supplements help motivation?
“Our study provides novel insights on how brain metabolism relates to behavior and puts forward nutritional interventions targeting key oxidative process as ideal interventions to facilitate effortful endurance,” conclude the authors. The study’s findings “suggest that improvement of accumbal antioxidant function may be a feasible approach to boost motivation.”
“N-acetylcysteine, the nutritional supplement that we gave in our study can also be synthesized in the body from its precursor cysteine,” says Sandi. “Cysteine is contained in ‘high-protein foods’, such as meat, chicken, fish or seafood. Other sources with lower content are eggs, whole-grain foods such as breads and cereals, and some vegetables such as broccoli, onions, and legumes.”
“Of course, there are other ways beyond N-acetylcysteine to increase GSH levels in the body, but how they relate to levels in the brain—and particularly in the nucleus accumbens—is largely unknown. Our study represents a proof of principle that dietary N-acetylcysteine can increase brain GSH levels and facilitate effortful behavior.”
See also
About this motivation and neuroscience research news
Author: Press Office Source: EPFL Contact: Press Office – EPFL Image: The image is in the public domain
Original Research: Open access. “Glutathione in the nucleus accumbens regulates motivation to exert reward-incentivized effort,” by Ioannis Zalachoras et al. eLife
Abstract
Glutathione in the nucleus accumbens regulates motivation to exert reward-incentivized effort
Emerging evidence is implicating mitochondrial function and metabolism in the nucleus accumbens in motivated performance.
However, the brain is vulnerable to excessive oxidative insults resulting from neurometabolic processes and whether antioxidant levels in the nucleus accumbens contribute to motivated performance is not known.
Here, we identify a critical role for glutathione (GSH), the most important endogenous antioxidant in the brain, in motivation.
Using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) at ultra-high field in both clinical and preclinical populations, we establish that higher accumbal GSH levels are highly predictive of better, and particularly steady performance over time in effort-related tasks.
Causality was established in preclinical in vivo experiments that, first, showed that down-regulating GSH levels through micro-injections of the GSH synthesis inhibitor buthionine sulfoximine in the nucleus accumbens impaired effort-based reward-incentivized performance.
In addition, systemic treatment with the GSH precursor N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) increased accumbal GSH levels and led to improved performance, potentially mediated by a cell-type specific shift in glutamatergic inputs to accumbal medium spiny neurons. Our data indicate a close association between accumbal GSH levels and individual’s capacity to exert reward-incentivized effort over time.
They also suggest that improvement of accumbal antioxidant function may be a feasible approach to boost motivation.
Summary: Motivation influences neural networks associated with perception and impacts our decision-making skills.
Source: University of Geneva
In a good or a bad mood, focused or distracted, in dire or no need: our internal states directly influence our perceptions and decision-making.
While the role of motivation on the performance of behavioural tasks has been known for more than a century – thanks to the work of psychologists Robert Yerkes and John Dilligham Dodson – its precise effect on the brain remains unclear.
A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration with the EPFL, has revealed how motivation alters the neural circuits responsible for sensory perception preceding decision-making in mice.
This study reveals why a level of motivation that is too high or too low can affect our perception and therefore our choices.
These results, featured in the journal Neuron, open up new perspectives in learning methods.
Going to work early in the morning, choosing a restaurant at lunchtime: many of our decisions are motivated by needs, such as earning a living or satisfying our hunger.
However, decision-making is a complex process, which can also be influenced by external factors, such as the environment or other individuals, and by our internal states, such as our mood, our level of attention or our degree of motivation.
The laboratory of Sami El-Boustani, Assistant Professor in the Department of Basic Neurosciences at the Faculty of Medicine of the UNIGE and recipient of an Eccellenza fellowship (SNSF), is studying the neural circuits involved in decision-making. In recent work, carried out in collaboration with Professor Carl Petersen’s team at EPFL, his lab has studied the role played by a specific internal state – motivation – in perception and decision-making.
For more than a century it has been known that a relationship between motivation and performance exists thanks to the work of American psychologists Robert Yerkes and John Dilligham Dodson. Too much or too little motivation is detrimental to performance. However, the way in which this impacts our neural circuits remains unclear.
‘‘We wanted to observe how sensory information transmitted by neurons in the cortex is altered by the degree of motivation and to what extent the latter can have an effect on learning and performance in a decision-making task,’’ explains Sami El-Boustani, the lead author of the study.
The research team developed a behavioral paradigm involving mice in a controlled water consumption regime. They first trained these rodents to respond to tactile stimuli via two whiskers (A and B) and to produce an action – licking a spout – only for whisker A in order to obtain a drop of water.
Following this training, these mice reacted mainly to the stimulation of whisker A, thus indicating their ability to discriminate between these two sensations. Finally, the researchers conducted these experiments at decreasing levels of thirst in order to vary the motivation of the rodents to participate in the task.
State of hyper-motivation blurs sensory information
In a state of great thirst – therefore of great motivation – rodents performed poorly. They licked the spout indiscriminately, without distinguishing between the whiskers stimulated.
In contrast, in a state of moderate thirst, the choice of their action became optimal. They mainly licked the spout when whisker A was stimulated. Finally, when they were not very thirsty, their performance in the task dropped again.
By observing the activity of neuronal populations responsible for perceptual decision-making in these mice, the researchers discovered that neurons in these circuits were flooded with electrical signals when mice were hyper-motivated. Conversely, in a state of low-motivation, the signals were too weak.
As a result, the perception of the stimuli was also impaired. Image is in the public domain
‘‘Hyper-motivation leads to strong stimulation of cortical neurons, which causes a loss of precision in the perception of tactile stimuli,’’ says Giulio Matteucci, a Postdoctoral Fellow in Sami El-Boustani’s laboratory and the study’s first author.
In contrast, in the low-motivation state, the accuracy of the sensory information was recovered, but the strength of the signal was too low for it to be transferred correctly. As a result, the perception of the stimuli was also impaired.
A new understanding of learning
These results open up new perspectives. They provide a possible neural basis for the Yerkes-Dodson Law.
‘‘They also reveal that the level of motivation does not only impact decision-making but also the perception of sensory information, which leads to the decision’’, explains Carl Petersen, Full Professor at the Brain Mind Institute of EPFL and co-senior author in the study.
This work also suggests that it is necessary to decouple acquisition and expression of new knowledge.
‘‘We observed that mice understood the rule very quickly but could only express this learning much later, depending on an altered perception linked to their level of motivation.’’
This unraveling of the role of motivation in learning opens the way to new adaptive methods that aim to maintain an optimal level of motivation during learning.
About this neuroscience and decision-making research news
Author: Antoine Guenot Source: University of Geneva Contact: Antoine Guenot – University of Geneva Image: The image is in the public domain
See also
Original Research: Open access. “Cortical sensory processing across motivational states during goal-directed behavior” by Sami El-Boustani et al. Neuron
Abstract
Cortical sensory processing across motivational states during goal-directed behavior
Highlights
wS1-wS2-wM2 cortical pathway is involved in a two-whisker discrimination task
Selectivity to sensory and motor events increases along this sensorimotor pathway
Improved performance is explained by changes in thirst-related motivational states
Sensory decoding of whisker identity in wS2-wM2 correlates with task performance
Summary
Behavioral states can influence performance of goal-directed sensorimotor tasks. Yet, it is unclear how altered neuronal sensory representations in these states relate to task performance and learning.
We trained water-restricted mice in a two-whisker discrimination task to study cortical circuits underlying perceptual decision-making under different levels of thirst.
We identified somatosensory cortices as well as the premotor cortex as part of the circuit necessary for task execution.
Two-photon calcium imaging in these areas identified populations selective to sensory or motor events. Analysis of task performance during individual sessions revealed distinct behavioral states induced by decreasing levels of thirst-related motivation.
Learning was better explained by improvements in motivational state control rather than sensorimotor association. Whisker sensory representations in the cortex were altered across behavioral states.
In particular, whisker stimuli could be better decoded from neuronal activity during high task performance states, suggesting that state-dependent changes of sensory processing influence decision-making.
Summary: Users of cannabis showed no difference in motivation, pleasure taken from rewards, or the brain’s response to reward-seeking compared to non-cannabis users.
Source: University of Cambridge
Adult and adolescent cannabis users are no more likely than non-users to lack motivation or be unable to enjoy life’s pleasure, new research has shown, suggesting there is no scientific basis for the stereotype often portrayed in the media.
Cannabis users also show no difference in motivation for rewards, pleasure taken from rewards, or the brain’s response when seeking rewards, compared to non-users.
Cannabis is the third most commonly used controlled substance worldwide, after alcohol and nicotine. A 2018 report from the NHS Digital Lifestyles Team stated that almost one in five (19%) of 15-year-olds in England had used cannabis in the previous 12 months, while in 2020 the National Institute on Drug Abuse reported the proportion in the United States to be 28% of 15-16-year-olds.
A common stereotype of cannabis users is the “stoner”—think Jesse Pinkman in “Breaking Bad,” the Dude in “The Big Lebowski,” or, more recently, Argyle in “Stranger Things.” These are individuals who are generally depicted as lazy and apathetic.
At the same time, there has been considerable concern of the potential impact of cannabis use on the developing brain and that using cannabis during adolescence might have a damaging effect at an important time in an individual’s life.
A team led by scientists at UCL, the University of Cambridge and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London carried out a study examining whether cannabis users show higher levels of apathy (loss of motivation) and anhedonia (loss of interest in or pleasure from rewards) when compared to controls and whether they were less willing to exert physical effort to receive a reward. The research was part of the CannTEEN study.
The results are published in the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology.
The team recruited 274 adolescent and adult cannabis users who had used cannabis at least weekly over the past three months, with an average of four days per week, and matched them with non-users of the same age and gender.
Participants completed questionnaires to measure anhedonia, asking them to rate statements such as “I would enjoy being with family or close friends.” They also completed questionnaires to measure their levels of apathy, which asked them to rate characteristics such as how interested they were in learning new things or how likely they were to see a job through to the end.
Cannabis users scored slightly lower than non-users on anhedonia—in other words, they appeared better able to enjoy themselves—but there was no significant difference when it came to apathy. The researchers also found no link between frequency of cannabis use and either apathy or anhedonia in the people who used cannabis.
Martine Skumlien, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, said, “We were surprised to see that there was really very little difference between cannabis users and non-users when it came to lack of motivation or lack of enjoyment, even among those who used cannabis every day. This is contrary to the stereotypical portrayal we see on TV and in movies.”
In general, adolescents tended to score higher than adults on anhedonia and apathy in both user and non-user groups, but cannabis use did not augment this difference.
Dr. Will Lawn, from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London, said, “There’s been a lot of concern that cannabis use in adolescence might lead to worse outcomes than cannabis use during adulthood.
“But our study, one of the first to directly compare adolescents and adults who use cannabis, suggests that adolescents are no more vulnerable than adults to the harmful effects of cannabis on motivation, the experience of pleasure, or the brain’s response to reward.
“In fact, it seems cannabis may have no link—or at most only weak associations—with these outcomes in general. However, we need studies that look for these associations over a long period of time to confirm these findings.”
Just over half of participants also carried out a number of behavioral tasks. The first of these assessed physical effort. Participants were given the option to perform button-presses in order to win points, which were later exchanged for chocolates or sweets to take home.
There were three difficulty levels and three reward levels; more difficult trials required faster button pressing. On each trial the participant could choose to accept or reject the offer; points were only accrued if the trial was accepted and completed.
In a second task, measuring how much pleasure they received from rewards, participants were first told to estimate how much they wanted to receive each of three rewards (30 seconds of one of their favorite songs, one piece of chocolate or a sweet, and a £1 coin) on a scale from “do not want at all” to “intensely want.” They then received each reward in turn and were asked to rate how pleasurable they found them on a scale from “do not like at all” to “intensely like.”
The researchers found no difference between users and non-users or between age groups on either the physical effort task or the real reward pleasure task, confirming evidence from other studies that found no, or very little, difference.
Skumlien added, “We’re so used to seeing ‘lazy stoners’ on our screens that we don’t stop to ask whether they’re an accurate representation of cannabis users. Our work implies that this is in itself a lazy stereotype, and that people who use cannabis are no more likely to lack motivation or be lazier than people who don’t.
Cannabis users also show no difference in motivation for rewards, pleasure taken from rewards, or the brain’s response when seeking rewards, compared to non-users. Image is in the public domain
“Unfair assumptions can be stigmatizing and could get in the way of messages around harm reduction. We need to be honest and frank about what are and are not the harmful consequences of drug use.”
Earlier this year, the team published a study that used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to look at brain activity in the same participants as they took part in a brain imaging task measuring reward processing. The task involved participants viewing orange or blue squares while in the scanner. The orange squares would lead to a monetary reward, after a delay, if the participant made a response.
The researchers used this set up to investigate how the brain responds to rewards, focusing in particular on the ventral striatum, a key region in the brain’s reward system. They found no relationship between activity in this region and cannabis use, suggesting that cannabis users had similar reward systems as non-users.
Professor Barbara Sahakian, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, said, “Our evidence indicates that cannabis use does not appear to have an effect on motivation for recreational users.
“The participants in our study included users who took cannabis daily and they were no more likely to lack motivation. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that greater use, as seen in some people with cannabis-use disorder, has an effect.
“Until we have future research studies that follow adolescent users, starting from onset through to young adulthood, and which combine measures of motivation and brain imaging, we cannot determine for certain that regular cannabis use won’t negatively impact motivation and the developing brain.”
About this motivation and cannabis research news
Author: Press Office Source: University of Cambridge Contact: Press Office – University of Cambridge Image: The image is in the public domain
Original Research: Open access. “Anhedonia, apathy, pleasure, and effort-based decision-making in adult and adolescent cannabis users and controls ” by Martine Skumlien et al. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
Open access. “Neural responses to reward anticipation and feedback in adult and adolescent cannabis users and controls” by Martine Skumlien et al. Neuropsychopharmacology
Abstract
See also
Anhedonia, apathy, pleasure, and effort-based decision-making in adult and adolescent cannabis users and controls
Background
Cannabis use may be linked with anhedonia and apathy. However, previous studies have shown mixed results and few have examined the association between cannabis use and specific reward sub-processes. Adolescents may be more vulnerable to harmful effects of cannabis than adults. This study investigated (1) the association between non-acute cannabis use and apathy, anhedonia, pleasure, and effort-based decision-making for reward, and (2) whether these relationships were moderated by age-group.
Methods
We used data from the ‘CannTeen’ study. Participants were 274 adult (26-29 years) and adolescent (16-17 years) cannabis users (1-7 days/week use in the past three months), and gender- and age-matched controls. Anhedonia was measured with the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (n=274), and apathy was measured with the Apathy Evaluation Scale (n=215). Effort-based decision-making for reward was measured with the Physical Effort task (n=139), and subjective wanting and liking of rewards was measured with the novel Real Reward Pleasure task (n=137).
Results
Controls had higher levels of anhedonia than cannabis users (F1,258=5.35, p=.02, ηp2=.02). There were no other significant effects of User-Group and no significant User-Group*Age-Group interactions. Null findings were supported by post hoc Bayesian analyses.
Conclusion
Our results suggest that cannabis use at a frequency of three to four days per week is not associated with apathy, effort-based decision-making for reward, reward wanting, or reward liking in adults or adolescents. Cannabis users had lower anhedonia than controls, albeit at a small effect size. These findings are not consistent with the hypothesis that non-acute cannabis use is associated with motivation.
Abstract
Neural responses to reward anticipation and feedback in adult and adolescent cannabis users and controls
Chronic use of drugs may alter the brain’s reward system, though the extant literature concerning long-term cannabis use and neural correlates of reward processing has shown mixed results. Adolescents may be more vulnerable to the adverse effects of cannabis than adults; however, this has not been investigated for reward processing.
As part of the ‘CannTeen’ study, in the largest functional magnetic resonance imaging study of reward processing and cannabis use to date, we investigated reward anticipation and feedback in 125 adult (26–29 years) and adolescent (16–17 years) cannabis users (1–7 days/week cannabis use) and gender- and age-matched controls, using the Monetary Incentive Delay task. Blood-oxygen-level-dependent responses were examined using region of interest (ROI) analyses in the bilateral ventral striatum for reward anticipation and right ventral striatum and left ventromedial prefrontal cortex for feedback, and exploratory whole-brain analyses.
Results showed no User-Group or User-Group × Age-Group effects during reward anticipation or feedback in pre-defined ROIs. These null findings were supported by post hoc Bayesian analyses. However, in the whole-brain analysis, cannabis users had greater feedback activity in the prefrontal and inferior parietal cortex compared to controls.
In conclusion, cannabis users and controls had similar neural responses during reward anticipation and in hypothesised reward-related regions during reward feedback. The whole-brain analysis revealed tentative evidence of greater fronto-parietal activity in cannabis users during feedback. Adolescents showed no increased vulnerability compared with adults.
Overall, reward anticipation and feedback processing appear spared in adolescent and adult cannabis users, but future longitudinal studies are needed to corroborate this.
A Ukrainian teenager met with his idol, famed WWE star and actor John Cena, this weekend after his mother used a fantasy of meeting him as a motivational tool to flee the war-torn town of Mariupol.
Liana Rohozhyna, the mother of Misha Rohozhyn, a 19-year-old who has Down Syndrome and is unable to speak, repeatedly told her son they were constantly on the move in Ukraine to go and find John Cena — when in reality the family was fleeing a devastating war front and a Russian siege on their hometown, the Wall Street Journal reported.
“Misha is an example for moving toward your dream by believing in it,” she said, per the report.
MIAMI GARDENS, FL – APRIL 1: John Cena looks on before his match against Dwayne ”The Rock” Johnson during WrestleMania XXVIII at Sun Life Stadium on April 1, 2012 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Ron Elkman/Sports Imagery/Getty Images)
The family’s journey was not easy as they reportedly traversed minefields, came into contact with Russian soldiers, faced artillery strikes, and crossed several national borders.
MARIUPOL OFFICIALS FEAR OUTBREAK FROM INFECTED WATER SUPPLY COULD KILL THOUSANDS
But, the idea of meeting the iconic wrestler motivated the teen to keep pushing.
Misha, a non-verbal teen with Down’s Syndrome, didn’t understand why his family had to flee Mariupol this year.
To placate him, his mother told him they were travelling to meet John Cena.
Cena heard… and went to Amsterdam to oblige.
Just brilliant. pic.twitter.com/vix2OhkXZs
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) June 11, 2022
According to the report, Misha and his mother arrived safely in the Netherlands last month but they still never fulfilled the motivational fantasy of meeting Cena.
MORE THAN 1,000 MARIUPOL, UKRAINE FIGHTERS TRANSFERRED TO RUSSIA FOR ‘INVESTIGATION’: REPORT
On Saturday, that fantasy became a reality when the hulking superstar paid Misha and his mother a visit to their new home in Huizen.
“I didn’t want a son to think of his mom in a different light just because she did whatever she had to do to get him to safety,” Cena said, per the WSJ.
In this handout photo taken from video released on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 by Donetsk People’s Republic Interior Ministry Press Service, Smoke rises from the Metallurgical Combine Azovstal in Mariupol, in territory under the government of the Donetsk People’s Republic, eastern Ukraine. (Donetsk People’s Republic Interior Ministry Press Service via AP) (Donetsk People’s Republic Interior Ministry Press Service via AP)
Cena gave Misha a hat and t-shirt featuring his WWE mantras and the two ate a Ukrainian honey cake.
“If I have cake, will Misha have cake with me?” Cena asked the family through a translator, the WSJ reported. Misha excitedly accepted.
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Seeing his idol was the first time Misha smiled since the war began, Rohozhyna told the outlet.
She also said Misha’s room in their Ukrainian home was covered in Cena’s wrestling posters.
LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 21: John Cena, dressed as Peacemaker from “The Suicide Squad”, is seen at “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on July 21, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
That home, however, became the target of Russian mortar fire on February 24, the first day of the Ukrainian-Russian war, and the two were forced to flee. They arrived at a shelter but after it lost electricity, they were again forced to leave, the WSJ reported.
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According to the report, Misha had a panic attack so his mother decided against hiding out in an underground facility. The two stayed at a day center, which could have been subjected to Russian artillery strikes, before they fled to the Netherlands.
A member of Russia’s Emergencies Ministry walks near a destroyed residential building in Mariupol, Ukraine, on Thursday, May 11. (Reuters/Alexander Ermochenko)
Before concluding the visit on Saturday, Cena let Misha wear a WWE championship belt and encouraged the family.
“I tried to let [Misha] know today that in every journey we’ve got good days and bad days,” Cena said Saturday afternoon, per the report. “I hope he gets more good ones.”
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“I wanted to tell him today personally that his story really touched me,” the wrestler added.
Cena visited the family from London, where he was filming.
Mariupol remains under Russia’s control after they successfully seized it last month.
Sometimes, we make colossally bad decisions that mess up our lives for a period of time. We stay too long in the wrong job or a toxic relationship. We hang out with the wrong people, or make a risky investment that doesn’t pan out. There are times when our mistakes and failures can be traced back to a specific decision or event that threw us off course.
And there are times when our personal and professional inertia is due to the small, almost imperceptible ways we conduct ourselves daily—unconscious micro-decisions that, taken individually don’t amount to much, but compounded over time, have a large impact on our lives: Namely, our habits—and the skill governing them: I’m talking about self-control (or lack thereof).
While we often come to believe a lack of self-control in the form of inattention, procrastination, or laziness is endemic to who we are, in fact, we have more agency and power over our impulses than we think. Far from being mere victims to our habits, according to Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, impulse control is a skill you can train.
Becoming aware of your “go” versus “no-go” functions
In an interview with The Knowledge Project, Huberman explains the influence a part of the brain called the basal ganglia has on our daily lives. Responsible for integrating thought and action, the ganglia, which are regulated by dopamine, either propel us into action-oriented “go functions” like eating breakfast and making the bed—or “no-go functions” that inhibit behavior.
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While we learn a lot of “no-go” behavior as kids—such as sitting still and not interrupting others—as we get older, our lives are centered around going, going, going. Emailing, calling, instant messaging, alternating between the 17 open windows in our computer dock, and generally multitasking as if our lives depended on it.
There are fewer opportunities to practice interrupting this “go” function as adults, Huberman says. “We rarely rehearse our no-go functions…which are simply about suppressing behavior.” But suppressing our less-than-productive behaviors is necessary if we want to stick with our plans, complete difficult tasks in a timely manner, and reach long-term goals.
How to flex your “no-go” muscle
In his own life, in an effort to reinforce the circuit that controls his impulses when he’s about to go into reflexive action, Huberman attempts to create 20 to 30 “no-go moments” throughout his day. “The thing to understand about neural circuity is that it’s generic,” he says. If you establish a no-go circuit around not biting your nails, for example, it carries over to other areas where you’d like to institute greater self-control.
Huberman listed several examples of how to create “no go’s” (which can be trivial), in your everyday life.
Resist grabbing your phone: How many times a day do you reach for your phone? (Don’t answer that, I don’t want to feel worse about my addiction.) The next time you’re bored, stumped, or procrastinating and feel the urge to mindlessly scroll social media or check the news, resist. At least for a little while.
Enforce regimen (aka, stick to your plan): If you have a plan in mind, for example, an exercise routine at the gym, or an order in which to run errands, complete it as designed, rather defaulting to something more spontaneous and switching it up on the fly.
90-minute work blocks: Work for 90 minutes at a time, resisting the urge to get up and get coffee, a snack, fold laundry, or anything else other than the task at hand. Create tunnel vision focus, and unless there is an urgent need to interrupt your work, keep your butt in the seat.
Controlled snack breaks: Delay getting the snack you want when the impulse or craving first arrives. (Huberman notes this isn’t a great option for people in eating-disorder recovery.)
Meditation: Forcing yourself to complete any kind of mindfulness practice when you’d rather get up is a way to train your no-go muscle.
Huberman cautioned against becoming neurotically attached to these no-go’s, but rather to use them as practice, like lifting weights for our brain. Since there’s no one supervising us as adults, it’s up to us to workout the neural circuits that interrupt unproductive behaviors, like wasting hours of our day scrolling, or flitting between projects without completing any.
“We need to keep these no-go circuits trained up. Nowadays there’s so much opportunity and reward for ‘go’ that we don’t train the no-go pathways.” In the age of smartphones and instant access to information, Huberman adds, “Pretty soon you’ve got hours of your day gone that were not structured.”
Positive reinforcement, such as rewarding yourself with a treat, plays an important role in maintaining motivation and perseverance when it comes to reaching your ultimate goals. These small wins can help you stay on track, research has shown. By dividing one large goal into various smaller ones, each step becomes an achievement.
However, it’s easy to go overboard with rewards that can undermine our goals. Let’s face it, we all want to give into our junk food cravings, and what better a time to indulge than after you’ve just accomplished something healthy? You don’t have to cut out junk food entirely, but knowing how to reward yourself in a way that aligns with your health goals can completely change your approach.
There are plenty of nonfood rewards that will get you pumped about achieving that next step in your plan. So the next time you find yourself leaning toward sugary or salty cravings, consider celebrating with these healthy rewards instead.
When was the last time you’ve set aside time for a quick power nap? Because it can be tricky prioritizing a nap in a busy schedule, try making this a reward for your next achievement.
Brief naps have been shown to improve cognitive performance in some cases. So by giving in to sleep, you may actually be benefiting your work life. Allowing yourself to feel refreshed and energized after a workout aligns with health-related goals, unlike giving into sugary or fatty foods.
Buy a piece of workout gear
Have you been eyeing a certain pair of workout leggings? How about a new workout-style fanny pack? Set an attainable goal for yourself and preselect an affordable piece of gear, and once you reach your target, hit the internet to shop.
Having that new item on your mind while working out may help you stay motivated longer.
Looking good for your next workout also can help you feel better about yourself as you work toward your ultimate goal. Knowing that you’ve earned that piece of clothing or equipment that you’re using will only help you strive for more, taking you one step closer to your next milestone. This reward is a win-win.
Light a candle and read a book
Lighting a candle is a simple act, yet it can be super relaxing and rewarding. After a long day of work and exercise, letting yourself simply sit down with a book and a candle by your side could be just what you need to unwind.
“Me time” usually isn’t prioritized, but it’s a great way to reenergize our minds and bodies.
Mindfulness, which is usually improved during times of relaxation, has been shown to reduce stress and improve quality of life. As part of this reward, try ridding yourself of any negative thoughts and focus only on relaxing. You’ve earned it. (Just be sure to fully extinguish the candle when you’re done.)
Give yourself a free pass to say no
Put yourself first. Is there a chore, errand or social engagement that you’ve been dreading? Allow yourself to say no if you’re truly not feeling up to it. So many of us end up giving into plans due to guilt rather than actual desire. Instead, commit to using this time to exercise.
Get some bath salts and relax
What better way to reward a healthy accomplishment than with a relaxing bath?
There is a strong link between physical and mental health, studies have suggested. Physical activity produces those feel-good chemicals in our brains called endorphins that in turn could help you develop a positive mindset. Regular workouts strengthen that mind-body connection. So by promoting one, it’s likely that you’re promoting the other.
Mental health rewards can motivate you to get in a workout because you’ll be able to relax afterward — which is well needed after a strenuous workout. Rest is essential in helping your body recover from strength training and cardiovascular exercises and can even help future performance.
Incorporating these five rewards can help you ease away from a food-based reward system. Allowing yourself to indulge in too many processed foods can hurt your progress, leaving you more unmotivated than before.
Instead, celebrate your wins with rewards that help strengthen your mind, body or both.
Stephanie Mansour, host of “Step It Up With Steph” on PBS, is a health and wellness journalist and a consultant and weight loss coach for women.
