The effect of meditation on brain structure: cortical thickness mapping and diffusion tensor imaging

ENIGMA-Meditation: Worldwide Consortium for Neuroscientific Investigations of Meditation Practices

Meditation is a family of ancient and contemporary contemplative mind-body practices that can modulate psychological processes, awareness, and mental states. Over the last 40 years, clinical science has manualized meditation practices and designed various meditation interventions that have shown therapeutic efficacy for disorders including depression, pain, addiction, and anxiety. Over the past decade, neuroimaging has been used to examine the neuroscientific basis of meditation practices, effects, states, and outcomes for clinical and nonclinical populations. However, the generalizability and replicability of current neuroscientific models of meditation have not yet been established, because they are largely based on small datasets entrenched with heterogeneity along several domains of meditation (e.g., practice types, meditation experience, clinical disorder targeted), experimental design, and neuroimaging methods (e.g., preprocessing, analysis, task-based, resting-state, structural magnetic resonance imaging). These limitations have precluded a nuanced and rigorous neuroscientific phenotyping of meditation practices and their potential benefits. Here, we present ENIGMA (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta Analysis)-Meditation, the first worldwide collaborative consortium for neuroscientific investigations of meditation practices. ENIGMA-Meditation will enable systematic meta- and mega-analyses of globally distributed neuroimaging datasets of meditation using shared, standardized neuroimaging methods and tools to improve statistical power and generalizability. Through this powerful collaborative framework, existing neuroscientific accounts of meditation practices can be extended to generate novel and rigorous neuroscientific insights that account for multidomain heterogeneity. ENIGMA-Meditation will inform neuroscientific mechanisms that underlie therapeutic action of meditation practices on psychological and cognitive attributes, thereby advancing the field of meditation and contemplative neuroscience.

Neuromodulation and meditation: A review and synthesis toward promoting well-being and understanding consciousness and brain

The neuroscience of meditation is providing insight into meditation's beneficial effects on well-being and informing understanding of consciousness. However, further research is needed to explicate mechanisms linking brain activity and meditation. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) presents a promising approach for causally investigating neural mechanisms of meditation. Prior NIBS-meditation research has predominantly targeted frontal and parietal cortices suggesting that it might be possible to boost the behavioral and neural effects of meditation with NIBS. Moreover, NIBS has revealed distinct neural signatures in long-term meditators. Nonetheless, methodological variations in NIBS-meditation research contributes to challenges for definitive interpretation of previous results. Future NIBS studies should further investigate core substrates of meditation, including specific brain networks and oscillations, and causal neural mechanisms of advanced meditation. Overall, NIBS-meditation research holds promise for enhancing meditation-based interventions in support of well-being and resilience in both non-clinical and clinical populations, and for uncovering the brain-mind mechanisms of meditation and consciousness.

Brain changes following mindfulness: Reduced caudate volume is associated with decreased positive urgency

Mindfulness training has been shown to improve psychological health and general well-being. However, it is unclear which brain and personality systems may be affected by this practice for improving adaptive behavior and quality of life. The present study explores the effects of a 5-week mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) at the neuroanatomical level and its relationship with dispositional mindfulness and impulsivity. Sixty-six risky drivers were quasi-randomly assigned to a mindfulness training group (MT) or a control group (N). Participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging and completed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and the UPPS-P impulsivity scale twice, at baseline and after receiving the MBI. We observed that MBI changes dispositional mindfulness in the non-reactivity and observing facets. Further, we observed that the magnitude of change in impulsivity was associated with the change in dispositional mindfulness. Whole-brain voxel-wise analysis revealed that the volume of the right caudate nucleus of the MT group (n = 27) showed a reduction compared to that of the control group (n = 33), which increased in terms of the pre-post measurement (MT=-1.76 mm3; N = 6.31 mm3). We also observed that reduced caudate nucleus volume correlated with decreased positive urgency in the MT group. Taken together, our results show that MBI improves the skills of observing and non-reactivity to inner experience, while producing changes in the structure of the caudate nucleus. These structural changes are associated with a reduction in impulsivity levels, decreasing the tendency to act rashly in situations that generate positive emotions and thus facilitating more adaptive behavior.

Associations between cortical thickness and parasympathetic nervous system functioning during middle childhood

Positive associations have been found between cortical thickness and measures of parasympathetic cardiac control (e.g., respiratory sinus arrhythmia, RSA) in adults, which may indicate mechanistic integration between neural and physiological indicators of stress regulation. However, it is unknown when in development this brain-body association arises and whether the direction of association and neuroanatomical localization vary across development. To investigate this, we collected structural magnetic resonance imaging and resting-state respiratory sinus arrhythmia data from children in middle childhood (N = 62, Mage  = 10.09, range: 8.28-12.14 years). Whole-brain and exploratory ROI analyses revealed positive associations between RSA and cortical thickness in four frontal and parietal clusters in the left hemisphere and one cluster in the right. Exploratory ROI analyses revealed a similar positive association between cortical thickness and RSA, with two regions surviving multiple comparison correction, including the inferior frontal orbital gyrus and the Sylvian fissure. Prior work has identified these cortical areas as part of the central autonomic network that supports integrative regulation of stress response (e.g., autonomic, endocrine, and behavioral) and emotional expression. Our results suggest that the association between cortical thickness and resting RSA is present in middle childhood and is similar to the associations seen during adulthood. Future studies should investigate associations between RSA and cortical thickness among young children and adolescents.

Effect of Meditation on Brain Activity during an Attention Task: A Comparison Study of ASL and BOLD Task fMRI

Focused attention meditation (FAM) training has been shown to improve attention, but the neural basis of FAM on attention has not been thoroughly understood. Here, we aim to investigate the neural effect of a 2-month FAM training on novice meditators in a visual oddball task (a frequently adopted task to evaluate attention), evaluated with both ASL and BOLD fMRI. Using ASL, activation was increased in the middle cingulate (part of the salience network, SN) and temporoparietal (part of the frontoparietal network, FPN) regions; the FAM practice time was negatively associated with the longitudinal changes in activation in the medial prefrontal (part of the default mode network, DMN) and middle frontal (part of the FPN) regions. Using BOLD, the FAM practice time was positively associated with the longitudinal changes of activation in the inferior parietal (part of the dorsal attention network, DAN), dorsolateral prefrontal (part of the FPN), and precentral (part of the DAN) regions. The effect sizes for the activation changes and their association with practice time using ASL are significantly larger than those using BOLD. Our study suggests that FAM training may improve attention via modulation of the DMN, DAN, SN, and FPN, and ASL may be a sensitive tool to study the FAM effect on attention.

The Missing Ingredient: How Misogyny and the Patriarchy Sabotage our Clinical Practice and Research

Discussing massive, unrelenting trauma, especially during a global pandemic, when the threat is not only personally affecting you, but also everyone else, is not an easy thing to do. We can see the consequences of two years of being locked inside. People's trauma responses literally came flooding out. It seems that the pandemic tipped us over an abyss that is hard to comprehend. In so many countries there are protests, laws rolling back basic human rights, the threat of fascism, and actual war. There seems to be widespread governmental corruption that cannot stop the favouritism of those who have wealth, and perpetually admonish those who do not. Our world seems very unstable. Change is deeply desired. Yet, this instability is predictable. It is predictable because the systems that created the structures that "run and rule" us are fundamentally destructive and violent. In never-ending ways, the only way that change happens is by utilizing violence as the only way to achieve change. This is the legacy of patriarchy. A system that not only is ruled by one group of people but also tends to be controlled by a very specific type of person. It is a system that cultivates human cruelty, selfishness, and violence. It is a system that is managed by those who do the "best" in violence. Most of us do not work this way but are forced to live this way because of the belief that humans are innately violent, selfish, and self-serving; a myth based on the traumatic reaction of fight. It is a dissociated, relational injury that is a direct result of not having our mothers and fathers able to be mothers and fathers. It is formed in misogyny. There are ways to heal, if one can comprehend what misogyny does to human beings, and what we would be like in its absence.

The effect of mindfulness-based intervention on neurobehavioural functioning and its association with white-matter microstructural changes in preterm young adolescents

Very preterm (VPT) young adolescents are at high risk of executive, behavioural and socio-emotional difficulties. Previous research has shown significant evidence of the benefits of mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on these abilities. This study aims to assess the association between the effects of MBI on neurobehavioral functioning and changes in white-matter microstructure in VPT young adolescents who completed an 8-week MBI program. Neurobehavioural assessments (i.e., neuropsychological testing, parents- and self-reported questionnaires) and multi-shell diffusion MRI were performed before and after MBI in 32 VPT young adolescents. Combined diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) measures were extracted on well-defined white matter tracts (TractSeg). A multivariate data-driven approach (partial least squares correlation) was used to explore associations between MBI-related changes on neurobehavioural measures and microstructural changes. The results showed an enhancement of global executive functioning using parent-reported questionnaire after MBI that was associated with a general pattern of increase in fractional anisotropy (FA) and decrease in axonal dispersion (ODI) in white-matter tracts involved in executive processes. Young VPT adolescents with lower gestational age at birth showed the greatest gain in white-matter microstructural changes after MBI.

Structural differences in the cortex of individuals who experience the autonomous sensory meridian response

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is a multimodal perceptual phenomenon in which specific sensory triggers evoke tingling sensations on the scalp, neck, and shoulders; these sensations are accompanied by a positive and calming affective state. Previous functional neuroimaging research has shown that ASMR experiences involve medial prefrontal and sensorimotor brain areas. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether there are structural differences in the cortex of individuals who experience ASMR.

METHODS

Seventeen individuals with ASMR and 17 matched control participants completed an MPRAGE structural MRI scan. These data were analyzed to determine if group differences were present for measures of cortical thickness, cortical complexity, sulcal depth, and gyrification.

RESULTS

ASMR was associated with reduced cortical thickness in a number of regions including the left precuneus, precentral gyrus, and insula, and the right orbitofrontal cortex, superior frontal cortex, and paracentral lobule. Reduced thickness was observed bilaterally in the supramarginal gyrus. Individuals with ASMR also showed less cortical complexity in the pars opercularis and pars triangularis.

CONCLUSIONS

The differences in cortical thickness and complexity were in brain areas whose functions relate to the ASMR experience. These differences include neural regions related to phonological processing, sensorimotor functions, and attention.

Three months-longitudinal changes in relative telomere length, blood chemistries, and self-report questionnaires in meditation practitioners compared to novice individuals during midlife

Aging accelerates during midlife. Researches have shown the health benefits of mind-body intervention (MBI). However, whether MBI is involved with aging process has not been well understood. In this study, we approach to examine the relations of MBI with this process by investigating an aging marker of the peripheral blood, blood chemistry, and self-report questionnaires. A quasi-experimental design was applied. Experienced MBI practitioners participated in a 3-month intensive meditation training, while the age, gender-matched MBI-naïve controls led a normal daily life. Measurements were taken at before and after the 3 months for relative telomere length (RTL), blood chemistry, and self-report questionnaires including items about sleep quality, somatic symptoms, depression, anxiety, stress, emotional intelligence (EI), and self-regulation. For RTL, the repeated measures analysis of variance showed a significant group*time interaction (P = .013) with a significant post hoc result (P = .030) within the control group: RTL was significantly reduced in the control while it was maintained in the meditation group. In repeated measures analysis of variance for blood chemistries, there were significant group differences between the groups in glucose and total protein. In the post hoc comparison analysis, at post measurements, the meditation group exhibited significantly lower values than the control group in both glucose and total protein. There were significant group-wise differences in the correlations of RTL with triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and glutamic pyruvic transaminase. Any of self-report results did not show significant changes in group*time interaction. However, there were group differences with significant (P < .05) or a tendency (.05 < P < .1) level. There were significant improvements in depression, stress and EI as well as tendencies of improvement in sleep quality and anxiety, in the meditation group compared to the control group. Our results suggest that meditation practice may have a potential to modify aging process in molecular cellular level combined with changes in psychological dimension.

Gamma Frequency Inhibits the Secretion and Aggregation of Amyloid-β and Decreases the Phosphorylation of mTOR and Tau Proteins in vitro

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was the main cause of dementia in an aging society; unfortunately, there is no effective treatment for AD now. Meditation has been reported to thicken the cerebral cortex, and gamma wave at a frequency of 40 hertz (Hz) was recorded during the meditation process from the brain. Previous study showed that non-invasive scintillation gamma frequency oscillation increased the space in recognition and memory of auditory cortex hippocampal gyrus in AD mice model. However, the AD-related molecular change by exposure of 40 Hz gamma frequency in brain cells was still unclear. Objective: We investigated the AD-related molecular change by exposure of 40 Hz gamma frequency in SH-SY5Y cells. Methods: We designed the light and sound generators at 40 Hz gamma frequency for this study. SH-SY5Y cells were exposed to sound or light of 40 Hz gamma frequency, respectively. The concentrations of amyloid-β40 (Aβ40) and amyloid-β42 (Aβ42) were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The protein levels were examined by western blotting. The aggregation of Aβ42 was examined by thioflavin T assay. Results: Our results showed that the secretion of Aβ, phosphorylation of AKT, mTOR, and tau, and aggregation of Aβ42 were significantly inhibited by 40 Hz gamma frequency in SH-SY5Y cells. The phosphorylation of 4E-BP1, downstream of mTOR, was induced by 40 Hz gamma frequency in SH-SY5Y cells. Conclusion: Our study showed 40 Hz gamma frequency involved in the inhibition of secretion and aggregation of Aβ and inhibition of p-Tau protein expression through the mTOR/4E-BP1/Tau signaling pathway.

Effects of the Mindfulness-Based Blood Pressure Reduction (MB-BP) program on depression and neural structural connectivity

BACKGROUND

Hypertension-related illnesses are a leading cause of disability and death in the United States, where hypertension prevalence in adults is 46%, with only half of those afflicted having it under control. Due to the significant challenges in long-term efficacy and adverse effects associated with pharmacological interventions, there is an eminent need for complimentary approaches for treating hypertension. Although initial studies of the Mindfulness-Based Blood Pressure Reduction program (MB-BP) indicate that this novel 8-week intervention is effective at inducing lasting decreases in blood pressure, the neural correlates are unknown.

METHODS

The objectives of this study were to identify structural neural correlates of MB-BP using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI) and assess potential correlations with key clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

In a subset of participants (14 MB-BP, 22 controls) from a larger stage IIa randomized controlled trial, MB-BP participants exhibited increased interoception and decreased depressive symptoms compared to controls. Analyses of DTI data revealed significant group differences in multiple white matter neural tracts associated with the limbic system and/or blood pressure. Specific changes in neural structural connectivity were significantly associated with measures of interoception and depression.

LIMITATIONS

Limitations include small sample size (leading to insufficient power in the analysis of blood pressure) and the study duration (3 months). The main MRI limitation is suboptimal resolution in areas of extensive neural tract crossings.

CONCLUSIONS

It is concluded that MB-BP induces alterations in brain structural connectivity which could mediate beneficial changes in depression and interoceptive awareness in individuals with hypertension.

Meditation-induced effects on whole-brain structural and effective connectivity

In the past decades, there has been a growing scientific interest in characterizing neural correlates of meditation training. Nonetheless, the mechanisms underlying meditation remain elusive. In the present work, we investigated meditation-related changes in functional dynamics and structural connectivity (SC). For this purpose, we scanned experienced meditators and control (naive) subjects using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to acquire structural and functional data during two conditions, resting-state and meditation (focused attention on breathing). In this way, we aimed to characterize and distinguish both short-term and long-term modifications in the brain’s structure and function. First, to analyze the fMRI data, we calculated whole-brain effective connectivity (EC) estimates, relying on a dynamical network model to replicate BOLD signals’ spatio-temporal structure, akin to functional connectivity (FC) with lagged correlations. We compared the estimated EC, FC, and SC links as features to train classifiers to predict behavioral conditions and group identity. Then, we performed a network-based analysis of anatomical connectivity. We demonstrated through a machine-learning approach that EC features were more informative than FC and SC solely. We showed that the most informative EC links that discriminated between meditators and controls involved several large-scale networks mainly within the left hemisphere. Moreover, we found that differences in the functional domain were reflected to a smaller extent in changes at the anatomical level as well. The network-based analysis of anatomical pathways revealed strengthened connectivity for meditators compared to controls between four areas in the left hemisphere belonging to the somatomotor, dorsal attention, subcortical and visual networks. Overall, the results of our whole-brain model-based approach revealed a mechanism underlying meditation by providing causal relationships at the structure-function level.

Reduced Pain by Mind-Body Intervention Correlates with Improvement of Shoulder Function in People with Shoulder Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Meditation and acupressure-like stimulations have been shown to relieve pain. The aim of this study was to determine whether a short bout of mind-body intervention combined with meditation and acupressure-like stimulation was able to alleviate shoulder pain and improve its function in a short time window. Sixty-five adults with shoulder pain were recruited and randomly classified into two groups. One group participated in an intervention which consisted of acupressure-like stimulation and meditation over a 5 min period. The other group was instructed to rest during this time. A visual analog scale (VAS) pain score and objective constant scores were measured before and after intervention to determine shoulder pain and range of motion (ROM), respectively. A two-way repeated measures analysis of variance with Bonferroni correction and a regression analysis were performed. VAS pain, objective constant score, flexion, abduction, and external rotation score showed significant interactions between time and group. The pain intensity was significantly reduced, while flexion and abduction were significantly improved, in the experimental group compared to the control group, after the intervention. In addition, the change of flexion negatively correlated with the change of pain intensity in the experimental group, but not in the control group. These results show that a short-term application of mind-body intervention significantly alleviates shoulder pain and improves shoulder movement, suggesting its potential use as a therapy for people with shoulder pain.

Effects of Meditation on Structural Changes of the Brain in Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment or Alzheimer's Disease Dementia

Previous cross-sectional studies reported positive effects of meditation on the brain areas related to attention and executive function in the healthy elderly population. Effects of long-term regular meditation in persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease dementia (AD) have rarely been studied. In this study, we explored changes in cortical thickness and gray matter volume in meditation-naïve persons with MCI or mild AD after long-term meditation intervention. MCI or mild AD patients underwent detailed clinical and neuropsychological assessment and were assigned into meditation or non-meditation groups. High resolution T1-weighted magnetic resonance images (MRI) were acquired at baseline and after 6 months. Longitudinal symmetrized percentage changes (SPC) in cortical thickness and gray matter volume were estimated. Left caudal middle frontal, left rostral middle frontal, left superior parietal, right lateral orbitofrontal, and right superior frontal cortices showed changes in both cortical thickness and gray matter volume; the left paracentral cortex showed changes in cortical thickness; the left lateral occipital, left superior frontal, left banks of the superior temporal sulcus (bankssts), and left medial orbitofrontal cortices showed changes in gray matter volume. All these areas exhibited significantly higher SPC values in meditators as compared to non-meditators. Conversely, the left lateral occipital, and right posterior cingulate cortices showed significantly lower SPC values for cortical thickness in the meditators. In hippocampal subfields analysis, we observed significantly higher SPC in gray matter volume of the left CA1, molecular layer HP, and CA3 with a trend for increased gray matter volume in most other areas. No significant changes were found for the hippocampal subfields in the right hemisphere. Analysis of the subcortical structures revealed significantly increased volume in the right thalamus in the meditation group. The results of the study point out that long-term meditation practice in persons with MCI or mild AD leads to salutary changes in cortical thickness and gray matter volumes. Most of these changes were observed in the brain areas related to executive control and memory that are prominently at risk in neurodegenerative diseases.

Mindfulness meditation training in an occupational setting: Effects of a 12-weeks mindfulness-based intervention on wellbeing

BACKGROUND

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are known for their beneficial effects on positive and negative psychological factors. When applied in an occupational context, MBIs might help workers to cope with stress, increase their professional outcomes and wellbeing.

OBJECTIVE

In this two-groups pre-post experimental design we tested the effect of our MBI, called Integral Meditation (IM), among the employers of an Italian service company by measuring positive and negative aspects of psychological wellbeing related to mindfulness and workplace functioning through eight self-report questionnaires (CORE-OM, FFMQ, WEMWBS, MAIA, PSS, PANAS, STAI-X1, SCS).

METHOD

Forty-two voluntary non-clinical employers of the company, randomly assigned to the experimental or the control group, were analyzed. The experimental group underwent our IM program, which consists of 12 weekly meditation classes given after the afternoon shift, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Data was analyzed via linear mixed models.

RESULTS

Statistically significant results were obtained for FFMQ observing subscale (β= 0.49, p = 0.014), WEMWBS (β= 5.31, p = 0.02), PSS (β= -3.31, p = 0.03), the whole scale of SCS (β= 0.47, p = 0.01) and self-judgment (β= 0.68, p = 0.003) and isolation (β= -0.66, p = 0.01) SCS subscales. Statistically significant results were also found in four out of eight subscales of MAIA: emotional awareness (β= 1.26, p < 0.001), self-regulation (β= 1.28, p < 0.001), body listening (β= 1.08, p < 0.001) and trusting (β= 1.1, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Our intervention has demonstrated to bring beneficial effects in a mindfulness subdomain, in perceived stress, self-compassion, interoception and psychological wellbeing. Based on our results, we conclude that our intervention was effective in increasing the positive aspects of wellbeing and in reducing stress.

Improving executive, behavioural and socio-emotional competences in very preterm young adolescents through a mindfulness-based intervention: Study protocol and feasibility

BACKGROUND

Very preterm (VPT) children and adolescents show executive, behavioural and socio-emotional difficulties that persist into adulthood. Despite the promising role of mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) in improving theses competences in children and adolescents, the effectiveness of an MBI has not been assessed in a VPT population so far.

AIMS

To describe the protocol and to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a clinical trial on an 8-week MBI program to enhance executive and socio-emotional competences in a cohort of VPT young adolescents.

STUDY DESIGN

A randomised controlled trial (RCT) and a pre-post intervention designs.

PARTICIPANTS

164 VPT young adolescents from 10 to 14 years old, born before 32 gestational weeks, without major intellectual, sensory or physical impairments, and attending mainstream school, were invited to participate in an 8-week MBI program.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Completion rate of the study was recorded. Acceptability, satisfaction and attendance measures of the MBI were collected using self-reported questionnaires and registration of attendance.

RESULTS

Of the 63 participants who were enrolled in the study (38.2% of families invited to participate), 52 (82.5%) completed all assessments. Acceptability was high as shown by the high attendance rate in the sessions and the feedback evaluation questionnaire.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that an MBI is feasible to implement and show a high acceptability among participants. The use of an RCT design in our study constitutes the gold standard for testing the efficacy of such intervention in VPT young adolescents. If effective, the MBI program could potentially be a valuable tool for improving executive and socio-emotional competences in the vulnerable VPT population.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials, NCT04638101. Registered 19 November 2020 - retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT04638101.

The effect of a single yoga class on interoceptive accuracy in patients affected by anorexia nervosa and in healthy controls: a pilot study

PURPOSE

To evaluate interoceptive accuracy (Iac) before and after a single yoga class in a population of patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and in a population of healthy controls (HC).

METHODS

Fifteen patients with AN and twenty HC were included in the study. All individuals participated in a single yoga class. Before (T0) and after (T1) the yoga class, they underwent the heartbeat detection task for the evaluation of Iac. At T0, all participants also underwent a psychological assessment, including evaluation of depression, anxiety, body awareness, alexithymia, self-objectification and eating disorders psychopathology.

RESULTS

Patients with AN had lower Iac than HC at T0. A significant improvement of Iac at T1 was found in the HC group but not in the group of patients with AN.

CONCLUSION

We infer that our findings might be linked to the fact that patients with AN, differently from HC, did not properly attend to their bodies, despite the yoga class. This hypothesis is consistent with previous studies showing that patients with AN have decreased Iac during self-focused behavior because of body-related avoidance. Moreover, we surmise that HC might be keener to improve their perception of internal body signals even after a single yoga class because their emotional awareness system is not impaired. Patients with AN, on the contrary, may have an intrinsic impairment of their emotional awareness, making it harder for them to modulate their Iac.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytical studies.

Susceptibility of Women to Cardiovascular Disease and the Prevention Potential of Mind-Body Intervention by Changes in Neural Circuits and Cardiovascular Physiology

Women have been reported to be more vulnerable to the development, prognosis and mortality of cardiovascular diseases, yet the understanding of the underlying mechanisms and strategies to overcome them are still relatively undeveloped. Studies show that women's brains are more sensitive to factors affecting mental health such as depression and stress than men's brains. In women, poor mental health increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, and conversely, cardiovascular disease increases the incidence of mental illness such as depression. In connection with mental health and cardiovascular health, the presence of gender differences in brain activation, cortisol secretion, autonomic nervous system, vascular health and inflammatory response has been observed. This connection suggests that strategies to manage women's mental health can contribute to preventing cardiovascular disease. Mind-body interventions, such as meditation, yoga and qigong are forms of exercise that strive to actively manage both mind and body. They can provide beneficial effects on stress reduction and mental health. They are also seen as structurally and functionally changing the brain, as well as affecting cortisol secretion, blood pressure, heart rate variability, immune reactions and reducing menopausal symptoms, thus positively affecting women's cardiovascular health. In this review, we investigate the link between mental health, brain activation, HPA axis, autonomic nervous system, blood pressure and immune system associated with cardiovascular health in women and discuss the effects of mind-body intervention in modulating these factors.

Psychobiological mechanisms underlying the mood benefits of meditation: A narrative review

Psychological stressors can lead to distress and result in autonomic arousal and activation of a stress response. Ongoing or persistent stress can disrupt the stress response feedback mechanisms and result in elevated cortisol and pro-inflammatory cytokines which can cause damage to brain regions involved in the regulation of mood and emotion. We propose that the magnitude of the stress response experienced in response to psychological stressors depends on a number of modifiable psychological processes including an individual’s level of self-compassion, dispositional mindfulness, tendency to ruminate and attentional bias. We further propose that the stress response elected by psychological stressors can be meditated by influencing these modifiable psychological processes, and that meditation practices can decrease stress and improve mood by decreasing stress reactivity on a psychological, physiological and neurobiological level. We explore this in a narrative review.

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Meditation decreases blood pressure, heart rate, cortisol and cytokine levels.

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Meditation increases self-compassion, dispositional mindfulness and meta-cognition.

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Meditation improves attention and memory.

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Meditation results in brain changes in regions related to emotion regulation.

A cross-sectional study on the relationship between meditation training and emotional intelligence in women

AIM

We aimed to reveal the relationship of meditation with emotional intelligence (EI), sleep quality and melatonin level.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

METHODS

Our current research was performed on middle-aged women. EI scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and night-time saliva melatonin were measured for 65 participants including 33 meditators and 32 controls.

RESULTS

The meditation group showed a significantly higher EI score than the control group. In the regression analysis between EI and age, only the meditation group showed a significant positive correlation. The Pearson correlation analysis among all participants revealed a significant negative correlation between PSQI and EI. There was no significant group difference in the melatonin and PSQI.

The Effect of Tai Chi Chuan on Emotional Health: Potential Mechanisms and Prefrontal Cortex Hypothesis

Deep involvement in the negative mood over long periods of time likely results in emotional disturbances/disorders and poor mental health. Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) is regarded as a typical mind-body practice combining aerobic exercise and meditation to prevent and treat negative mood. Although there are an increasing number of TCC studies examining anxiety, depression, and mental stress, the mechanisms underlying these negative emotions are not fully understood. This review study examined TCC studies related to emotional health from both clinical patients and healthy individuals. Next, several potential mechanisms from physiological, psychological, and neurological perspectives were evaluated based on direct and indirect research evidence. We reviewed recent functional magnetic resonance imaging studies, which demonstrated changes in brain anatomy and function, mainly in the prefrontal cortex, following TCC practice. Finally, the effects of TCC on emotion/mental health is depicted with a prefrontal cortex hypothesis that proposed “an immune system of the mind” indicating the role of the prefrontal cortex as a flexible hub in regulating an individual's mental health. The prefrontal cortex is likely a key biomarker among the multiple complex neural correlates to help an individual manage negative emotions/mental health. Future research is needed to examine TCC effects on mental health by examining the relationship between the executive control system (mainly prefrontal cortex) and limbic network (including amygdala, insula, and hippocampal gyrus).

Cortical reorganization processes in meditation naïve participants induced by 7 weeks focused attention meditation training

BACKGROUND

Based on the evidence that meditation is associated with numerous beneficial effects on well-being and reduced stress-related symptoms, mindfulness-based techniques were increasingly implemented into psychotherapeutic programs. However, different meditation styles and the cross-sectional nature of most previous analyses resulted in a great variety of morphometric findings. The present study aims to elucidate cortical reorganization processes and altered axonal integrity caused by short-term meditation training, and benefits from solely using focused attention meditation (FAM).

METHODS

3 T MRI, including T1-MPRAGE and diffusion-weighted sequences, was performed in 27 healthy, meditation naïve participants (age: 43 ± 12.4 years) pre and post FAM meditation training (duration: 7.3 ± 0.4 weeks). Voxel-based morphometry was applied to assess brain changes in gray and white matter. Questionnaires were filled out by the individuals at both time-points to evaluate quality of life and self-awareness deficits.

RESULTS

The major findings comprised (i) gray matter increases in the insula, the caudate nucleus and frontal cortices, (ii) decreases in extended parietotemporal regions, the right medial prefrontal cortex and the parahippocampal gyrus, as well as (iii) fractional anisotropy increases of the right hippocampus, the basal ganglia and adjacent regions. Regression analysis revealed an association of specific alterations with reduced levels of state anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

FAM training induced a broad range of dynamic brain alterations even within few weeks of training. Interestingly, this cohort revealed more, and partially different patterns of structural gray matter change compared to prior studies. The broad impact on neuronal organization processes may reflect more general outcomes related to health and well-being.

Rajyoga meditation induces grey matter volume changes in regions that process reward and happiness

Studies provide evidence that practicing meditation enhances neural plasticity in reward processing areas of brain. No studies till date, provide evidence of such changes in Rajyoga meditation (RM) practitioners. The present study aimed to identify grey matter volume (GMV) changes in reward processing areas of brain and its association with happiness scores in RM practitioners compared to non-meditators. Structural MRI of selected participants matched for age, gender and handedness (n = 40/group) were analyzed using voxel-based morphometric method and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) scores were correlated. Significant increase in OHQ happiness scores were observed in RM practitioners compared to non-meditators. Whereas, a trend towards significance was observed in more experienced RM practitioners, on correlating OHQ scores with hours of meditation experience. Additionally, in RM practitioners, higher GMV were observed in reward processing centers—right superior frontal gyrus, left inferior orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and bilateral precuneus. Multiple regression analysis showed significant association between OHQ scores of RM practitioners and reward processing regions right superior frontal gyrus, left middle OFC, right insula and left anterior cingulate cortex. Further, with increasing hours of RM practice, a significant positive association was observed in bilateral ventral pallidum. These findings indicate that RM practice enhances GMV in reward processing regions associated with happiness.

A potential association of meditation with menopausal symptoms and blood chemistry in healthy women: A pilot cross-sectional study

Owing to hormonal changes, women experience various psychophysiological alterations over a wide age range, which may result in decreased quality of life as well as in increased risks of diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases. Although studies have been performed to research complementary methods, such as meditation, the research field still requires an adequate amount of studies for public health guidelines. This pilot cross-sectional study aims to investigate a potential association of meditation with menopausal symptoms and blood chemistry for healthy women. In this study, data of 65 healthy women (age range 25-67) including 33 meditation practitioners and 32 meditation-naïve controls were analyzed to compare the Menopausal Rating Scale scores and blood chemistry with 7 more dropouts in the blood chemistry. For blood chemistry, nine components including glucose (GLU) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) were measured. Two-way analysis of variance was performed by dividing the total participants into 2 groups: premenopausal and postmenopausal participants. Compared to the control group, the meditation group showed a trend of reductions in the Menopausal Rating Scale total score (P = .054) and its 2 subcomponents: depressive mood (P = .064) and irritability (P = .061). In HDL level, there was a significant interaction between group and menopausal state (P = .039) with following post hoc results: among the premenopausal participants, a significant increase in the meditation group compared to the control group (P = .005); among the control group, a significant increase in the postmenopausal compared to the premenopausal participants (P = .030). In GLU level, there was a mild interaction between group and menopausal state (P = .070) with following post hoc results: among the postmenopausal participants, a trend of increase in the control group compared to the meditation group (P = .081); among the control group, a significant increase in the postmenopausal compared to the premenopausal participants (P = .040). Our research suggests a potential association of practicing meditation with alleviations in menopausal symptoms and changes in blood chemistry, warranting further studies with a longitudinal study design and larger populations to understand the underlying causal relationships.

Gray Matter Changes in Adolescents Participating in a Meditation Training

Meditation has shown to benefit a wide range of conditions and symptoms, but the neural mechanisms underlying the practice remain unclear. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have investigated the structural brain changes due to the practice by examining volume, density, or cortical thickness changes. However, these studies have focused on adults; meditation’s structural effects on the adolescent brain remain understudied. In this study, we investigated how meditation training affects the structure of the adolescent brain by scanning a group of 38 adolescents (16.48 ± 1.29 years) before and after participating in a 12-week meditation training. Subjects underwent Training for Awareness, Resilience, and Action (TARA), a program that mainly incorporates elements from mindfulness meditation and yoga-based practices. A subset of the adolescents also received an additional control scan 12 weeks before TARA. We conducted voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to assess gray matter volume changes pre- to post-training and during the control period. Subjects showed significant gray matter (GM) volume decreases in the left posterior insula and to a lesser extent in the left thalamus and left putamen after meditation training. There were no significant changes during the control period. Our results support previous findings that meditation affects regions associated with physical and emotional awareness. However, our results are different from previous morphometric studies in which meditation was associated with structural increases. We posit that this discrepancy may be due to the differences between the adolescent brain and the adult brain.

Long-term beneficial effects of an online mind-body training program on stress and psychological outcomes in female healthcare providers: A non-randomized controlled study

Mind-body training (MBT) programs are effective interventions for relieving stress and improving psychological capabilities. To expand our previous study which demonstrated the short-term effects of an 8-week online MBT program, the present study investigated whether those short-term effects persist up to a month after the end of the intervention.Among previous participants, 56 (64%) participated in this follow-up study, 25 in the MBT group and 31 in the control group. Outcome measures included the stress response, emotional intelligence, resilience, coping strategies, positive and negative affect, and anger expression of both groups at baseline, at 8 weeks (right after the training or waiting period), and at 12 weeks (a month after the training or waiting period).The MBT group showed a greater decrease in stress response at 8 weeks, and this reduction remained a month after the end of the intervention. The effect of MBT on resilience and effective coping strategies was also significant at 8 weeks and remained constant a month later. However, the improvement to emotional intelligence and negative affect did not persist a month after training.These findings suggest that the beneficial short-term effects of MBT may last beyond the training period even without continuous practice, but the retention of these benefits seems to depend on the outcome variables. Through a convenient, affordable, and easily accessible online format, MBT may provide cost-effective solutions for employees at worksites.

Long-Term Vegan Meditation Improved Human Gut Microbiota

Objective

Meditation has been widely used for the treatment of a variety of psychological, cardiovascular, and digestive diseases as well as chronic pain. Vegetarian diets can effectively prevent hypertension, metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity, and certain cancers. Meditation and vegetarian diets have been recognized as components of a healthy lifestyle and have therefore attracted more people around the world. Meditation can help regulate overall health through the neural-endocrine-immune network. Changes in dietary habits can affect the composition of the intestinal flora, which in turn affects human physiology, metabolism, nutrition, and immune function through the bacteria-intestine-brain axis. Here, we aimed to investigate the effect of long-term meditation and vegan diet on human intestinal flora.

Materials and Methods

The present study used 16S rDNA sequencing technology to detect the differences in intestinal flora between 12 healthy vegan subjects receiving long-term meditation training and 12 healthy omnivorous subjects who never received any meditation training.

Results

The results showed that, compared with the subjects in the omnivorous healthy control group who had never received any meditation training, the intestinal flora structure in the people who followed the long-term vegan meditation practices changed significantly. The intersection set between the results of the LEfSe analysis and the Wilcoxon rank sum test includes 14 bacterial genera. These 14 genera are defined as the dominant genera, and the AUC value was 0.92 in the ROC curve, which demonstrates that the 14 genera can be used as a biomarker to distinguish the two groups. Three beneficial bacteria genera (Bifidobacterium, Roseburia, and Subdoligranulum) were significantly enriched in the meditation group with a threshold of 4, according to the LDAs. The functional prediction of differentially enriched intestinal flora showed that the metabolism of tyrosine, propionate, niacin, and nicotinamide in the intestinal micro-organisms in the meditation group was significantly reduced compared with those in the control group, while the biosynthesis of flavones, flavone alcohols, butosin, and neomycin; flavonoid-mediated oocyte maturation; cytoskeleton protein pathways; and antigen processing and presentation were significantly enhanced.

Conclusions

These results indicate that long-term vegan meditation plays a positive role in improving the body's immunity and adjusting endocrine and metabolic levels, enabling the body to be in a state of good health.

Different Patterns of Sleep-Dependent Procedural Memory Consolidation in Vipassana Meditation Practitioners and Non-meditating Controls

Aim

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, and sleep spindles are all implicated in the consolidation of procedural memories. Relative contributions of sleep stages and sleep spindles were previously shown to depend on individual differences in task processing. However, no studies to our knowledge have focused on individual differences in experience with Vipassana meditation as related to sleep. Vipassana meditation is a form of mental training that enhances proprioceptive and somatic awareness and alters attentional style. The goal of this study was to examine a potential role for Vipassana meditation experience in sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation.

Methods

Groups of Vipassana meditation practitioners (N = 22) and matched meditation-naïve controls (N = 20) slept for a daytime nap in the laboratory. Before and after the nap they completed a procedural task on the Wii Fit balance platform.

Results

Meditators performed slightly better on the task before the nap, but the two groups improved similarly after sleep. The groups showed different patterns of sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation: in meditators, task learning was positively correlated with density of slow occipital spindles, while in controls task improvement was positively associated with time in REM sleep. Sleep efficiency and sleep architecture did not differ between groups. Meditation practitioners, however, had a lower density of occipital slow sleep spindles than controls.

Conclusion

Results suggest that neuroplastic changes associated with meditation practice may alter overall sleep microarchitecture and reorganize sleep-dependent patterns of memory consolidation. The lower density of occipital spindles in meditators may mean that meditation practice compensates for some of the memory functions of sleep.

Reductions in perceived stress following Transcendental Meditation practice are associated with increased brain regional connectivity at rest

Transcendental Meditation (TM) is defined as a mental process of transcending using a silent mantra. Previous work showed that relatively brief period of TM practice leads to decreases in stress and anxiety. However, whether these changes are subserved by specific morpho-functional brain modifications (as observed in other meditation techniques) is still unclear. Using a longitudinal design, we combined psychometric questionnaires, structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) to investigate the potential brain modifications underlying the psychological effects of TM. The final sample included 19 naïve subjects instructed to complete two daily 20-min TM sessions, and 15 volunteers in the control group. Both groups were evaluated at recruitment (T0) and after 3 months (T1). At T1, only meditators showed a decrease in perceived anxiety and stress (t₍₁₈₎ = 2.53, p = 0.02), which correlated negatively with T1-T0 changes in functional connectivity among posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), precuneus and left superior parietal lobule. Additionally, TM practice was associated with increased connectivity between PCC and right insula, likely reflecting changes in interoceptive awareness. No structural changes were observed in meditators or control subjects. These preliminary findings indicate that beneficial effects of TM may be mediated by functional brain changes that take place after a short practice period of 3 months.

Intrinsic Functional and Structural Brain Connectivity in Humans Predicts Individual Social Comparison Orientation

Social comparison orientation (SCO), the tendency to compare oneself with others, is universal, varies widely across individuals, and predicts important life and health outcomes. However, the neural mechanism underlying individual differences in SCO is still not well-understood. In the present study, we identified intrinsic neural markers of SCO in healthy young adults (n = 42) using a multimodal neuroimaging approach that included diffusion tensor imaging and resting-state functional MRI data. We found that higher SCO was associated with weaker structural and functional connectivity (SC, FC) strengths between the ventral striatum and the medial prefrontal cortex, which are core regions of the brain reward network. Additionally, individual SCO was negatively associated with neural fluctuations in the intraparietal sulcus (IPS), part of the frontoparietal network, and positively with FC between the IPS and anterior insula/amygdala cluster. This finding was further confirmed by the observation of independently-defined, large-scale, inter-network FC between the frontoparietal network and cingulo-opercular network. Taken together, these results provide novel evidence for intrinsic functional and structural connectivity of the human brain associated with individual differences in SCO.

A Single Ketamine Infusion Combined With Mindfulness-Based Behavioral Modification to Treat Cocaine Dependence: A Randomized Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVE

Research has suggested that subanesthetic doses of ketamine may work to improve cocaine-related vulnerabilities and facilitate efforts at behavioral modification. The purpose of this trial was to test whether a single ketamine infusion improved treatment outcomes in cocaine-dependent adults engaged in mindfulness-based relapse prevention.

METHODS

Fifty-five cocaine-dependent individuals were randomly assigned to receive a 40-minute intravenous infusion of ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) or midazolam (the control condition) during a 5-day inpatient stay, during which they also initiated a 5-week course of mindfulness-based relapse prevention. Cocaine use was assessed through self-report and urine toxicology. The primary outcomes were end-of-study abstinence and time to relapse (defined as first use or dropout).

RESULTS

Overall, 48.2% of individuals in the ketamine group maintained abstinence over the last 2 weeks of the trial, compared with 10.7% in the midazolam group (intent-to-treat analysis). The ketamine group was 53% less likely (hazard ratio=0.47; 95% CI=0.24, 0.92) to relapse (dropout or use cocaine) compared with the midazolam group, and craving scores were 58.1% lower in the ketamine group throughout the trial (95% CI=18.6, 78.6); both differences were statistically significant. Infusions were well tolerated, and no participants were removed from the study as a result of adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

A single ketamine infusion improved a range of important treatment outcomes in cocaine-dependent adults engaged in mindfulness-based behavioral modification, including promoting abstinence, diminishing craving, and reducing risk of relapse. Further research is needed to replicate these promising results in a larger sample.

Mindfulness, Interoception, and the Body: A Contemporary Perspective

Mindfulness is often used as an umbrella term to characterize a large number of practices, processes, and characteristics. Critics argue that this broad definition has led to misinformation, misunderstanding, and a general lack of methodologically rigorous research. Some of the confusion surrounding mindfulness is also believed to stem from an undifferentiated use of the term mindfulness and meditation. Mindfulness and all other forms of meditation have been shown to modulate the insula, which is the primary hub for interoception. Some have argued that interoception is foundational to mindfulness and may be the primary mechanism by which one benefits from the practice. However, much like the mindfulness literature, interoception remains broadly defined often without precision and with domain-specific meanings and implications. Research demonstrates that the insula and surrounding neural circuits are believed to be responsible for a number of other functions beyond interoception including attention, awareness, and all subjective experiences, much of which has been linked to the mindfulness literature. It has been assumed that mindfulness produces these neuroplasticity and functional effects. There is evidence that mindfulness and some of its benefits may be better described as increased interoception as a result of the neuroplasticity changes in the insula, and the development of the insula and surrounding neural circuits may cultivate dispositional mindfulness. The purposes of this article are to (1) highlight that it may be more accurate to link many of the identified benefits in the mindfulness literature to interoception and its neurological correlates and (2) propose attentional style as a means to clarify some of the confusion surrounding mindfulness, interoception, and meditation. Different meditations require different attentional styles. Attention can be analogous to a focal point with each focal point providing a unique perspective. Given that all meditative techniques modulate the insula, each meditation can provide a unique perspective from which to investigate complex interoceptive signals that may be unavailable from other meditative traditions. It may prove more useful to anchor scientific findings in the concrete body as a means to investigate those rather than a set of abstract, broadly defined meditative techniques.

Gender Differences in Psycho-Social-Spiritual Healing

Background: Many individuals exhibit significant distress in response to serious and/or life-limiting illness. However, there are others who make life-transforming changes, which involve healing experiences in the psychological, social, and spiritual domains of life regardless of illness outcome. The aim of the present study is to determine if there are any differences in psycho-social-spiritual healing between genders.

Materials and Methods: The NIH Healing Experiences in All Life Stressors (NIH-HEALS), a 35-item measure of psycho-social-spiritual healing, is composed of three factors: Connection, Reflection & Introspection, and Trust & Acceptance. NIH-HEALS and a demographic questionnaire were administered to 193 patients with serious and/or life-limiting illness at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center.

Results: In response to NIH-HEALS, men and women significantly differed on the Reflection & Introspection factor. Women reported increased enjoyment of mind–body practices (p < 0.001), compassion (p = 0.005), gratitude (p = 0.014), and a desire to be more positive (p = 0.044) compared to men. Men rated their pain levels (p = 0.035) and severity of illness (p = 0.016) higher and their overall level of health (p = 0.010) poorer compared to women. Women's responses to items regarding compassion (r_s = 0.37, p < 0.001) and gratitude (r_s = 0.24, p = 0.015) correlated positively with better overall health ratings.

Conclusion: Men and women show some differences in their self-reported psycho-social-spiritual healing, which may have implications when designing interventions aimed at promoting a healing experience in the context of serious and life-limiting illness.

Increases in Theta Oscillatory Activity During Episodic Memory Retrieval Following Mindfulness Meditation Training

Mindfulness meditation has been shown to improve episodic memory and increase theta oscillations which are known to play a role in episodic memory retrieval. The present study examined the effect of mindfulness meditation on episodic memory retrieval and theta oscillations. Using a longitudinal design, subjects in the mindfulness meditation experimental group who underwent 4 weeks of mindfulness meditation training and practice were compared to a waitlist control group. During the pre-training and post-training experimental sessions, subjects completed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and studied adjectives and either imagined a scene (Place Task) or judged its pleasantness (Pleasant Task). During the recognition test, subjects decided which task was performed with each word ("Old Place Task" or "Old Pleasant Task") or "New." FFMQ scores and source discrimination were greater post-training than pre-training in the mindfulness meditation experimental group. Electroencephalography (EEG) results revealed that for the mindfulness meditation experimental group theta power was greater post-training than pre-training in right frontal and left parietal channels and changes in FFMQ scores correlated with changes in theta oscillations in right frontal channels (n = 20). The present results suggest that mindfulness meditation increases source memory retrieval and theta oscillations in a fronto-parietal network.

Associations between modifiable risk factors and white matter of the aging brain: insights from diffusion tensor imaging studies

There is increasing interest in factors that may modulate white matter (WM) breakdown and, consequentially, age-related cognitive and behavioral deficits. Recent diffusion tensor imaging studies have examined the relationship of such factors with WM microstructure. This review summarizes the evidence regarding the relationship between WM microstructure and recognized modifiable factors, including hearing loss, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, smoking, depressive symptoms, physical (in) activity, and social isolation, as well as sleep disturbances, diet, cognitive training, and meditation. Current cross-sectional evidence suggests a clear link between loss of WM integrity (lower fractional anisotropy and higher mean diffusivity) and hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and smoking; a relationship that seems to hold for hearing loss, social isolation, depressive symptoms, and sleep disturbances. Physical activity, cognitive training, diet, and meditation, on the other hand, may protect WM with aging. Preliminary evidence from cross-sectional studies of treated risk factors suggests that modification of factors could slow down negative effects on WM microstructure. Careful intervention studies are needed for this literature to contribute to public health initiatives going forward.

Alterations in Brain Structure and Amplitude of Low-frequency after 8 weeks of Mindfulness Meditation Training in Meditation-Naïve Subjects

Increasing neuroimaging evidence suggests that mindfulness meditation expertise is related to different functional and structural configurations of the default mode network (DMN), the salience network (SN) and the executive network at rest. However, longitudinal studies observing resting network plasticity effects in brains of novices who started to practice meditation are scarce and generally related to one dimension, such as structural or functional effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate structural and functional brain network changes (e.g. DMN) after 40 days of mindfulness meditation training in novices and set these in the context of potentially altered depression symptomatology and anxiety. We found overlapping structural and functional effects in precuneus, a posterior DMN region, where cortical thickness increased and low-frequency amplitudes (ALFF) decreased, while decreased ALFF in left precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex correlates with the reduction of (CES-D) depression scores. In conclusion, regional overlapping of structural and functional changes in precuneus may capture different components of the complex changes of mindfulness meditation training.

Brain education-based meditation for patients with hypertension and/or type 2 diabetes: A pilot randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Hypertension and type 2 diabetes are chronic diseases, which generally require lifetime care. Meditation and yoga can be complementary to pharmacological therapies according to the scientific evidences so far. Brain education-based meditation (BEM) is a technique, which has been known to change brain structure, psychology, and physiology of healthy adult participants. This randomized, nonblinded pilot trial aimed to examine whether BEM affects the conditions of patients with hypertension and/or type 2 diabetes compared with health education classes.

METHODS

We randomly allocated 48 patients with hypertension and/or type 2 diabetes to BEM (n = 24) or health education (n = 24) classes in the Ulsan Junggu Public Health Center in Korea, where the classes were run during the same period and explored the impact of 8-week practice on the serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, creatinine, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Total RNA was extracted to examine inflammatory gene expressions from the whole blood using PAXgene blood RNA System. In addition, self-reports on mental/physical health were evaluated. The Student's t test, chi-squared test, and analysis of covariance were used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

The number of people who participated until the completion of the study was 14 in the control and 21 in the BEM group. After 8 weeks, LDL cholesterol level was significantly decreased in the BEM group after the intervention (13.82 mg/dL reduction, P < .05), while it was not significantly altered in the control group. The expression of inflammatory genes was significantly reduced after 8 weeks of the BEM training (0.3-, 0.5-, and 0.2-fold change for NFKB2, RELA, and IL1B, respectively, all P < .05). In the item analysis of mental/physical health self-reports, a significant improvement was confirmed as follows: increases in focus, confidence, relaxation, and happiness; decreases in fatigue, anger, and loneliness (all P < .05). There were no important adverse events or side-effects by BEM intervention.

CONCLUSION

Compared to health education, BEM helps lower LDL cholesterol level and the inflammatory gene expression in the patients with hypertension and/or type 2 diabetes. Moreover, BEM induces positive effects on the self-reported mental/physical states, warranting further study.

Long-term Chinese calligraphic handwriting reshapes the posterior cingulate cortex: A VBM study

As a special kind of handwriting with a brush, Chinese calligraphic handwriting (CCH) requires a large amount of practice with high levels of concentration and emotion regulation. Previous studies have showed that long-term CCH training has positive effects physically (induced by handwriting activities) and psychologically (induced by the state of relaxation and concentration), the latter of which is similar to the effects of meditation. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term CCH training effect on anxiety and attention, as well as brain structure. Participants were 32 individuals who had at least five years of CCH experience and 44 controls. Results showed that CCH training benefited individuals' selective and divided attention but did not decrease their anxiety level. Moreover, the VBM analysis showed that long-term CCH training was mainly associated with smaller grey matter volumes (GMV) in the right precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). No brain areas showed larger GMV in the CCH group than the control group. Using two sets of regions of interest (ROIs), one related to meditation and the other to handwriting, ROI analysis showed significant differences between the CCH and the control group only at the meditation-related ROIs, not at the handwriting-related ROIs. Finally, for the whole sample, the GMV of both the whole brain and the PCC were negatively correlated with selective attention and divided attention. The present study was cross-sectional and had a relatively small sample size, but its results suggested that CCH training might benefit attention and influence particular brain structure through mental processes such as meditation.

Meditation and yoga practice are associated with smaller right amygdala volume: the Rotterdam study

To determine the association between meditation and yoga practice, experienced stress, and amygdala and hippocampal volume in a large population-based study. This study was embedded within the population-based Rotterdam Study and included 3742 participants for cross-sectional association. Participants filled out a questionnaire assessing meditation practice, yoga practice, and experienced stress, and underwent a magnetic resonance scan of the brain. 2397 participants underwent multiple brain scans, and were assessed for structural change over time. Amygdala and hippocampal volumes were regions of interest, as these are structures that may be affected by meditation. Multivariable linear regression analysis and mixed linear models were performed adjusted for age, sex, educational level, intracranial volume, cardiovascular risk, anxiety, depression and stress. 15.7% of individuals participated in at least one form of practice. Those who performed meditation and yoga practices reported significantly more stress (mean difference 0.2 on a 1–5 scale, p < .001) and more depressive symptoms (mean difference 1.03 on CESD, p = .015). Partaking in meditation and yoga practices was associated with a significantly lower right amygdala volume (β = − 31.8 mm³, p = .005), and lower left hippocampus volume (β = − 75.3 mm³, p = .025). Repeated measurements using linear mixed models showed a significant effect over time on the right amygdala of practicing meditation and yoga (β = − 24.4 mm³, SE 11.3, p = .031). Partaking in meditation and yoga practice is associated with more experienced stress while it also helps cope with stress, and is associated with smaller right amygdala volume.

Default Mode Network, Meditation, and Age-Associated Brain Changes: What Can We Learn from the Impact of Mental Training on Well-Being as a Psychotherapeutic Approach?

Aging is a physiological process accompanied by cognitive decline, principally in memory and executive functions. Alterations in the connectivity of the default mode network (DMN) have been found to participate in cognitive decline, as well as in several neurocognitive disorders. The DMN has antisynchronic activity with attentional networks (task-positive networks (TPN)), which are critical to executive function and memory. Findings pointing to the regulation of the DMN via activation of TPN suggest that it can be used as a strategy for neuroprotection. Meditation is a noninvasive and nonpharmacological technique proven to increase meta-awareness, a cognitive ability which involves the control of both networks. In this review, we discuss the possibility of facilitating healthy aging through the regulation of networks through meditation. We propose that by practicing specific types of meditation, cognitive decline could be slowed, promoting a healthy lifestyle, which may enhance the quality of life for the elderly.

The Immediate and Sustained Positive Effects of Meditation on Resilience Are Mediated by Changes in the Resting Brain

While recent studies have explored the maintenance of the effect of meditation on stress resilience, the underlying neural mechanisms have not yet been investigated. The present study conducted a highly controlled residential study of a 4-day meditation intervention to investigate the brain functional changes and long-term effects of meditation on mindfulness and resilience. Thirty participants in meditation practice and 17 participants in a relaxation retreat (control group) underwent magnetic resonance imaging scans at baseline and post-intervention and completed the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale (CAMS) and Resilience Quotient Test (RQT) at baseline, post-intervention, and the 3-month follow-up. All participants showed increased CAMS and RQT scores post-intervention, but only the meditation group sustained the enhancement after 3 months. Resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) between the left rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), precuneus, and angular gyrus was significantly increased post-intervention in the meditation group compared with the relaxation group. The changes in rACC-dmPFC rsFC mediated the relationship between the changes in the CAMS and RQT scores and correlated with the changes in the RQT score both immediately and at 3 months post-intervention. Our findings suggest that increased rACC-dmPFC rsFC via meditation causes an immediate enhancement in resilience that is sustained. Since resilience is known to be associated with the preventative effect of various psychiatric disorders, the improvement in stress-related neural mechanisms may be beneficial to individuals at high clinical risk.

Evolution from four mental states to the highest state of consciousness: A neurophysiological basis of meditation as defined in yoga texts

This chapter provides a theoretical introduction to states of consciousness and reviews neuroscientific investigations of meditation. The different states of consciousness consist of four mental states, i.e., cancalata (random thinking), ekagrata (non-meditative focusing), dharna (focused meditation), and dhyana (meditation) as defined in yoga texts. Meditation is a self-regulated mental process associated with deep relaxation and increased internalized attention. Scientific investigations on meditation reported changes in electrophysiological signals and neuroimaging measures. But most outcomes of meditation studies showed inconsistent results, this may be due to heterogeneity in meditation methods and techniques evolved in the last 200 years. Traditionally, the features of meditation include the capacity to sustain a heightened awareness of thoughts, behaviors, emotions, and perceptions. Generally, meditation involves non-reactive effortless monitoring of the content of experience from moment to moment. Focused meditation practice involves awareness on a single object and open monitoring meditation is a non-directive meditation involved attention in breathing, mantra, or sound. Therefore, results of few empirical studies of advanced meditators or beginners remain tentative. This is an attempt to compile the meditation-related changes in electrophysiological and neuroimaging processes among experienced and novice practitioners.

Long-Term Tai Chi Experience Promotes Emotional Stability and Slows Gray Matter Atrophy for Elders

Brain adverse structural changes, especially the atrophy of gray matter, are inevitable in aging. Fortunately, the human brain is plastic throughout its entire life. The current cross-section study aimed to investigate whether long-term Tai Chi exercise could slow gray matter atrophy and explore the possible links among gray matter volume (GMV), long-term Tai Chi experience and emotional stability in a sequential risk-taking task by using voxel-based morphometry. Elders with long-term Tai Chi experience and controls, who were matched to Tai Chi group in age, gender, physical activity level, participated in the study. A T1-weighted multiplanar reconstruction sequence was acquired for each participant. Behaviorally, the Tai Chi group showed higher meditation level, stronger emotional stability and less risk-taking tendency in the sequential risk-taking compared to the control group. Moreover, the results revealed that the GMV of the thalamus and hippocampus were larger in the Tai Chi group compared with the control group. Notably, the GMV of the thalamus was positively correlated with both meditation level and emotional stability. The current study suggested the protective role of long-term Tai Chi exercise at slowing gray matter atrophy, improving the emotional stability and achieving successful aging for elders.

State-trait influences of Vipassana meditation practice on P3 EEG dynamics

Several studies have demonstrated that meditation naïve subjects can, in just a few weeks, become proficient enough in meditation to show cognitive improvements accompanied with functional and structural changes in the brain. Would long-term exposure to qualitatively different levels of meditative training bring about differences in cognitive processing? Would meditation prior to task performance help separate out these differences? Could the nature of the task influence the findings related to cognitive enhancements? To address these questions, we evaluated cognitive functions in three groups of experienced Vipassana practitioners (Novices: n=22, Mean±SD meditation experience=989±595h; Senior practitioners: 21, 10,510±5313; Teachers: 16, 14,648±9623) who differed in terms of duration and quality of meditative practice. Specifically, we employed "ANGEL" a gamified multilevel oddball paradigm, to assess P3 event-related potentials (ERPs) and associated EEG dynamics-power spectra, event related spectral perturbations (ERSP) and inter-trial coherence (ITC). In order to elicit the state-trait influences of meditation, the cognitive task was performed after the participants had undergone an hour long traditional meditation session. All participants could perform the task well and the gross ERP waveforms were similar for the three groups. As hypothesized, we found distinct state-trait influences of meditation leading to graded differences in P3 EEG dynamics. Specifically, we found reduced theta synchrony, enhanced alpha de-synchrony and lesser theta-alpha coherence in the more proficient meditators. Post hoc analyses revealed several differences between the novice and teacher groups but not as many between novice and seniors suggesting that the senior meditators formed an intermediate group. Our study demonstrates that both quantity and quality of meditation influence EEG dynamics during cognitive processing and that meditation prior to a task can provide additional state-trait effects involved in meeting the specific cognitive demands.

The neuroscience of meditation: classification, phenomenology, correlates, and mechanisms

Rising from its contemplative and spiritual traditions, the science of meditation has seen huge growth over the last 30 years. This chapter reviews the classifications, phenomenology, neural correlates, and mechanisms of meditation. Meditation classification types are still varied and largely subjective. Broader models to describe meditation practice along multidimensional parameters may improve classification in the future. Phenomenological studies are few but growing, highlighting the subjective experience and correlations to neurophysiology. Oscillatory EEG studies are not conclusive likely due to the heterogeneous nature of the meditation styles and practitioners being assessed. Neuroimaging studies find common patterns during meditation and in long-term meditators reflecting the basic similarities of meditation in general; however, mostly the patterns differ across unique meditation traditions. Research on the mechanisms of meditation, specifically attention and emotion regulation is also discussed. There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating positive benefits from meditation in some clinical populations especially for stress reduction, anxiety, depression, and pain improvement, although future research would benefit by addressing the remaining methodological and conceptual issues. Meditation research continues to grow allowing us to understand greater nuances of how meditation works and its effects.

Frequency of everyday pro-environmental behaviour is explained by baseline activation in lateral prefrontal cortex

Humankind faces a plethora of environmental problems, many of which are directly influenced by individual human behaviour. To better understand pro-environmental behaviour, we here try to identify interindividual markers that explain variance in the frequency of every-day pro-environmental behaviour. So far, research on this topic has mainly relied on subjective self-report measures and has yielded mixed results. In this study, we applied a neural trait approach to assess stable, objective individual differences. Using source-localised electroencephalography, we measured cortical activation at rest and combined our neural task-independent data with an ecologically valid assessment of everyday pro-environmental behaviour. We find whole-brain-corrected evidence that task-independent baseline activation in the right lateral prefrontal cortex, a brain area known to be involved in cognitive control and self-control processes, explains individual differences in pro-environmental behaviour. The higher the cortical baseline activation in this area, the higher the frequency of everyday pro-environmental behaviour. Implications for the promotion of pro-environmental behaviour are discussed.