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Dziego CA, Zanesco AP, Bornkessel-Schlesewsky I, Schlesewsky M, Stanley EA, Jha AP. Mindfulness Training in High-Demand Cohorts Alters Resting-State Electroencephalography: An Exploratory Investigation of Individual Alpha Frequency, Aperiodic 1/ f Activity, and Microstates. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:100383. [PMID: 39416660 PMCID: PMC11480290 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 07/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 10/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Mindfulness training (MT) programs have demonstrated utility as cognitive training tools, but there is little consensus on the neurophysiological processes that may underlie its benefits. It has been posited that intrinsic brain activity recorded at rest reflects the functional connectivity of large-scale brain networks and may provide insight into neuroplastic changes that support MT. In the current study, we indexed changes in several resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) parameters to investigate the neurophysiological underpinnings of MT. Methods Resting-state EEG data were collected from active-duty U.S. military personnel (N = 80) at 2 testing sessions: before (time [T] 1) and after (T2) engaging in an 8-week MT or active comparison intervention (positivity training). We examined longitudinal and/or groupwise differences in several EEG parameters through parameterization of power spectra (individual alpha frequency and 1/f activity) and microstate analysis. Results While no significant group × time differences were observed in individual alpha frequency, significant group × time effects were observed in several EEG parameters from T1 to T2. Compared with MT, positivity training was associated with a steepening of the 1/f slope and higher 1/f intercepts together with decreased duration and increased global field power of microstates. Conclusions Taken together, these results suggest that the effects of interventions may be differentiated in resting-state brain activity in a sample of military personnel. Such findings provide insight into the neural underpinnings of MT-related brain changes, but more research is required to elucidate how these may relate to task-related neural and performance changes with MT and whether results generalize to other mindfulness interventions in alternative cohorts and contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe A. Dziego
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | | | - Ina Bornkessel-Schlesewsky
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Matthias Schlesewsky
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Elizabeth A. Stanley
- Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
| | - Amishi P. Jha
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida
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Ventura B, Çatal Y, Wolman A, Buccellato A, Cooper AC, Northoff G. Intrinsic neural timescales exhibit different lengths in distinct meditation techniques. Neuroimage 2024; 297:120745. [PMID: 39069224 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Meditation encompasses a range of practices employing diverse induction techniques, each characterized by a distinct attentional focus. In Mantra meditation, for instance, practitioners direct their attention narrowly to a given sentence that is recursively repeated, while other forms of meditation such as Shoonya meditation are induced by a wider attentional focus. Here we aimed to identify the neural underpinnings and correlates associated with this spectrum of distinct attentional foci. To accomplish this, we used EEG data to estimate the brain's intrinsic neural timescales (INTs), that is, its temporal windows of activity, by calculating the Autocorrelation Window (ACW) of the EEG signal. The autocorrelation function measures the similarity of a timeseries with a time-lagged version of itself by correlating the signal with itself on different time lags, consequently providing an estimation of INTs length. Therefore, through using the ACW metric, our objective was to explore whether there is a correspondence between the length of the brain's temporal windows of activity and the width of the attentional scope during various meditation techniques. This was performed on three groups of highly proficient practitioners belonging to different meditation traditions, as well as a meditation-naïve control group. Our results indicated that practices with a wider attentional focus, like Shoonya meditation, exhibit longer ACW durations compared to practices requiring a narrower attentional focus, such as Mantra meditation or body-scanning Vipassana meditation. Together, we demonstrated that distinct meditation techniques with varying widths of attentional foci exhibit unique durations in their brain's INTs. This may suggest that the width of the attentional scope during meditation relates and corresponds to the width of the brain's temporal windows in its neural activity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Our research uncovered the neural mechanisms that underpin the attentional foci in various meditation techniques. We revealed that distinct meditation induction techniques, featured by their range of attentional widths, are characterized by varying lengths of intrinsic neural timescales (INTs) within the brain, as measured by the Autocorrelation Window function. This finding may bridge the gap between the width of attentional windows (subjective) and the width of the temporal windows in the brain's neural activity (objective) during different meditation techniques, offering a new understanding of how cognitive and neural processes are related to each other. This work holds significant implications, especially in the context of the increasing use of meditation in mental health and well-being interventions. By elucidating the distinct neural foundations of different meditation techniques, our research aims to pave the way for developing more tailored and effective meditation-based treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Ventura
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa K1N 6N5, ON, Canada.
| | - Yasir Çatal
- The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research & University of Ottawa, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 145 Carling Avenue, Rm. 6435, Ottawa K1Z 7K4, ON, Canada.
| | - Angelika Wolman
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa K1N 6N5, ON, Canada.
| | - Andrea Buccellato
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Via Orus 2/B, Padova 35129, Italy; Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia, 8, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Austin Clinton Cooper
- Integrated Program of Neuroscience, Room 302, Irving Ludmer Building, 1033 Pine Avenue W., McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada.
| | - Georg Northoff
- The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research & University of Ottawa, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 145 Carling Avenue, Rm. 6435, Ottawa K1Z 7K4, ON, Canada.
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Han Y, Du L, Huang Q, Cui D, Li Y. Enhancing specialization of attention-related EEG power and phase synchronism brain patterns by meditation. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae288. [PMID: 39024158 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Meditation, mental training that aims to improve one's ability to regulate their cognition, has been widely applied in clinical medicine. However, the mechanism by which meditation affects brain activity is still unclear. To explore this question, electroencephalogram data were recorded in 20 long-term meditators and 20 nonmeditators during 2 high-level cognitive tasks (meditation and mental calculation) and a relaxed resting state (control). Then, the power spectral density and phase synchronization of the electroencephalogram were extracted and compared between these 2 groups. In addition, machine learning was used to discriminate the states within each group. We found that the meditation group showed significantly higher classification accuracy and calculation efficiency than the control group. Then, during the calculation task, both the power and global phase synchronism of the gamma response decreased in meditators compared to their relaxation state; yet, no such change was observed in the control group. A potential explanation for our observations is that meditation improved the flexibility of the brain through neural plastic mechanism. In conclusion, we provided robust evidence that long-term meditation experience could produce detectable neurophysiological changes in brain activity, which possibly enhance the functional segregation and/or specialization in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yupeng Han
- School of Automation Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Wushan Road 381, Guangzhou 510641, China
- Research Center for Brain-Computer Interfaces, Pazhou Laboratory, Qiaotou Street 248, Guangzhou 510665, China
| | - Lizhao Du
- Shanghai Med-X Engineering Research Center, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Huashan Road 1954, Shanghai, 200030, China
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Humin Road 3210, Shanghai 201108, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Humin Road 3210, Shanghai 201108, China
| | - Qiyun Huang
- Research Center for Brain-Computer Interfaces, Pazhou Laboratory, Qiaotou Street 248, Guangzhou 510665, China
| | - Donghong Cui
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Humin Road 3210, Shanghai 201108, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Humin Road 3210, Shanghai 201108, China
- Brain Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Huanshan Road 1954, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Yuanqing Li
- School of Automation Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Wushan Road 381, Guangzhou 510641, China
- Research Center for Brain-Computer Interfaces, Pazhou Laboratory, Qiaotou Street 248, Guangzhou 510665, China
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Dziego CA, Bornkessel-Schlesewsky I, Schlesewsky M, Sinha R, Immink MA, Cross ZR. Augmenting complex and dynamic performance through mindfulness-based cognitive training: An evaluation of training adherence, trait mindfulness, personality and resting-state EEG. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0292501. [PMID: 38768220 PMCID: PMC11104625 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Human performance applications of mindfulness-based training have demonstrated its utility in enhancing cognitive functioning. Previous studies have illustrated how these interventions can improve performance on traditional cognitive tests, however, little investigation has explored the extent to which mindfulness-based training can optimise performance in more dynamic and complex contexts. Further, from a neuroscientific perspective, the underlying mechanisms responsible for performance enhancements remain largely undescribed. With this in mind, the following study aimed to investigate how a short-term mindfulness intervention (one week) augments performance on a dynamic and complex task (target motion analyst task; TMA) in young, healthy adults (n = 40, age range = 18-38). Linear mixed effect modelling revealed that increased adherence to the web-based mindfulness-based training regime (ranging from 0-21 sessions) was associated with improved performance in the second testing session of the TMA task, controlling for baseline performance. Analyses of resting-state electroencephalographic (EEG) metrics demonstrated no change across testing sessions. Investigations of additional individual factors demonstrated that enhancements associated with training adherence remained relatively consistent across varying levels of participants' resting-state EEG metrics, personality measures (i.e., trait mindfulness, neuroticism, conscientiousness), self-reported enjoyment and timing of intervention adherence. Our results thus indicate that mindfulness-based cognitive training leads to performance enhancements in distantly related tasks, irrespective of several individual differences. We also revealed nuances in the magnitude of cognitive enhancements contingent on the timing of adherence, regardless of total volume of training. Overall, our findings suggest that mindfulness-based training could be used in a myriad of settings to elicit transferable performance enhancements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe A. Dziego
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Ina Bornkessel-Schlesewsky
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Matthias Schlesewsky
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Ruchi Sinha
- Centre for Workplace Excellence, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia
| | - Maarten A. Immink
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
- Sport, Health, Activity, Performance and Exercise (SHAPE) Research Centre, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Zachariah R. Cross
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
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5
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Merlet I, Guillery M, Weyl L, Hammal M, Maliia M, Maliia S, Biraben A, Ricordeau C, Drapier D, Nica A. EEG changes induced by meditative practices: State and trait effects in healthy subjects and in patients with epilepsy. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2024; 180:326-347. [PMID: 38503588 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2024.02.387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
The effect of meditation on brain activity has been the topic of many studies in healthy subjects and in patients suffering from chronic diseases. These effects are either explored during meditation practice (state effects) or as a longer-term result of meditation training during the resting-state (trait). The topic of this article is to first review these findings by focusing on electroencephalography (EEG) changes in healthy subjects with or without experience in meditation. Modifications in EEG baseline rhythms, functional connectivity and advanced nonlinear parameters are discussed in regard to feasibility in clinical applications. Secondly, we provide a state-of-the-art of studies that proposed meditative practices as a complementary therapy in patients with epilepsy, in whom anxiety and depressive symptoms are prevalent. In these studies, the effects of standardized meditation programs including elements of traditional meditation practices such as mindfulness, loving-kindness and compassion are explored both at the level of psychological functioning and on the occurrence of seizures. Lastly, preliminary results are given regarding our ongoing study, the aim of which is to quantify the effects of a mindfulness self-compassion (MSC) practice on interictal and ictal epileptic activity. Feasibility, difficulties, and prospects of this study are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Merlet
- Universitiy of Rennes, INSERM, LTSI - UMR 1099, F-35000 Rennes, France.
| | - M Guillery
- Centre Hospitalier Guillaume-Regnier (CHGR), University of Rennes, 35000 Rennes, France.
| | - L Weyl
- Centre Hospitalier Guillaume-Regnier (CHGR), University of Rennes, 35000 Rennes, France.
| | - M Hammal
- Centre Hospitalier Guillaume-Regnier (CHGR), University of Rennes, 35000 Rennes, France.
| | - M Maliia
- Universitiy of Rennes, INSERM, LTSI - UMR 1099, F-35000 Rennes, France; Epilepsy Unit, Reference Center for Rare Epilepsies, Neurology Department, Rennes University Hospital, Rennes, France; Center for Clinical Investigation CIC-P INSERM 1414, F-35000 Rennes, France.
| | - S Maliia
- Centre Hospitalier Guillaume-Regnier (CHGR), University of Rennes, 35000 Rennes, France.
| | - A Biraben
- Universitiy of Rennes, INSERM, LTSI - UMR 1099, F-35000 Rennes, France; Epilepsy Unit, Reference Center for Rare Epilepsies, Neurology Department, Rennes University Hospital, Rennes, France; Center for Clinical Investigation CIC-P INSERM 1414, F-35000 Rennes, France.
| | - C Ricordeau
- Epilepsy Resource Team, 54, rue Saint-Helier, 35000 Rennes, France.
| | - D Drapier
- Centre Hospitalier Guillaume-Regnier (CHGR), University of Rennes, 35000 Rennes, France.
| | - A Nica
- Universitiy of Rennes, INSERM, LTSI - UMR 1099, F-35000 Rennes, France; Epilepsy Unit, Reference Center for Rare Epilepsies, Neurology Department, Rennes University Hospital, Rennes, France; Center for Clinical Investigation CIC-P INSERM 1414, F-35000 Rennes, France.
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6
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Zarka D, Cevallos C, Ruiz P, Petieau M, Cebolla AM, Bengoetxea A, Cheron G. Electroencephalography microstates highlight specific mindfulness traits. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:1753-1769. [PMID: 38221503 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the spontaneous dynamics of large-scale brain networks underlying mindfulness as a dispositional trait, through resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) microstates analysis. Eighteen participants had attended a standardized mindfulness-based stress reduction training (MBSR), and 18 matched waitlist individuals (CTRL) were recorded at rest while they were passively exposed to auditory stimuli. Participants' mindfulness traits were assessed with the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). To further explore the relationship between microstate dynamics at rest and mindfulness traits, participants were also asked to rate their experience according to five phenomenal dimensions. After training, MBSR participants showed a highly significant increase in FFMQ score, as well as higher observing and non-reactivity FFMQ sub-scores than CTRL participants. Microstate analysis revealed four classes of microstates (A-D) in global clustering across all subjects. The MBSR group showed lower duration, occurrence and coverage of microstate C than the control group. Moreover, these microstate C parameters were negatively correlated to non-reactivity sub-scores of FFMQ across participants, whereas the microstate A occurrence was negatively correlated to FFMQ total score. Further analysis of participants' self-reports suggested that MBSR participants showed a better sensory-affective integration of auditory interferences. In line with previous studies, our results suggest that temporal dynamics of microstate C underlie specifically the non-reactivity trait of mindfulness. These findings encourage further research into microstates in the evaluation and monitoring of the impact of mindfulness-based interventions on the mental health and well-being of individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Zarka
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Research Unit in Sciences of Osteopathy, Faculty of Human Motor Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Research Unit in Sciences of Osteopathy, Faculty of Human Motor Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - C Cevallos
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Research Unit in Sciences of Osteopathy, Faculty of Human Motor Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Facultad de Ingeniería Mecánica, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, Ecuador
| | - P Ruiz
- Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Facultad de Ingeniería Mecánica, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, Ecuador
| | - M Petieau
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Research Unit in Sciences of Osteopathy, Faculty of Human Motor Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - A M Cebolla
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Research Unit in Sciences of Osteopathy, Faculty of Human Motor Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - A Bengoetxea
- Research Unit in Sciences of Osteopathy, Faculty of Human Motor Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Athenea Neuroclinics, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - G Cheron
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Research Unit in Sciences of Osteopathy, Faculty of Human Motor Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Electrophysiology, Université de Mons, Mons, Belgium
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7
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Borghesi F, Cremascoli R, Chirico A, Bianchi L, Di Moia A, Priano L, Piedimonte A, Mauro A, Cipresso P. Mind and body connection in expert meditators: a computational study based on central and peripheral nervous system. BMC Complement Med Ther 2024; 24:117. [PMID: 38454382 PMCID: PMC10921575 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-024-04413-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
A meditative 'technique' is conceived as a continuum of different affective states involving mind and body jointly. Meditative practices can involve cognitive effort (e.g., focused attention and open-minded techniques), as well as automatic and implicit practices (e.g., transcendental techniques). The NGALSO tantric self-healing meditation technique is a brief, comprehensive meditation technique relying on mind and body connection. In this study, we aimed to investigate the state and the trait neurophysiological correlates of NGALSO meditation practice. First, 19 EEG channels and a 3-lead ECG signal were recorded from 10 expert meditators (more than 7 years of daily meditation) and 10 healthy inexpert participants (controls) who underwent the same meditative procedure. The neuropsychological profiles of experts and controls were compared. Results showed that expert meditators had significantly higher power spectra on alpha, theta and beta, and a higher sympathetic tone with lower parasympathetic tone after meditation. Conversely, the control group had significantly less power spectra on alpha, theta and beta, and a higher parasympathetic tone with lower sympathetic tone after meditation. A machine learning approach also allowed us to classify experts vs. controls correctly by using only EEG Theta bands before or after meditation. ECG results allowed us to show a significantly higher effort by expert meditators vs. controls, thus suggesting that a higher effort is required for this meditation, in line with the principle 'no pain, no gain' in body and mind.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Riccardo Cremascoli
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Unit of Neurology and Neurorehabilitation, San Giuseppe Hospital Piancavallo, Verbania, Italy
| | - Alice Chirico
- Research Center in Communication Psychology, Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Bianchi
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Unit of Neurology and Neurorehabilitation, San Giuseppe Hospital Piancavallo, Verbania, Italy
| | - Amalia Di Moia
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Unit of Neurology and Neurorehabilitation, San Giuseppe Hospital Piancavallo, Verbania, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Priano
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Unit of Neurology and Neurorehabilitation, San Giuseppe Hospital Piancavallo, Verbania, Italy
- Department of Neurosciences Rita Levi Montalcini, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Alessandro Mauro
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Unit of Neurology and Neurorehabilitation, San Giuseppe Hospital Piancavallo, Verbania, Italy
- Department of Neurosciences Rita Levi Montalcini, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Pietro Cipresso
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Unit of Neurology and Neurorehabilitation, San Giuseppe Hospital Piancavallo, Verbania, Italy
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Bailey NW, Fulcher BD, Caldwell B, Hill AT, Fitzgibbon B, van Dijk H, Fitzgerald PB. Uncovering a stability signature of brain dynamics associated with meditation experience using massive time-series feature extraction. Neural Netw 2024; 171:171-185. [PMID: 38091761 DOI: 10.1016/j.neunet.2023.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
Previous research has examined resting electroencephalographic (EEG) data to explore brain activity related to meditation. However, previous research has mostly examined power in different frequency bands. The practical objective of this study was to comprehensively test whether other types of time-series analysis methods are better suited to characterize brain activity related to meditation. To achieve this, we compared >7000 time-series features of the EEG signal to comprehensively characterize brain activity differences in meditators, using many measures that are novel in meditation research. Eyes-closed resting-state EEG data from 49 meditators and 46 non-meditators was decomposed into the top eight principal components (PCs). We extracted 7381 time-series features from each PC and each participant and used them to train classification algorithms to identify meditators. Highly differentiating individual features from successful classifiers were analysed in detail. Only the third PC (which had a central-parietal maximum) showed above-chance classification accuracy (67 %, pFDR = 0.007), for which 405 features significantly distinguished meditators (all pFDR < 0.05). Top-performing features indicated that meditators exhibited more consistent statistical properties across shorter subsegments of their EEG time-series (higher stationarity) and displayed an altered distributional shape of values about the mean. By contrast, classifiers trained with traditional band-power measures did not distinguish the groups (pFDR > 0.05). Our novel analysis approach suggests the key signatures of meditators' brain activity are higher temporal stability and a distribution of time-series values suggestive of longer, larger, or more frequent non-outlying voltage deviations from the mean within the third PC of their EEG data. The higher temporal stability observed in this EEG component might underpin the higher attentional stability associated with meditation. The novel time-series properties identified here have considerable potential for future exploration in meditation research and the analysis of neural dynamics more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil W Bailey
- Monarch Research Institute, Monarch Mental Health Group, Sydney, NSW, Australia; School of Medicine and Psychology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia; Central Clinical School, Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Ben D Fulcher
- School of Physics, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Bridget Caldwell
- Monarch Research Institute, Monarch Mental Health Group, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Aron T Hill
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bernadette Fitzgibbon
- Monarch Research Institute, Monarch Mental Health Group, Sydney, NSW, Australia; School of Medicine and Psychology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia; Central Clinical School, Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hanneke van Dijk
- Research Institute Brainclinics, Brainclinics Foundation, Nijmegen, the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, University Maastricht, Maastricht, the Kingdom of the Netherlands
| | - Paul B Fitzgerald
- Monarch Research Institute, Monarch Mental Health Group, Sydney, NSW, Australia; School of Medicine and Psychology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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Lee KC(G, Gao J, Leung HK, Wu BWY, Roberts A, Thach TQ, Sik HH. Modulating Consciousness through Awareness Training Program and Its Impacts on Psychological Stress and Age-Related Gamma Waves. Brain Sci 2024; 14:91. [PMID: 38248306 PMCID: PMC10813729 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14010091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Aging often leads to awareness decline and psychological stress. Meditation, a method of modulating consciousness, may help individuals improve overall awareness and increase emotional resilience toward stress. This study explored the potential influence of the Awareness Training Program (ATP), a form of consciousness modulation, on age-related brain wave changes and psychological stress in middle-aged adults. Eighty-five participants with mild stress were recruited and randomly assigned to ATP (45.00 ± 8.00 yr) or control (46.67 ± 7.80 yr) groups, matched by age and gender. Ten-minute resting-state EEG data, obtained while the participants' eyes were closed, were collected using a 128-channel EEG system (EGI). A strong positive Pearson correlation was found between fast-wave (beta wave, 12-25 Hz; gamma wave, 25-40 Hz) EEG and age. However, after the 7-week ATP intervention, this correlation became insignificant in the ATP group. Furthermore, there was a significant reduction in stress levels, as measured by the Chinese version of the 10 item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), in the ATP group. These results suggest that ATP may help modulate age-related effects on fast brain waves, as evidenced by the reduced correlation magnitude between age and gamma waves, and lower psychological stress. This suggests that ATP, as a form of consciousness modulation, may improve stress resilience and modulate age-related gamma wave changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kin Cheung (George) Lee
- Centre of Buddhist Studies, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; (J.G.); (H.K.L.); (B.W.Y.W.); (H.H.S.)
| | - Junling Gao
- Centre of Buddhist Studies, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; (J.G.); (H.K.L.); (B.W.Y.W.); (H.H.S.)
| | - Hang Kin Leung
- Centre of Buddhist Studies, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; (J.G.); (H.K.L.); (B.W.Y.W.); (H.H.S.)
| | - Bonnie Wai Yan Wu
- Centre of Buddhist Studies, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; (J.G.); (H.K.L.); (B.W.Y.W.); (H.H.S.)
| | - Adam Roberts
- Singapore-ETH Centre, ETH Zurich, Singapore 138602, Singapore;
| | - Thuan-Quoc Thach
- Department of Psychiatry, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China;
| | - Hin Hung Sik
- Centre of Buddhist Studies, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; (J.G.); (H.K.L.); (B.W.Y.W.); (H.H.S.)
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10
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Khadir A, Maghareh M, Sasani Ghamsari S, Beigzadeh B. Brain activity characteristics of RGB stimulus: an EEG study. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18988. [PMID: 37923926 PMCID: PMC10624840 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46450-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The perception of color is a fundamental cognitive feature of our psychological experience, with an essential role in many aspects of human behavior. Several studies used magnetoencephalography, functional magnetic resonance imaging, and electroencephalography (EEG) approaches to investigate color perception. Their methods includes the event-related potential and spectral power activity of different color spaces, such as Derrington-Krauskopf-Lennie and red-green-blue (RGB), in addition to exploring the psychological and emotional effects of colors. However, we found insufficient studies in RGB space that considered combining all aspects of EEG signals. Thus, in the present study, focusing on RGB stimuli and using a data-driven approach, we investigated significant differences in the perception of colors. Our findings show that beta oscillation of green compared to red and blue colors occurs in early sensory periods with a latency shifting in the occipital region. Furthermore, in the occipital region, the theta power of the blue color decreases noticeably compared to the other colors. Concurrently, in the prefrontal area, we observed an increase in phase consistency in response to the green color, while the blue color showed a decrease. Therefore, our results can be used to interpret the brain activity mechanism of color perception in RGB color space and to choose suitable colors for more efficient performance in cognitive activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Khadir
- Biomechatronics and Cognitive Engineering Research Lab, School of Mechanical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Maghareh
- Biomechatronics and Cognitive Engineering Research Lab, School of Mechanical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shamim Sasani Ghamsari
- Biomechatronics and Cognitive Engineering Research Lab, School of Mechanical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Borhan Beigzadeh
- Biomechatronics and Cognitive Engineering Research Lab, School of Mechanical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
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11
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Liyanagedera ND, Hussain AA, Singh A, Lal S, Kempton H, Guesgen HW. Common spatial pattern for classification of loving kindness meditation EEG for single and multiple sessions. Brain Inform 2023; 10:24. [PMID: 37688757 PMCID: PMC10492719 DOI: 10.1186/s40708-023-00204-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023] Open
Abstract
While a very few studies have been conducted on classifying loving kindness meditation (LKM) and non-meditation electroencephalography (EEG) data for a single session, there are no such studies conducted for multiple session EEG data. Thus, this study aims at classifying existing raw EEG meditation data on single and multiple sessions to come up with meaningful inferences which will be highly beneficial when developing algorithms that can support meditation practices. In this analysis, data have been collected on Pre-Resting (before-meditation), Post-Resting (after-meditation), LKM-Self and LKM-Others for 32 participants and hence allowing us to conduct six pairwise comparisons for the four mind tasks. Common Spatial Patterns (CSP) is a feature extraction method widely used in motor imaginary brain computer interface (BCI), but not in meditation EEG data. Therefore, using CSP in extracting features from meditation EEG data and classifying meditation/non-meditation instances, particularly for multiple sessions will create a new path in future meditation EEG research. The classification was done using Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) where both meditation techniques (LKM-Self and LKM-Others) were compared with Pre-Resting and Post-Resting instances. The results show that for a single session of 32 participants, around 99.5% accuracy was obtained for classifying meditation/Pre-Resting instances. For the 15 participants when using five sessions of EEG data, around 83.6% accuracy was obtained for classifying meditation/Pre-Resting instances. The results demonstrate the ability to classify meditation/Pre-Resting data. Most importantly, this classification is possible for multiple session data as well. In addition to this, when comparing the classification accuracies of the six mind task pairs; LKM-Self, LKM-Others and Post-Resting produced relatively lower accuracies among them than the accuracies obtained for classifying Pre-Resting with the other three. This indicates that Pre-Resting has some features giving a better classification indicating that it is different from the other three mind tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nalinda D Liyanagedera
- School of Mathematical and Computational Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4410, New Zealand.
- Department of Computing & Information Systems, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Kuliyapitiya, 60200, Sri Lanka.
| | - Ali Abdul Hussain
- School of Mathematical and Computational Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4410, New Zealand
| | - Amardeep Singh
- Universal College of Learning (UCOL), Palmerston North, 4410, New Zealand
| | - Sunil Lal
- School of Mathematical and Computational Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4410, New Zealand
| | - Heather Kempton
- School of Psychology, Massey University, Auckland, 0632, New Zealand
| | - Hans W Guesgen
- School of Mathematical and Computational Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4410, New Zealand
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12
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Khajuria A, Kumar A, Joshi D, Kumaran SS. Reducing Stress with Yoga: A Systematic Review Based on Multimodal Biosignals. Int J Yoga 2023; 16:156-170. [PMID: 38463652 PMCID: PMC10919405 DOI: 10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_218_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Stress is an enormous concern in our culture because it is the root cause of many health issues. Yoga asanas and mindfulness-based practices are becoming increasingly popular for stress management; nevertheless, the biological effect of these practices on stress reactivity is still a research domain. The purpose of this review is to emphasize various biosignals that reflect stress reduction through various yoga-based practices. A comprehensive synthesis of numerous prior investigations in the existing literature was conducted. These investigations undertook a thorough examination of numerous biosignals. Various features are extracted from these signals, which are further explored to reflect the effectiveness of yoga practice in stress reduction. The multifaceted character of stress and the extensive research undertaken in this field indicate that the proposed approach would rely on multiple modalities. The notable growth of the body of literature pertaining to prospective yoga processes is deserving of attention; nonetheless, there exists a scarcity of research undertaken on these mechanisms. Hence, it is recommended that future studies adopt more stringent yoga methods and ensure the incorporation of suitable participant cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aayushi Khajuria
- Department of NMR and MRI Facility, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Amit Kumar
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Deepak Joshi
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - S. Senthil Kumaran
- Department of NMR and MRI Facility, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
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13
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Roy J. "Investigating the Brain Activity Correlates of Humming Bee Sound during Bhramari Pranayama". Ann Indian Acad Neurol 2023; 26:364-365. [PMID: 37970262 PMCID: PMC10645273 DOI: 10.4103/aian.aian_648_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jayanta Roy
- Director of Stroke Program, Institute of Neurosciences, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
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14
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Khajuria A, Malan NS, Bajpai R, Kapoor D, Mishra A, Harti SS, Kulkarni M, Joshi D. Investigating the Brain Activity Correlates of Humming Bee Sound during Bhramari Pranayama. Ann Indian Acad Neurol 2023; 26:461-468. [PMID: 37970316 PMCID: PMC10645203 DOI: 10.4103/aian.aian_418_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Context Previous research has shown the vast benefits associated with BhP. However, the dynamics of cortical activity in connection with Bhramari sound have not been investigated yet. Aim To investigate the cortical activity in connection with Bhramari sound. Settings and Design Humming sound was analyzed with a custom-made nasal device consisting of MAX4466 sensor time synchronized with the EEG setup. We anticipated that the modulation of cortical activity with the humming sound (either of long or short durations) leaves its effects after the Pranayama, which helps to understand the positive impacts of BhP. Methods and Material 30 participants were instructed to perform the BhP for a period of 90 seconds. We proposed to investigate the cortical correlates before, during, and after the BhP through EEG. A custom-made nasal device consisting of MAX4466 sensor time synchronized with the EEG setup was used for analyzing the humming sound. Statistical Analysis Used A paired t-test (P < 0.05) with a Bonferroni correction is carried out to explore the statistically significant difference in power spectral density (PSD) values. Results Results show that the relative spectral power in theta band for short humming durations (less than or equal to 9 seconds) was similar on the frontal cortex during and after the Pranayama practice (P > 0.05) in most of the subjects. Conclusions In conclusion, for the immediate positive effects of BhP, the humming duration should be kept less than or equal to 9 seconds. A wearable sound recording system can be developed in the future as a feedback system that provides biofeedback to the user so that a constant humming duration can be maintained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aayushi Khajuria
- Department of NMR, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India
| | - Nitesh Singh Malan
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Rishabh Bajpai
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD), Delhi, India
| | - Dimpy Kapoor
- Department of Swasthavritta and Yoga, All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), Delhi, India
| | - Ashish Mishra
- Department of Swasthavritta and Yoga, All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), Delhi, India
| | - Shivkumar S. Harti
- Department of Swasthavritta and Yoga, All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), Delhi, India
| | - Medha Kulkarni
- Department of Swasthavritta and Yoga, All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), Delhi, India
| | - Deepak Joshi
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD), Delhi, India
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India
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15
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Nien JT, Gill DL, Chou TY, Liu CS, Geng X, Hung TM, Chang YK. Effect of brief mindfulness and relaxation inductions on anxiety, affect and brain activation in athletes. PSYCHOLOGY OF SPORT AND EXERCISE 2023; 67:102422. [PMID: 37665875 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
The mindfulness-based intervention and psychological skills training are often used for maintaining the mental health or reducing undesirable mental states in athletes. However, their differences in acute effects on mental health and underlying neural mechanism are not well understood. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to examine the differential effects of brief mindfulness induction (MI) and relaxation induction (RI) on state anxiety, affect and brain activation. Thirty-five track and field athletes were recruited for this study. Using a within-subjects crossover design, participants underwent three conditions that incorporated two 30-min experimental conditions (i.e., MI or RI) and a control condition. State anxiety and affect were assessed before and after intervention, and brain activation (i.e., theta, alpha bands) were recorded by electroencephalography (EEG) during each 30-min condition. Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that MI and RI similarly reduced state anxiety and negative affect from pre-test to post-test compared to the control condition. In terms of positive affect, there were no significant differences among the three conditions across times. Furthermore, participants exhibited higher frontal theta power during the MI and RI than control condition, whereas no differences in alpha power were observed among conditions. The current study provides initial evidence from an electrophysiological perspective that brief MI and RI both improve the negative psychological states in individual sport athletes through similar neural mechanisms. Nevertheless, the moderating effects of training experiences and long-term interventions on mental state and EEG activity in athletes need further investigation in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jui-Ti Nien
- Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Diane L Gill
- Department of Kinesiology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Ting-Yin Chou
- Department of Sports Training Science-Athletics, National Taiwan Sport University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Shuo Liu
- Department of Sports Training Science-Combats, National Taiwan Sport University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Xiaoling Geng
- Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Min Hung
- Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute for Research Excellence in Learning Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Kai Chang
- Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute for Research Excellence in Learning Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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16
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Bursky M, Kosuri M, Walsh Carson K, Babad S, Iskhakova A, Nikulina V. The Utility of Meditation and Mindfulness-Based Interventions in the Time of COVID-19: A Theoretical Proposition and Systematic Review of the Relevant Prison, Quarantine and Lockdown Literature. Psychol Rep 2023; 126:557-600. [PMID: 34889700 PMCID: PMC10037136 DOI: 10.1177/00332941211048734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
As of July 20, 2021, Covid-19 has killed 4,086,000 people, infected at least 190,169,833 others, and devastated the world's economy. To slow the spread of the virus, numerous governments instituted "lockdown" policies and quarantines, limiting social interactions to the immediate household. The experience of isolation and uncertainty have contributed to increased fear, anxiety, and loneliness; with limited options of research-supported interventions. Although different in nature, the experiences of quarantine and lockdown have been likened to incarceration. Past research has found meditation and mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) to be effective psychological treatments for prisoners and may therefore translate well into effective methods for the maintenance of psychological well-being for individuals quarantined during the pandemic. More recently, research investigating the effects of meditation and MBIs during the pandemic have demonstrated preliminary evidence for beneficial psychological improvements. In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA), the current narrative review paper: 1) examines the parallels and differences between the experience of quarantine and imprisonment, 2) investigates the mechanisms through which meditation and mindfulness enact their effects, and 3) systematically reviews literature on the benefits of various types of meditation and MBIs for inmates and individuals in lockdown or quarantine. With this knowledge, the public can garner applicable insight into the potential use of meditation and MBIs for individuals forced to cope with pandemic lockdowns and quarantines. Two hundred and twenty one (221) articles were identified through Pubmed and Google Scholar, and 24 articles were ultimately included in the manuscript.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikell Bursky
- Psychology Department, The Graduate Center, City University
of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of
New York, Queens, NY, USA
| | - Mahathi Kosuri
- Psychology Department, The Graduate Center, City University
of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of
New York, Queens, NY, USA
- Psychology Department, John Jay College of Criminal Justice,
City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kaitlin Walsh Carson
- Psychology Department, The Graduate Center, City University
of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of
New York, Queens, NY, USA
| | - Sara Babad
- Psychology Department, The Graduate Center, City University
of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of
New York, Queens, NY, USA
| | - Alexandra Iskhakova
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of
New York, Queens, NY, USA
| | - Valentina Nikulina
- Psychology Department, The Graduate Center, City University
of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of
New York, Queens, NY, USA
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17
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Mahady A, Takac M, De Foe A. What is autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR)? A narrative review and comparative analysis of related phenomena. Conscious Cogn 2023; 109:103477. [PMID: 36806854 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2023.103477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
A narrative review of autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) was carried out. Definitional factors relevant to ASMR were canvassed. Related, but distinctly unique, sensorial phenomena, including frisson, synaesthesia, and misophonia were considered. Finally, the status of literature with respect to clinical outcomes, individual differences, and current research applications was evaluated. ASMR is a nascent phenomenon that has rapidly progressed in scope and depth of study throughout the past decade; a notable shift from brief-form studies to an increase in formalised trials is noted. Yet, critical questions remain unaddressed, including expectancy and placebo effects, that future research should interrogate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aidan Mahady
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Australia
| | - Marcel Takac
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Australia.
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18
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Duda AT, Clarke AR, De Blasio FM, Rout TW, Barry RJ. The Effects of Concentrative Meditation on the Electroencephalogram in Novice Meditators. Clin EEG Neurosci 2023; 54:130-140. [PMID: 34894805 DOI: 10.1177/15500594211065897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Following investigations into the benefits of meditation on psychological health and well-being, research is now seeking to understand the mechanisms underlying these outcomes. This study aimed to identify natural alpha and theta frequency components during eyes-closed resting and concentrative meditation states and examined their differences within and between two testing sessions. Novice meditators had their EEG recorded during eyes-closed resting and concentrative meditation conditions, before and after engaging in a brief daily concentrative meditation practice for approximately one-month. Separate frequency Principal Components Analyses (f-PCA) yielded four spectral components of interest, congruent between both conditions and sessions: Delta-Theta-Alpha, Low Alpha, High Alpha, and Alpha-Beta. While all four components showed some increase in the meditation condition at the second session, only Low Alpha (∼9.5-10.0 Hz) showed similar increases while resting. These findings support the use of f-PCA as a novel method of data analysis in the investigation of psychophysiological states in meditation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander T Duda
- Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and School of Psychology, 8691University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Adam R Clarke
- Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and School of Psychology, 8691University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Frances M De Blasio
- Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and School of Psychology, 8691University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Thomas W Rout
- Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and School of Psychology, 8691University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Robert J Barry
- Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and School of Psychology, 8691University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
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19
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Krishna D, Prasanna K, Angadi B, Singh BK, Anurag S, Deepeshwar S. Heartfulness Meditation Alters Electroencephalogram Oscillations: An Electroencephalogram Study. Int J Yoga 2022; 15:205-214. [PMID: 36949832 PMCID: PMC10026341 DOI: 10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_138_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Heartfulness meditation (HM) has been shown to have positive impacts on cognition and well-being, which makes it important to look into the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the phenomenon. Aim A cross-sectional study was conducted on HM meditators and nonmeditators to assess frontal electrical activities of the brain and self-reported anxiety and mindfulness. Settings and Design The present study employed a cross-sectional design. Methods Sixty-one participants were recruited, 28 heartfulness meditators (average age male: 31.54 ± 4.2 years and female: 30.04 ± 7.1 years) and 33 nonmeditators (average age male: 25 ± 8.5 years and female: 23.45 ± 6.5 years). An electroencephalogram (EEG) was employed to assess brain activity during baseline (5 min), meditation (10 min), transmission (10 min) and post (5 min). Self-reported mindfulness and anxiety were also collected in the present study. The EEG power spectral density (PSD) and coherence were processed using MATLAB. The statistical analysis was performed using an independent sample t-test for trait mindfulness and anxiety, repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) for state mindfulness and anxiety, and Two-way multivariate ANOVA for EEG spectral frequency and coherence. Results The results showed higher state and trait mindfulness, P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively, and lower state and trait anxiety, P < 0.05 and P < 0.05, respectively. The PSD outcomes showed higher theta (P < 0.001) and alpha (P < 0.01); lower beta (P < 0.001) and delta (P < 0.05) power in HM meditators compared to nonmeditators. Similarly, higher coherence was found in the theta (P < 0.01), alpha (P < 0.05), and beta (P < 0.01) bands in HM meditators. Conclusions These findings suggest that HM practice may result in wakeful relaxation and internalized attention that can influence cognition and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dwivedi Krishna
- Division of Yoga and Life Sciences, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | | | - Basavaraj Angadi
- Division of Yoga and Life Sciences, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Bikesh Kumar Singh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India
| | - Shrivastava Anurag
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India
| | - Singh Deepeshwar
- Division of Yoga and Life Sciences, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
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20
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Beyond mindfulness: Arousal-driven modulation of attentional control during arousal-based practices. CURRENT RESEARCH IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 3:100053. [PMID: 36246552 PMCID: PMC9559070 DOI: 10.1016/j.crneur.2022.100053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we report meditative techniques, which modulate attentional control by arousal-driven influences and not by monitoring continuous thought processes as during mindfulness-related practices. We focus on Vajrayana (Tantric Buddhism) practices, during which a sequence of generation (self-visualization as a deity - Yidam) or completion with sign (inner heat -Tummo) stages necessarily precedes non-dual awareness (NDA) Tantric Mahamudra. We compared the electrocardiographic and electroencephalographic correlates of Mahamudra performed after rest (non-Tantric Mahamudra) with Mahamudra performed after Yidam (Tantric Mahamudra) in 16 highly experienced Vajrayana practitioners, 10 of whom also performed Tummo. Both Yidam and Tummo developed the state of PNS withdrawal (arousal) and phasic alertness, as reflected by HF HRV decreases and Alpha2 power increases, later neurophysiologically employed in Tantric Mahamudra. The latter led to the unique state of high cortical excitability, “non-selective” focused attention, and significantly reduced attentional control, quantified by power reductions in all frequency bands, except Theta. In contrast, similar to mindfulness-related practices, non-Tantric Mahamudra was performed in a state of PNS dominance (relaxation), tonic alertness, and active monitoring, as suggested by Alpha1 power increases and less pronounced decreases in other frequency bands. A neurobiological model of meditation is proposed, differentiating arousal-based and mindfulness-related practices. Arousal-based meditations involve the state of PNS withdrawal and phasic alertness. Top-down control during arousal-based practices is modulated by arousal. Mindfulness-based practices involve the state of PNS dominance and tonic alertness. Top-down control during mindfulness-based practices is regulated by monitoring. NDA practices aim at non-selectivity of attention and reduction of top-down control.
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21
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Reece R, Bornioli A, Bray I, Newbutt N, Satenstein D, Alford C. Exposure to Green, Blue and Historic Environments and Mental Well-Being: A Comparison between Virtual Reality Head-Mounted Display and Flat Screen Exposure. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:9457. [PMID: 35954820 PMCID: PMC9368727 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Improving the mental health of urban residents is a global public health priority. This study builds on existing work that demonstrates the ability of virtual exposure to restorative environments to improve population mental health. It compares the restorative effects of green, blue and historic environments delivered by both flat screen and immersive virtual reality technology, and triangulates data from psychological, physiological and qualitative sources. Results from the subjective measure analyses showed that exposures to all the experimental videos were associated with self-reported reduced anxiety and improved mood, although the historic environment was associated with a smaller reduction of anxiety (p < 0.01). These results were supported by the qualitative accounts. For two of the electroencephalography (EEG) frequency bands, higher levels of activity were observed for historic environments. In relation to the mode of delivery, the subjective measures did not suggest any effect, while for the EEG analyses there was evidence of a significant effect of technology across three out of four frequency bands. In conclusion, this study adds to the evidence that the benefits of restorative environments can be delivered through virtual exposure and suggests that virtual reality may provide greater levels of immersion than flat screen viewing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Reece
- Centre for Public Health and Wellbeing, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK;
| | - Anna Bornioli
- Erasmus Centre for Urban, Port and Transport Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, 3062 PA Rotterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Isabelle Bray
- Centre for Public Health and Wellbeing, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK;
| | - Nigel Newbutt
- College of Education, School of Teaching and Learning, Institute of Advanced Learning Technologies, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
| | - David Satenstein
- Department of Education and Childhood, Faculty of Arts, Creative Industries and Education, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK;
| | - Chris Alford
- Psychological Sciences Research Group, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK;
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Kim J. Exploring a counselling frame based on buddhist ontological soteriology, rooted in the four noble truths. ASIA PACIFIC JOURNAL OF COUNSELLING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/21507686.2022.2104888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeongil Kim
- Autism & Developmental Disabilities, Director, Lotus Flowers Children Center, Nam-gu, Korea (ROK)
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23
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Ken Tanaka G, Russell TA, Bittencourt J, Marinho V, Teixeira S, Hugo Bastos V, Gongora M, Ramim M, Budde H, Aprigio D, Fernando Basile L, Cagy M, Ribeiro P, Gupta DS, Velasques B. Open monitoring meditation alters the EEG gamma coherence in experts meditators: The expert practice exhibit greater right intra-hemispheric functional coupling. Conscious Cogn 2022; 102:103354. [PMID: 35636352 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2022.103354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
AIM This study investigated the differences in frontoparietal EEG gamma coherence between expert meditators (EM) and naïve meditators (NM). MATERIAL AND METHODS This is a cross-sectional study with a sample of twenty-one healthy adults divided under two groups (experts meditators vs. naive-meditators), with analyzing the intra-hemispheric coherence of frontoparietal gamma oscillations by electroencephalography during the study steps: EEG resting-state 1, during the open presence meditation practice, and EEG resting-state 2. RESULTS The findings demonstrated greater frontoparietal EEG coherence in gamma for experts meditators in the Fp1-P3, F4-P4, F8-P4 electrode pairs during rest 1 and rest 2 (p ≤ 0.0083). In addition, we evidenced differences in the frontoparietal EEG coherence for expert meditators in F4-P4, F8-P4 during the meditation (p ≤ 0.0083). CONCLUSION Our results can support evidence that the connectivity of the right frontoparietal network acts as a biomarker of the enhanced Open monitoring meditation training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guaraci Ken Tanaka
- Brain Mapping and Sensory Motor Integration Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Institute of Applied Neuroscience, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Mente Aberta, Brazilian Center for Mindfulness and Health Promotion, Federal University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tamara A Russell
- Neuroimaging Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience of King's College, London, UK
| | - Juliana Bittencourt
- Institute of Applied Neuroscience, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Veiga de Almeida University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Victor Marinho
- Neuro-innovation Technology & Brain Mapping Laboratory, Federal University of Delta do Parnaíba, Parnaíba, Brazil.
| | - Silmar Teixeira
- Neuro-innovation Technology & Brain Mapping Laboratory, Federal University of Delta do Parnaíba, Parnaíba, Brazil
| | - Victor Hugo Bastos
- Brain Mapping and Functionality Laboratory, Federal University of Delta do Parnaíba, Brazil
| | - Mariana Gongora
- Brain Mapping and Sensory Motor Integration Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Maria Ramim
- Brain Mapping and Sensory Motor Integration Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Institute of Applied Neuroscience, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Henning Budde
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Danielle Aprigio
- Brain Mapping and Sensory Motor Integration Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Institute of Applied Neuroscience, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Mauricio Cagy
- Biomedical Engineering Program, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Pedro Ribeiro
- Brain Mapping and Sensory Motor Integration Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Institute of Applied Neuroscience, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Bioscience Department, School of Physical Education of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Daya S Gupta
- College of Science and Humanities, College of Health and Pharmacy, Husson University, Bangor, USA
| | - Bruna Velasques
- Brain Mapping and Sensory Motor Integration Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Institute of Applied Neuroscience, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Bioscience Department, School of Physical Education of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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24
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Jones P. Mindfulness and Nondual Well-Being – What is the Evidence that We Can Stay Happy? REVIEW OF GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/10892680221093013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Research into subjective well-being (SWB) focuses on conducive life conditions, healthy cognitive-affective processes and adaptive behaviours, however, in this model, well-being fluctuates based on changing mental and physical phenomena. This inquiry explores the possibility that we can have a nondual experience of well-being that is unaffected by such movements and investigates if the literature supports this. The assertion in traditional mindfulness that the sense of self is constructed and responsible for such fluctuations is explored, along with what evidence there is that mindfulness practices deliver relevant cognitive and behavioural correlates associated with such a way of being. Proposed preconditions include (a) nondual awareness or the perception of no-self; (b) increased positive affect, decreased negative affect, and increased self-lessness; (c) increased capacity to maintain (or protect) well-being including heightened emotional self-regulation and resilience to aversive stimuli. Research findings provide some evidence that the sense of self can be both constructed and deconstructed, and that mindfulness training may target psychological dimensions that could contribute to an experience of well-being that transcends the impact of life conditions. Recommendations are made for a collaborative relationship between SWB research and mindfulness to expand the inquiry into possible causes and conditions of ‘nondual well-being’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Jones
- College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education (SHEE), Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
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25
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Paoletti P, Leshem R, Pellegrino M, Ben-Soussan TD. Tackling the Electro-Topography of the Selves Through the Sphere Model of Consciousness. Front Psychol 2022; 13:836290. [PMID: 35664179 PMCID: PMC9161303 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.836290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the current hypothesis paper, we propose a novel examination of consciousness and self-awareness through the neuro-phenomenological theoretical model known as the Sphere Model of Consciousness (SMC). Our aim is to create a practical instrument to address several methodological issues in consciousness research. We present a preliminary attempt to validate the SMC via a simplified electrophysiological topographic map of the Self. This map depicts the gradual shift from faster to slower frequency bands that appears to mirror the dynamic between the various SMC states of Self. In order to explore our hypothesis that the SMC's different states of Self correspond to specific frequency bands, we present a mini-review of studies examining the electrophysiological activity that occurs within the different states of Self and in the context of specific meditation types. The theoretical argument presented here is that the SMC's hierarchical organization of three states of the Self mirrors the hierarchical organization of Focused Attention, Open Monitoring, and Non-Dual meditation types. This is followed by testable predictions and potential applications of the SMC and the hypotheses derived from it. To our knowledge, this is the first integrated electrophysiological account that combines types of Self and meditation practices. We suggest this electro-topographic framework of the Selves enables easier, clearer conceptualization of the connections between meditation types as well as increased understanding of wakefulness states and altered states of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrizio Paoletti
- Research Institute for Neuroscience, Education and Didactics, Patrizio Paoletti Foundation, Assisi, Italy
| | - Rotem Leshem
- Department of Criminology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Michele Pellegrino
- Research Institute for Neuroscience, Education and Didactics, Patrizio Paoletti Foundation, Assisi, Italy
| | - Tal Dotan Ben-Soussan
- Research Institute for Neuroscience, Education and Didactics, Patrizio Paoletti Foundation, Assisi, Italy
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26
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Mannekote Thippaiah S, Pradhan B, Voyiaziakis E, Shetty R, Iyengar S, Olson C, Tang YY. Possible Role of Parvalbumin Interneurons in Meditation and Psychiatric Illness. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 2022; 34:113-123. [PMID: 35040663 DOI: 10.1176/appi.neuropsych.21050136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Parvalbumin (PV) interneurons are present in multiple brain regions and produce complex influences on brain functioning. An increasing number of research findings indicate that the function of these interneurons is more complex than solely to inhibit pyramidal neurons in the cortex. They generate feedback and feedforward inhibition of cortical neurons, and they are critically involved in the generation of neuronal network oscillation. These oscillations, generated by various brain regions, are linked to perceptions, thought processes, and cognitive functions, all of which, in turn, influence human emotions and behavior. Both animal and human studies consistently have found that meditation practice results in enhancement in the effects of alpha-, theta-, and gamma-frequency oscillations, which may correspond to positive changes in cognition, emotion, conscious awareness, and, subsequently, behavior. Although the study of meditation has moved into mainstream neuroscience research, the link between PV interneurons and any role they might play in meditative states remains elusive. This article is focused primarily on gamma-frequency oscillation, which is generated by PV interneurons, to develop insight and perspective into the role of PV interneurons in meditation. This article also points to new and emerging directions that address whether this role of PV interneurons in meditation extends to a beneficial, and potentially therapeutic, role in the treatment of common psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srinagesh Mannekote Thippaiah
- Department of Psychiatry, Valleywise Behavioral Health Center, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Phoenix (Mannekote Thippaiah, Olson); Division of Neuromodulation and Integrative Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Cooper Medical School, Rowan University, Camden, N.J. (Pradhan); Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine, Hofstra/Northwell, Glen Oaks, N.Y. (Voyiaziakis); Department of Neuroscience, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (Shetty); American Museum of Natural History, New York (Iyengar); Psychiatry Division, District Medical Group, Phoenix (Olson); and College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe (Tang)
| | - Basant Pradhan
- Department of Psychiatry, Valleywise Behavioral Health Center, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Phoenix (Mannekote Thippaiah, Olson); Division of Neuromodulation and Integrative Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Cooper Medical School, Rowan University, Camden, N.J. (Pradhan); Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine, Hofstra/Northwell, Glen Oaks, N.Y. (Voyiaziakis); Department of Neuroscience, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (Shetty); American Museum of Natural History, New York (Iyengar); Psychiatry Division, District Medical Group, Phoenix (Olson); and College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe (Tang)
| | - Emanuel Voyiaziakis
- Department of Psychiatry, Valleywise Behavioral Health Center, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Phoenix (Mannekote Thippaiah, Olson); Division of Neuromodulation and Integrative Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Cooper Medical School, Rowan University, Camden, N.J. (Pradhan); Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine, Hofstra/Northwell, Glen Oaks, N.Y. (Voyiaziakis); Department of Neuroscience, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (Shetty); American Museum of Natural History, New York (Iyengar); Psychiatry Division, District Medical Group, Phoenix (Olson); and College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe (Tang)
| | - Rashika Shetty
- Department of Psychiatry, Valleywise Behavioral Health Center, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Phoenix (Mannekote Thippaiah, Olson); Division of Neuromodulation and Integrative Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Cooper Medical School, Rowan University, Camden, N.J. (Pradhan); Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine, Hofstra/Northwell, Glen Oaks, N.Y. (Voyiaziakis); Department of Neuroscience, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (Shetty); American Museum of Natural History, New York (Iyengar); Psychiatry Division, District Medical Group, Phoenix (Olson); and College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe (Tang)
| | - Sloka Iyengar
- Department of Psychiatry, Valleywise Behavioral Health Center, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Phoenix (Mannekote Thippaiah, Olson); Division of Neuromodulation and Integrative Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Cooper Medical School, Rowan University, Camden, N.J. (Pradhan); Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine, Hofstra/Northwell, Glen Oaks, N.Y. (Voyiaziakis); Department of Neuroscience, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (Shetty); American Museum of Natural History, New York (Iyengar); Psychiatry Division, District Medical Group, Phoenix (Olson); and College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe (Tang)
| | - Carol Olson
- Department of Psychiatry, Valleywise Behavioral Health Center, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Phoenix (Mannekote Thippaiah, Olson); Division of Neuromodulation and Integrative Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Cooper Medical School, Rowan University, Camden, N.J. (Pradhan); Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine, Hofstra/Northwell, Glen Oaks, N.Y. (Voyiaziakis); Department of Neuroscience, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (Shetty); American Museum of Natural History, New York (Iyengar); Psychiatry Division, District Medical Group, Phoenix (Olson); and College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe (Tang)
| | - Yi-Yuan Tang
- Department of Psychiatry, Valleywise Behavioral Health Center, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Phoenix (Mannekote Thippaiah, Olson); Division of Neuromodulation and Integrative Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Cooper Medical School, Rowan University, Camden, N.J. (Pradhan); Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine, Hofstra/Northwell, Glen Oaks, N.Y. (Voyiaziakis); Department of Neuroscience, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (Shetty); American Museum of Natural History, New York (Iyengar); Psychiatry Division, District Medical Group, Phoenix (Olson); and College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe (Tang)
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27
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Revisiting consciousness: Distinguishing between states of conscious focused attention and mind wandering with EEG. Conscious Cogn 2022; 101:103332. [PMID: 35453102 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2022.103332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Fluctuating between external conscious processing and mind wandering is inherent to the human condition. Past research showed that in tasks requiring sustained attention, mind wandering episodes in which attention is directed internally constrain conscious processing of external stimuli. Conversely, conscious processing of internal stimuli is enhanced during mind wandering. To investigate this, we developed and administered a visuomotor tracking task in which participants were instructed to track the path of a stimulus on a screen with a mouse while responding to rare targets. Prior to reports of mind wandering we found the following: The P3 event-related potential component for targets, indicative of conscious stimulus processing, was attenuated at electrodes Cz and Pz. Moreover, alpha power, indicative of internal mental states, increased globally. Theta power increased along the centroparietal area, and beta decreased along right frontal and right centroparietal areas. Interestingly, trait mind wandering was positively correlated with delta power and gamma power, but negatively correlated with the theta-beta ratio. These results demonstrate that mind wandering is characterized by distinct neural signatures at both a state and trait level.
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28
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Fucci E, Poublan-Couzardot A, Abdoun O, Lutz A. No effect of focused attention and open monitoring meditation on EEG auditory mismatch negativity in expert and novice practitioners. Int J Psychophysiol 2022; 176:62-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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29
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Guo X, Wang M, Wang X, Guo M, Xue T, Wang Z, Li H, Xu T, He B, Cui D, Tong S. Progressive Increase of High-Frequency EEG Oscillations during Meditation is Associated with its Trait Effects on Heart Rate and Proteomics: A Study on the Tibetan Buddhist. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:3865-3877. [PMID: 34974617 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Meditation has been a spiritual and healing practice in the East for thousands of years. However, the neurophysiologic mechanisms underlying its traditional form remain unclear. In this study, we recruited a large sample of monks (n = 73) who practice Tibetan Buddhist meditation and compared with meditation-naive local controls (n = 30). Their electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiogram signals were simultaneously recorded and blood samples were collected to investigate the integrative effects of Tibetan Buddhist on brain, heart, and proteomics. We found that the EEG activities in monks shifted to a higher frequency from resting to meditation. Meditation starts with decrease of the (pre)frontal delta activity and increase of the (pre)frontal high beta and gamma activity; while at the deep meditative state, the posterior high-frequency activity was also increased, and could be specified as a biomarker for the deep meditation. The state increase of posterior high-frequency EEG activity was significantly correlated with the trait effects on heart rate and nueropilin-1 in monks, with the source of brain-heart correlation mainly locating in the attention and emotion networks. Our study revealed that the effects of Tibetan Buddhist meditation on brain, heart, and proteomics were highly correlated, demonstrating meditation as an integrative body-mind training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Guo
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Meiyun Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xu Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Menglin Guo
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ting Xue
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhuo Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Han Li
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai, China
| | - Tianjiao Xu
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin He
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA.,Center for Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Donghong Cui
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai, China
| | - Shanbao Tong
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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30
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Volodina M, Smetanin N, Lebedev M, Ossadtchi A. Cortical and autonomic responses during staged Taoist meditation: Two distinct meditation strategies. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260626. [PMID: 34855823 PMCID: PMC8638869 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Meditation is a consciousness state associated with specific physiological and neural correlates. Numerous investigations of these correlates reported controversial results which prevented a consistent depiction of the underlying neurophysiological processes. Here we investigated the dynamics of multiple neurophysiological indicators during a staged meditation session. We measured the physiological changes at rest and during the guided Taoist meditation in experienced meditators and naive subjects. We recorded EEG, respiration, galvanic skin response, and photoplethysmography. All subjects followed the same instructions split into 16 stages. In the experienced meditators group we identified two subgroups with different physiological markers dynamics. One subgroup showed several signs of general relaxation evident from the changes in heart rate variability, respiratory rate, and EEG rhythmic activity. The other subgroup exhibited mind concentration patterns primarily noticeable in the EEG recordings while no autonomic responses occurred. The duration and type of previous meditation experience or any baseline indicators we measured did not explain the segregation of the meditators into these two groups. These results suggest that two distinct meditation strategies could be used by experienced meditators, which partly explains the inconsistent results reported in the earlier studies evaluating meditation effects. Our findings are also relevant to the development of the high-end biofeedback systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Volodina
- Center for Bioelectric Interfaces, HSE University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nikolai Smetanin
- Center for Bioelectric Interfaces, HSE University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Mikhail Lebedev
- Center for Bioelectric Interfaces, HSE University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexei Ossadtchi
- Center for Bioelectric Interfaces, HSE University, Moscow, Russia
- Artificial intelligence Research Institute, Moscow, Russia
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31
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Kumar GP, Sharma K, Ramakrishnan AG, Adarsh A. Increased Entropy of Gamma Oscillations in the Frontal Region during Meditation. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2021; 2021:787-790. [PMID: 34891408 DOI: 10.1109/embc46164.2021.9629633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Meditation practices are considered mental training and have increasingly received attention from the scientific community due to their potential psychological and physical health benefits. We compared the EEG data recorded from long-term rajayoga practitioners during different meditative and non-meditative periods. Minimum variance modified fuzzy entropy (MVMFE) is computed for each EEG band for all channels of a given lobe. The means across all the channel entropy values were obtained and compared during meditative and non-meditative states. Meditators showed higher frontal entropy in the lower gamma band (25-45Hz) during the meditative states. Independent component analysis was applied to ensure that muscle or eye artifacts did not contribute to the gamma activity. Our results extend previous findings on the changes in entropy observed in long-term meditators during rajayoga practice. Gamma band in EEG is implicated in cognitive processes requiring high-level processing such as attention, learning, memory control, and retrieval. Gamma activity is also suggested as a potential biomarker for therapeutic progress in patients with clinical depression. Based on our findings, there is an excellent possibility to utilize the practice of meditation as a training tool to strengthen the neural circuits, where age-related degeneration is making its pathological impact.
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32
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Ng HYH, Wu CW, Huang FY, Cheng YT, Guu SF, Huang CM, Hsu CF, Chao YP, Jung TP, Chuang CH. Mindfulness Training Associated With Resting-State Electroencephalograms Dynamics in Novice Practitioners via Mindful Breathing and Body-Scan. Front Psychol 2021; 12:748584. [PMID: 34777144 PMCID: PMC8581621 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.748584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: Mindfulness-based stress reduction has been proven to improve mental health and quality of life. This study examined how mindfulness training and various types of mindfulness practices altered brain activity. Methods: Specifically, the spectral powers of scalp electroencephalography of the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) group (n=17) who underwent an 8-week MBSR training-including mindful breathing and body-scan-were evaluated and compared with those of the waitlist controls (n=14). Results: Empirical results indicated that the post-intervention effect of MBSR significantly elevated the resting-state beta powers and reduced resting-state delta powers in both practices; such changes were not observed in the waitlist control. Compared with mindful breathing, body-scanning resulted in an overall decline in electroencephalograms (EEG) spectral powers at both delta and low-gamma bands among trained participants. Conclusion: Together with our preliminary data of expert mediators, the aforementioned spectral changes were salient after intervention, but mitigated along with expertise. Additionally, after receiving training, the MBSR group's mindfulness and emotion regulation levels improved significantly, which were correlated with the EEG spectral changes in the theta, alpha, and low-beta bands. The results supported that MBSR might function as a unique internal processing tool that involves increased vigilant capability and induces alterations similar to other cognitive training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hei-Yin Hydra Ng
- Research Center for Education and Mind Sciences, College of Education, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, College of Education, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Changwei W. Wu
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Brain and Consciousness Research Center, Shuang Ho Hospital-Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Feng-Ying Huang
- Department of Education, National Taipei University of Education, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ting Cheng
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shiao-Fei Guu
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Mao Huang
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Center for Intelligent Drug Systems and Smart Bio-devices (IDS2B), National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Fen Hsu
- Graduate Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ping Chao
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Tzyy-Ping Jung
- Research Center for Education and Mind Sciences, College of Education, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Institute for Neural Computation and Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Chun-Hsiang Chuang
- Research Center for Education and Mind Sciences, College of Education, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
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33
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Calvetti D, Johnson B, Pascarella A, Pitolli F, Somersalo E, Vantaggi B. Mining the Mind: Linear Discriminant Analysis of MEG Source Reconstruction Time Series Supports Dynamic Changes in Deep Brain Regions During Meditation Sessions. Brain Topogr 2021; 34:840-862. [PMID: 34652578 PMCID: PMC8556220 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-021-00874-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Meditation practices have been claimed to have a positive effect on the regulation of mood and emotions for quite some time by practitioners, and in recent times there has been a sustained effort to provide a more precise description of the influence of meditation on the human brain. Longitudinal studies have reported morphological changes in cortical thickness and volume in selected brain regions due to meditation practice, which is interpreted as an evidence its effectiveness beyond the subjective self reporting. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG) or electroencephalography to quantify the changes in brain activity during meditation practice represents a challenge, as no clear hypothesis about the spatial or temporal pattern of such changes is available to date. In this article we consider MEG data collected during meditation sessions of experienced Buddhist monks practicing focused attention (Samatha) and open monitoring (Vipassana) meditation, contrasted by resting state with eyes closed. The MEG data are first mapped to time series of brain activity averaged over brain regions corresponding to a standard Destrieux brain atlas. Next, by bootstrapping and spectral analysis, the data are mapped to matrices representing random samples of power spectral densities in [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] frequency bands. We use linear discriminant analysis to demonstrate that the samples corresponding to different meditative or resting states contain enough fingerprints of the brain state to allow a separation between different states, and we identify the brain regions that appear to contribute to the separation. Our findings suggest that the cingulate cortex, insular cortex and some of the internal structures, most notably the accumbens, the caudate and the putamen nuclei, the thalamus and the amygdalae stand out as separating regions, which seems to correlate well with earlier findings based on longitudinal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Calvetti
- Department of Mathematics, Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Brian Johnson
- Department of Mathematics, Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Annalisa Pascarella
- Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo "Mauro Picone" - CNR, Via dei Taurini 19, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Pitolli
- Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Via Scarpa 16, 00161, Rome, Italy.
| | - Erkki Somersalo
- Department of Mathematics, Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Barbara Vantaggi
- Department MEMOTEF, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Via del Castro Laurenziano 9, 00161, Rome, Italy
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Matiz A, Crescentini C, Bergamasco M, Budai R, Fabbro F. Inter-brain co-activations during mindfulness meditation. Implications for devotional and clinical settings. Conscious Cogn 2021; 95:103210. [PMID: 34562699 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2021.103210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Mindfulness meditation usually takes place as personal, introspective activity. It is not known if this practice activates the brain differently when done alone or with someone else. Sixteen couples of expert meditators performed mindfulness-oriented meditation (MOM) and instructed mind-wandering (IMW) tasks in two conditions: once sitting in the same room (SR) and once in two different rooms (DR). Spontaneous electroencephalographic (EEG) data was collected during 7-minute recording sessions in the four experimental settings (MOM/SR, MOM/DR, IMW/SR, IMW/DR). Power in band was computed in separate clusters of independent components of the EEG signals. In addition to significant task effects, found in frontolimbic (MOM > IMW in gamma) and frontoparietal locations (MOM < IMW in theta), significant condition effects were found in frontal (SR > DR in delta) and in temporo-occipital regions (SR > DR in theta and alpha). Moreover, a significant interaction between task and condition revealed higher gamma activity in limbic areas during MOM/SR vs. MOM/DR settings. This effect was not attributable to gender, age nor the meditation expertise of participants. We thus show that the brains of two people work differently when they are doing something together or alone; some of these differences are specific to mindfulness meditation. Implications for devotional and clinical settings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Matiz
- Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine, Italy; Perceptual Robotics (PERCRO) Laboratory, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Cristiano Crescentini
- Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
| | - Massimo Bergamasco
- Perceptual Robotics (PERCRO) Laboratory, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Riccardo Budai
- Department of Neuroscience, University-Hospital "S. Maria della Misericordia", Udine, Italy.
| | - Franco Fabbro
- Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine, Italy; Perceptual Robotics (PERCRO) Laboratory, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy.
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Zhang Y, Zhang L, Hua H, Jin J, Zhu L, Shu L, Xu X, Kuang F, Liu Y. Relaxation Degree Analysis Using Frontal Electroencephalogram Under Virtual Reality Relaxation Scenes. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:719869. [PMID: 34630012 PMCID: PMC8500181 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.719869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing social pressure enhances the psychological burden on individuals, and the severity of depression can no longer be ignored. The characteristics of high immersion and interactivity enhance virtual reality (VR) application in psychological therapy. Many studies have verified the effectiveness of VR relaxation therapy, although a few have performed a quantitative study on relaxation state (R-state). To confirm the effectiveness of VR relaxation and quantitatively assess relaxation, this study confirmed the effectiveness of the VR sightseeing relaxation scenes using subjective emotion scale and objective electroencephalogram (EEG) data from college students. Moreover, some EEG features with significant consistent differences after they watched the VR scenes were detected including the energy ratio of the alpha wave, gamma wave, and differential asymmetry. An R-state regression model was then built using the model stacking method for optimization, of which random forest regression, AdaBoost, gradient boosting (GB), and light GB were adopted as the first level, while linear regression and support vector machine were applied at the second level. The leave-one-subject-out method for cross-validation was used to evaluate the results, where the mean accuracy of the framework achieved 81.46%. The significantly changed features and the R-state model with over 80% accuracy have laid a foundation for further research on relaxation interaction systems. Moreover, the VR relaxation therapy was applied to the clinical treatment of patients with depression and achieved preliminary good results, which might provide a possible method for non-drug treatment of patients with depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zhang
- School of Electronic and Information Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lulu Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haoqiang Hua
- School of Electronic and Information Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianxiu Jin
- School of Electronic and Information Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lingqing Zhu
- School of Electronic and Information Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lin Shu
- School of Electronic and Information Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiangmin Xu
- School of Electronic and Information Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Zhongshan Institute of Modern Industrial Technology of South China University of Technology, Zhongshan, China
| | - Feng Kuang
- School of Electronic and Information Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yunhe Liu
- School of Electronic and Information Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
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Young JH, Arterberry ME, Martin JP. Contrasting Electroencephalography-Derived Entropy and Neural Oscillations With Highly Skilled Meditators. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:628417. [PMID: 33994976 PMCID: PMC8119624 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.628417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Meditation is an umbrella term for a number of mental training practices designed to improve the monitoring and regulation of attention and emotion. Some forms of meditation are now being used for clinical intervention. To accompany the increased clinical interest in meditation, research investigating the neural basis of these practices is needed. A central hypothesis of contemplative neuroscience is that meditative states, which are unique on a phenomenological level, differ on a neurophysiological level. To identify the electrophysiological correlates of meditation practice, the electrical brain activity of highly skilled meditators engaging in one of six meditation styles (shamatha, vipassana, zazen, dzogchen, tonglen, and visualization) was recorded. A mind-wandering task served as a control. Lempel-Ziv complexity showed differences in nonlinear brain dynamics (entropy) during meditation compared with mind wandering, suggesting that meditation, regardless of practice, affects neural complexity. In contrast, there were no differences in power spectra at six different frequency bands, likely due to the fact that participants engaged in different meditation practices. Finally, exploratory analyses suggest neurological differences among meditation practices. These findings highlight the importance of studying the electroencephalography (EEG) correlates of different meditative practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob H. Young
- Department of Biology, Colby College, Waterville, ME, United States
- Department of Psychology, Colby College, Waterville, ME, United States
| | | | - Joshua P. Martin
- Department of Biology, Colby College, Waterville, ME, United States
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Li Y, Yang N, Zhang Y, Xu W, Cai L. The Relationship Among Trait Mindfulness, Attention, and Working Memory in Junior School Students Under Different Stressful Situations. Front Psychol 2021; 12:558690. [PMID: 33737892 PMCID: PMC7960675 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.558690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention and working memory are important cognitive functions that affect junior school students’ learning ability and academic performance. This study aimed to explore the relationships among trait mindfulness, attention, and working memory and to explore differences in performance between a high trait mindfulness group and a low one in attention and working memory under different stressful situations. In study 1, 216 junior school students completed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), and their attention and working memory were tested in a non-pressure situation. The results showed that attention had a partial mediating effect between mindfulness and working memory. In study 2, the high trait mindfulness group and the low one were tested for attention and working memory under situations with single and multiple pressures. One notable result was that the attention and working memory performances of the high mindfulness group were all significantly higher than those of the low mindfulness group in every stress situation (no stress, single stress, and multiple stresses). Other important results were that trait mindfulness moderates the relationship between stress and attention and between stress and working memory. These results suggest that trait mindfulness has a protective effect in the process by which various stresses affect attention and working memory. These findings indicate that trait mindfulness is an important psychological quality that affects the attention and working memory of junior school students, and it is also an important psychological resource for effectively coping with the impact of stress on attention and working memory. Therefore, it is possible that improving trait mindfulness may help to improve junior school students’ attention and working memory and enable them to cope better with stress, thereby helping to improve academic performance. This research is of great significance for understanding the association between key psychological qualities and cognitive functions in different stressful situations. These findings also provide insight for future studies in educational psychology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuntao Li
- Psychological Education and Counselling Centre, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, China
| | - Ningxi Yang
- Department of Applied Psychology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Applied Psychology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Li Cai
- Department of Applied Psychology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, China
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Huels ER, Kim H, Lee U, Bel-Bahar T, Colmenero AV, Nelson A, Blain-Moraes S, Mashour GA, Harris RE. Neural Correlates of the Shamanic State of Consciousness. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:610466. [PMID: 33815077 PMCID: PMC8012721 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.610466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychedelics have been recognized as model interventions for studying altered states of consciousness. However, few empirical studies of the shamanic state of consciousness, which is anecdotally similar to the psychedelic state, exist. We investigated the neural correlates of shamanic trance using high-density electroencephalography (EEG) in 24 shamanic practitioners and 24 healthy controls during rest, shamanic drumming, and classical music listening, followed by an assessment of altered states of consciousness. EEG data were used to assess changes in absolute power, connectivity, signal diversity, and criticality, which were correlated with assessment measures. We also compared assessment scores to those of individuals in a previous study under the influence of psychedelics. Shamanic practitioners were significantly different from controls in several domains of altered states of consciousness, with scores comparable to or exceeding that of healthy volunteers under the influence of psychedelics. Practitioners also displayed increased gamma power during drumming that positively correlated with elementary visual alterations. Furthermore, shamanic practitioners had decreased low alpha and increased low beta connectivity during drumming and classical music and decreased neural signal diversity in the gamma band during drumming that inversely correlated with insightfulness. Finally, criticality in practitioners was increased during drumming in the low and high beta and gamma bands, with increases in the low beta band correlating with complex imagery and elementary visual alterations. These findings suggest that psychedelic drug-induced and non-pharmacologic alterations in consciousness have overlapping phenomenal traits but are distinct states of consciousness, as reflected by the unique brain-related changes during shamanic trance compared to previous literature investigating the psychedelic state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma R. Huels
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Hyoungkyu Kim
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - UnCheol Lee
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Tarik Bel-Bahar
- Division of Translational Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Angelo V. Colmenero
- The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Amanda Nelson
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Stefanie Blain-Moraes
- School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - George A. Mashour
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Richard E. Harris
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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Kora P, Meenakshi K, Swaraja K, Rajani A, Raju MS. EEG based interpretation of human brain activity during yoga and meditation using machine learning: A systematic review. Complement Ther Clin Pract 2021; 43:101329. [PMID: 33618287 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The present investigation is to study the impact of yoga and meditation on Brain waves concerning physical and mental health. There are mainly three stages (steps) in the brain wave classification:(i) preprocessing, ii) feature extraction, and iii) classification. This work provides a review of interpretation methods of Brain signals (Electroencephalogram (EEG)) EEG during yoga and meditation. Past research has revealed significant mental and physical advantages with yoga and meditation. METHODS The research topic reviewed focused on the machine learning strategies applied for the interpretation of brain waves. In addressing the research questions highlighted earlier in the general introduction, we conducted a systematic search of articles from targeted scientific and journal online databases that included PubMed, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore Digital Library (IEEE), and Arxiv databases based on their relevance to the research questions and domain topic. The survey topic is relatively nascent, and therefore, the scope of the search period was limited to the 20-year timeline that was deemed representative of the research topic under investigation. The literature search was based on the keywords "EEG", "yoga*" and "meditation*". The key phrases were concatenated using Boolean expressions and applied to search through the selected online databases yielding a total of 120 articles. The online databases were selected based on the relevancy of content with the research title, research questions, and the domain application. The literature review search, process, and classification were carefully conducted guided by two defined measures; 1.) Inclusion criteria; and 2.) Exclusion criteria. These measures define the criteria for searching and extracting relevant articles relating to the research title and domain of interest. RESULTS Our literature search and review indicate a broad spectrum of neural mechanics under a variety of meditation styles have been investigated. A detailed analysis of various mental states using Zen, CHAN, mindfulness, TM, Rajayoga, Kundalini, Yoga, and other meditation styles have been described by means of EEG bands. Classification of mental states using KNN, SVM, Random forest, Fuzzy logic, neural networks, Convolutional Neural Networks has been described. Superior research is still required to classify the EEG signatures corresponding to different mental states. CONCLUSIONS Yoga practice may be an effective adjunctive treatment for a clinical and aging population. Advanced research can examine the effects of specific branches of yoga on a designated clinical grouping. Yoga and meditation increased overall healthy brain activity.
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Travis F. On the Neurobiology of Meditation: Comparison of Three Organizing Strategies to Investigate Brain Patterns during Meditation Practice. Medicina (B Aires) 2020; 56:medicina56120712. [PMID: 33353049 PMCID: PMC7767117 DOI: 10.3390/medicina56120712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Three broad organizing strategies have been used to study meditation practices: (1) consider meditation practices as using similar processes and so combine neural images across a wide range of practices to identify the common underlying brain patterns of meditation practice, (2) consider meditation practices as unique and so investigate individual practices, or (3) consider meditation practices as fitting into larger categories and explore brain patterns within and between categories. The first organizing strategy combines meditation practices defined as deep concentration, attention to external and internal stimuli, and letting go of thoughts. Brain patterns of different procedures would all contribute to the final averages, which may not be representative of any practice. The second organizing strategy generates a multitude of brain patterns as each practice is studied individually. The rich detail of individual differences within each practice makes it difficult to identify reliable patterns between practices. The third organizing principle has been applied in three ways: (1) grouping meditations by their origin—Indian or Buddhist practices, (2) grouping meditations by the procedures of each practice, or (3) grouping meditations by brain wave frequencies reported during each practice. Grouping meditations by their origin mixes practices whose procedures include concentration, mindfulness, or effortless awareness, again resulting in a confounded pattern. Grouping meditations by their described procedures yields defining neural imaging patterns within each category, and clear differences between categories. Grouping meditations by the EEG frequencies associated with their procedures yields an objective system to group meditations and allows practices to “move” into different categories as subjects’ meditation experiences change over time, which would be associated with different brain patterns. Exploring meditations within theoretically meaningful categories appears to yield the most reliable picture of meditation practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick Travis
- Center for Brain, Consciousness and Cognition, Maharishi International University, Fairfield, IA 52557, USA
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Rodriguez-Larios J, Alaerts K. EEG alpha-theta dynamics during mind wandering in the context of breath focus meditation: An experience sampling approach with novice meditation practitioners. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 53:1855-1868. [PMID: 33289167 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Meditation practice entails moments of distraction dominated by self-generated thoughts (i.e. mind wandering). Initial studies assessing the neural correlates of mind wandering in the context of meditation practice have identified an important role of theta (4-8 Hz) and alpha (8-14 Hz) neural oscillations. In this study, we use a probe-caught experience sampling paradigm to assess spectral changes in the theta-alpha frequency range during mind wandering in the context of breath focus meditation. Electroencephalography (EEG) was measured in 25 novice meditation practitioners during a breath focus task in which they were repeatedly probed to report whether they were focusing on their breath or thinking about something else. Mind wandering episodes were associated with an increase in the amplitude and a decrease in the frequency of theta (4-8 Hz) oscillations. Conversely, alpha oscillations (8-14 Hz) were shown to decrease in amplitude and increase in frequency during mind wandering relative to breath focus. In addition, mind wandering episodes were shown to be accompanied by increased harmonicity and phase synchrony between alpha and theta rhythms. Because similar spectral changes in the theta-alpha frequency range have been reported during controlled cognitive processes involving memory and executive control, we speculate that mind wandering and controlled processes could share some neurocognitive mechanisms. From a translational perspective, this study indicates that oscillatory activity in the theta-alpha frequency range could form adequate parameters for developing EEG-neurofeedback protocols aimed at facilitating the detection of mind wandering during meditation practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio Rodriguez-Larios
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, University of Leuven, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kaat Alaerts
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, University of Leuven, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Kajimura S, Masuda N, Lau JKL, Murayama K. Focused attention meditation changes the boundary and configuration of functional networks in the brain. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18426. [PMID: 33116216 PMCID: PMC7595086 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75396-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Research has shown that focused attention meditation not only improves our cognitive and motivational functioning (e.g., attention, mental health), it influences the way our brain networks [e.g., default mode network (DMN), fronto-parietal network (FPN), and sensory-motor network (SMN)] function and operate. However, surprisingly little attention has been paid to the possibility that meditation alters the architecture (composition) of these functional brain networks. Here, using a single-case experimental design with intensive longitudinal data, we examined the effect of mediation practice on intra-individual changes in the composition of whole-brain networks. The results showed that meditation (1) changed the community size (with a number of regions in the FPN being merged into the DMN after meditation) and (2) led to instability in the community allegiance of the regions in the FPN. These results suggest that, in addition to altering specific functional connectivity, meditation leads to reconfiguration of whole-brain network architecture. The reconfiguration of community architecture in the brain provides fruitful information about the neural mechanisms of meditation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shogo Kajimura
- Faculty of Information and Human Science, Kyoto Institute of Technology, 1, Matsugasakihashigami-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan.
| | - Naoki Masuda
- Department of Mathematics, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, USA
| | | | - Kou Murayama
- Department of Psychology, University of Reading, Reading, UK
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Sankar Sylapan B, Nair AK, Jayanna K, Mallipeddi S, Sathyanarayana S, Kutty BM. Meditation, well-being and cognition in heartfulness meditators - A pilot study. Conscious Cogn 2020; 86:103032. [PMID: 33096504 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2020.103032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 09/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Meditative practices can vary considerably in technique as well as their effects. Heartfulness is a popular meditation technique that includes in its repertoire, a unique passive form of meditation. We carried out a pilot study recruiting male heartfulness meditators (proficient n = 24, with 6-28 years of meditation experience; novice n = 24, 5 to 16 months of experience) and subsequently recruited matched controls (n = 15). We examined well-being, and carried out high-density EEG recordings to examine indices of meditation and cognition in these groups. Well-being scores were significantly higher for the proficient meditators as compared to novice and intermediate for the controls. We did not find any group differences in cognitive processing. During meditation, enhanced occipital gamma was found in proficient meditators as compared to controls. We discuss the findings from this pilot study and suggest avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhuvnesh Sankar Sylapan
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India; Center for Consciousness Studies, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India
| | - Ajay Kumar Nair
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India; Center for Consciousness Studies, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India.
| | - Krishnamurthy Jayanna
- Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bengaluru, India; Center for Integrative Health and Wellbeing, Bengaluru, India; Heartfulness Institute, Bengaluru, India.
| | - Saketh Mallipeddi
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India; Center for Consciousness Studies, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India
| | - Sunil Sathyanarayana
- Dayananda Sagar College of Dental Sciences, Bengaluru, India; Heartfulness Institute, Bengaluru, India
| | - Bindu M Kutty
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India; Center for Consciousness Studies, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India.
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Deolindo CS, Ribeiro MW, Aratanha MA, Afonso RF, Irrmischer M, Kozasa EH. A Critical Analysis on Characterizing the Meditation Experience Through the Electroencephalogram. Front Syst Neurosci 2020; 14:53. [PMID: 32848645 PMCID: PMC7427581 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2020.00053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Meditation practices, originated from ancient traditions, have increasingly received attention due to their potential benefits to mental and physical health. The scientific community invests efforts into scrutinizing and quantifying the effects of these practices, especially on the brain. There are methodological challenges in describing the neural correlates of the subjective experience of meditation. We noticed, however, that technical considerations on signal processing also don't follow standardized approaches, which may hinder generalizations. Therefore, in this article, we discuss the usage of the electroencephalogram (EEG) as a tool to study meditation experiences in healthy individuals. We describe the main EEG signal processing techniques and how they have been translated to the meditation field until April 2020. Moreover, we examine in detail the limitations/assumptions of these techniques and highlight some good practices, further discussing how technical specifications may impact the interpretation of the outcomes. By shedding light on technical features, this article contributes to more rigorous approaches to evaluate the construct of meditation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Mona Irrmischer
- Department of Integrative Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Amsterdam Neuroscience, VU Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Brandmeyer T, Delorme A. Meditation and the Wandering Mind: A Theoretical Framework of Underlying Neurocognitive Mechanisms. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2020; 16:39-66. [PMID: 32598855 DOI: 10.1177/1745691620917340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
During the practice of meditation, the tendency of the mind to wander away from the object of focus is ubiquitous. The occurrence of mind wandering in the context of meditation provides individuals a unique and intimate opportunity to closely examine the nature of the wandering mind by cultivating an awareness of ongoing thought patterns, while simultaneously aiming to cultivate equanimity (evenness of temper or disposition) and compassion toward the content of thoughts, interpretations, and bodily sensations. In this article we provide a theoretical framework that highlights the neurocognitive mechanisms by which contemplative practices influence the neural and phenomenological processes underlying spontaneous thought. Our theoretical model focuses on several converging mechanisms: the role of meta-awareness in facilitating an increased moment-to-moment awareness of spontaneous thought processes, the effects of meditation practice on key structures underlying both the top-down cognitive processes and bottom-up sensory processes implicated in attention and emotion regulation, and the influence of contemplative practice on the neural substrates underlying perception and perceptual decoupling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy Brandmeyer
- Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco.,Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Université Paul Sabatier.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5549
| | - Arnaud Delorme
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Université Paul Sabatier.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5549.,Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience, Institute of Neural Computation, University of California, San Diego
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47
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Bhaskar L, Tripathi V, Kharya C, Kotabagi V, Bhatia M, Kochupillai V. High-Frequency Cerebral Activation and Interhemispheric Synchronization Following Sudarshan Kriya Yoga as Global Brain Rhythms: The State Effects. Int J Yoga 2020; 13:130-136. [PMID: 32669767 PMCID: PMC7336945 DOI: 10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_25_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Context: Respiration is known to modulate neuronal oscillations in the brain and is measured by electroencephalogram (EEG). Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) is a popular breathing process and is established for its significant effects on the various aspects of physiology and psychology. Aims: This study aimed to observe neuronal oscillations in multifrequency bands and interhemispheric synchronization following SKY. Settings and Design: This study employed before- and after-study design. Subjects and Methods: Forty healthy volunteers (average age 25.45 ± 5.75, 23 males and 17 females) participated in the study. Nineteen-channel EEG was recorded and analyzed for 5 min each: before and after SKY. Spectral power for delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma frequency band was calculated using Multi-taper Fast Fourier Transform (Chronux toolbox). The Asymmetry Index was calculated by subtracting the natural log of powers of left (L) hemisphere from the right® to show interhemispheric synchronization. Statistical Analysis: Paired t-test was used for statistical analysis. Results: Spectral power increased significantly in all frequency bands bilaterally in frontal, central, parietal, temporal, and occipital regions of the brain after long SKY. Electrical activity shifted from lower to higher frequency range with a significant rise in the gamma and beta powers following SKY. Asymmetry Index values tended toward 0 following SKY. Conclusions: A single session of SKY generates global brain rhythm dominantly with high-frequency cerebral activation and initiates appropriate interhemispheric synchronization in brain rhythms as state effects. This suggests that SKY leads to better attention, memory, and emotional and autonomic control along with enhanced cognitive functions, which finally improves physical and mental well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lakshmi Bhaskar
- Sri Sri Institute of Advanced Research, Ved Vignan Maha Vidya Peeth, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Vaibhav Tripathi
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Chhaya Kharya
- Sri Sri Institute of Advanced Research, Ved Vignan Maha Vidya Peeth, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Vijayalakshmi Kotabagi
- Department of Medical Electronics, BMS College of Engineering, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Manvir Bhatia
- Department of Sleep Medicine, Fortis Escort Heart Institute, Delhi, India
| | - Vinod Kochupillai
- Sri Sri Institute of Advanced Research, Ved Vignan Maha Vidya Peeth, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
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48
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Winter U, LeVan P, Borghardt TL, Akin B, Wittmann M, Leyens Y, Schmidt S. Content-Free Awareness: EEG-fcMRI Correlates of Consciousness as Such in an Expert Meditator. Front Psychol 2020; 10:3064. [PMID: 32132942 PMCID: PMC7040185 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.03064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The minimal neural correlate of the conscious state, regardless of the neural activity correlated with the ever-changing contents of experience, has still not been identified. Different attempts have been made, mainly by comparing the normal waking state to seemingly unconscious states, such as deep sleep or general anesthesia. A more direct approach would be the neuroscientific investigation of conscious states that are experienced as free of any specific phenomenal content. Here we present serendipitous data on content-free awareness (CFA) during an EEG-fMRI assessment reported by an extraordinarily qualified meditator with over 50,000 h of practice. We focused on two specific cortical networks related to external and internal awareness, i.e., the dorsal attention network (DAN) and the default mode network (DMN), to explore the neural correlates of this experience. The combination of high-resolution EEG and ultrafast fMRI enabled us to analyze the dynamic aspects of fMRI connectivity informed by EEG power analysis. The neural correlates of CFA were characterized by a sharp decrease in alpha power and an increase in theta power as well as increases in functional connectivity in the DAN and decreases in the posterior DMN. We interpret these findings as correlates of a top-down-initiated attentional state excluding external sensory stimuli and internal mentation from conscious experience. We conclude that the investigation of states of CFA could provide valuable input for new methodological and conceptual approaches in the search for the minimal neural correlate of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulf Winter
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Pierre LeVan
- Department of Radiology - Medical Physics, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.,Departments of Radiology and Paediatrics, Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | | - Burak Akin
- Department of Radiology - Medical Physics, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.,Center for Basics in NeuroModulation (NeuroModulBasics), Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Marc Wittmann
- Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Yeshe Leyens
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Stefan Schmidt
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
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49
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Meditation Increases the Entropy of Brain Oscillatory Activity. Neuroscience 2020; 431:40-51. [PMID: 32032666 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.01.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
We address the hypothesis that the entropy of neural dynamics indexes the intensity and quality of conscious content. Previous work established that serotonergic psychedelics can have a dysregulating effect on brain activity, leading to subjective effects that present a considerable overlap with the phenomenology of certain meditative states. Here we propose that the prolonged practice of meditation results in endogenous increased entropy of brain oscillatory activity. We estimated the entropy of band-specific oscillations during the meditative state of traditions classified as 'focused attention' (Himalayan Yoga), 'open monitoring' (Vipassana), and 'open awareness' (Isha Shoonya Yoga). Among all traditions, Vipassana resulted in the highest entropy increases, predominantly in the alpha and low/high gamma bands. In agreement with previous studies, all meditation traditions increased the global coherence in the gamma band, but also stabilized gamma-range dynamics by lowering the metastability. Finally, machine learning classifiers could successfully generalize between certain pairs of meditation traditions based on the scalp distribution of gamma band entropies. Our results extend previous findings on the spectral changes observed during meditation, showing how long-term practice can lead to the capacity for achieving brain states of high entropy. This constitutes an example of an endogenous, self-induced high entropy state.
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Jerath R, Beveridge C, Jensen M. On the Hierarchical Organization of Oscillatory Assemblies: Layered Superimposition and a Global Bioelectric Framework. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:426. [PMID: 31866845 PMCID: PMC6904282 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Bioelectric oscillations occur throughout the nervous system of nearly all animals, revealed to play an important role in various aspects of cognitive activity such as information processing and feature binding. Modern research into this dynamic and intrinsic bioelectric activity of neural cells continues to raise questions regarding their role in consciousness and cognition. In this theoretical article, we assert a novel interpretation of the hierarchical nature of "brain waves" by identifying that the superposition of multiple oscillations varying in frequency corresponds to the superimposing of the contents of consciousness and cognition. In order to describe this isomorphism, we present a layered model of the global functional oscillations of various frequencies which act as a part of a unified metastable continuum described by the Operational Architectonics theory and suggested to be responsible for the emergence of the phenomenal mind. We detail the purposes, functions, and origins of each layer while proposing our main theory that the superimposition of these oscillatory layers mirrors the superimposition of the components of the integrated phenomenal experience as well as of cognition. In contrast to the traditional view that localizations of high and low-frequency activity are spatially distinct, many authors have suggested a hierarchical nature to oscillations. Our theoretical interpretation is founded in four layers which correlate not only in frequency but in evolutionary development. As other authors have done, we explore how these layers correlate to the phenomenology of human experience. Special importance is placed on the most basal layer of slow oscillations in coordinating and grouping all of the other layers. By detailing the isomorphism between the phenomenal and physiologic aspects of how lower frequency layers provide a foundation for higher frequency layers to be organized upon, we provide a further means to elucidate physiological and cognitive mechanisms of mind and for the well-researched outcomes of certain voluntary breathing patterns and meditative practices which modulate the mind and have therapeutic effects for psychiatric and other disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravinder Jerath
- Charitable Medical Healthcare Foundation, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - Connor Beveridge
- Charitable Medical Healthcare Foundation, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - Michael Jensen
- Department of Medical Illustration, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
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