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Guillou J, Duprez J, Nabbout R, Kaminska A, Napuri S, Gomes C, Kuchenbuch M, Sauleau P. Interhemispheric coherence of EEG rhythms in children: Maturation and differentiation in corpus callosum dysgenesis. Neurophysiol Clin 2024; 54:102981. [PMID: 38703488 DOI: 10.1016/j.neucli.2024.102981] [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: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the evolution of interhemispheric coherences (ICo) in background and spindle frequency bands during childhood and use it to identify individuals with corpus callosum dysgenesis (CCd). METHODS A monocentric cohort of children aged from 0.25 to 15 years old, consisting of 13 children with CCd and 164 without, was analyzed. The ICo of background activity (ICOBckgrdA), sleep spindles (ICOspindles), and their sum (sICO) were calculated. The impact of age, gender, and CC status on the ICo was evaluated, and the sICO was used to discriminate children with or without CCd. RESULTS ICOBckgrdA, ICOspindles and sICO increased significantly with age without any effect of gender (p < 10-4), in both groups. The regression equations of the different ICo were stronger, with adjusted R2 values of 0.54, 0.35, and 0.57, respectively. The ICo was lower in children with CCd compared to those without CCd (p < 10-4 for all comparisons). The area under the precision recall curves for predicting CCd using sICO was 0.992 with 98.9 % sensitivity and 87.5 % specificity. DISCUSSION ICo of spindles and background activity evolve in parallel to brain maturation and depends on the integrity of the corpus callosum. sICO could be an effective diagnostic biomarker for screening children with interhemispheric dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Guillou
- Department of Pediatrics, Rennes University Hospital, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - J Duprez
- Univ Rennes, LTSI - U1099, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - R Nabbout
- Reference Centre for Rare Epilepsies, Department of Pediatric Neurology, member of ERN EPICARE network, Necker Enfants Malades Hospital, Imagine Institute, Paris Cité University, Paris, France; Laboratory of Translational Research for Neurological Disorders, INSERM MR1163, Imagine Institute, Paris, France
| | - A Kaminska
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Necker-Enfants-Malades Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, Inserm, UMR 1141 NeuroDiderot, Paris, France; CEA, NeuroSpin, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - S Napuri
- Department of Pediatrics, Rennes University Hospital, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - C Gomes
- Department of Neurophysiology, Rennes University Hospital, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - M Kuchenbuch
- Department of Neurophysiology, Rennes University Hospital, F-35000 Rennes, France; Université de Lorraine, CHRU-Nancy, Service de Medicine Infantile, Member of ERN EPICARE network, F-54000 Nancy, France; Université de Lorraine, CNRS, IMoPA, F-54000, Nancy, France.
| | - P Sauleau
- Univ Rennes, LTSI - U1099, F-35000 Rennes, France; Department of Neurophysiology, Rennes University Hospital, F-35000 Rennes, France
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Takemura N, Cheung DST, Fong DYT, Lee AWM, Lam TC, Ho JCM, Kam TY, Chik JYK, Lin CC. Comparative effect of Tai Chi and aerobic exercise on cognitive function in advanced lung cancer survivors with perceived cognitive impairment: a three-arm randomized controlled trial with mediation analysis. J Cancer Surviv 2024:10.1007/s11764-024-01607-1. [PMID: 38691272 DOI: 10.1007/s11764-024-01607-1] [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: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Cancer-related cognitive impairment is prevalent in metastatic lung cancer survivors. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of aerobic exercise and Tai Chi on perceived cognitive function and the mediating role of psychoneurological symptoms with perceived cognitive impairment. METHODS In a subgroup of a parent randomized clinical trial, participants who reported cognitive impairment underwent a 16-week aerobic exercise (n = 49), Tai Chi (n = 48), and control (n = 54) groups. Measures included perceived cognitive function and psychoneurological symptoms (sleep disturbance, fatigue, anxiety, and depression) assessed at baseline (T0), 16-week (T1), and 1 year (T2). RESULTS Participants in Tai Chi showed significant improvements compared to aerobic exercise and control groups in perceived cognitive function at T1 (AE: between-group difference, 6.52; P < 0.001; CG: 8.34; P < 0.001) and T2 (AE: between-group difference, 3.55; P = 0.05; CG: 5.94; P < 0.001). Sleep disturbance, fatigue, anxiety, and depression at month 12 explained 24%, 31%, 32%, and 24% of the effect of the intervention on cognitive function at month 12, respectively. Only anxiety at month 4 explained 23% of the intervention effect at month 12. CONCLUSIONS Tai Chi demonstrated beneficial effects on cognitive function in advanced lung cancer survivors with perceived cognitive impairment. Improvement in cognitive function was mediated by reducing sleep disturbance, fatigue, anxiety, and depression, highlighting the importance of addressing these symptoms in future interventions to improve cognitive function, with anxiety playing a significant role at an earlier stage. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS Tai Chi is a potentially safe complementary therapeutic option for managing cognitive impairment in this vulnerable population. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04119778; retrospectively registered on 8 October 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Takemura
- School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Denise Shuk Ting Cheung
- School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Daniel Yee Tak Fong
- School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Anne Wing Mui Lee
- Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Guangdong, China
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Tai-Chung Lam
- Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Guangdong, China
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - James Chung-Man Ho
- Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Tsz Yeung Kam
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Chai Wan, Hong Kong
| | | | - Chia-Chin Lin
- School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
- Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Charity Foundation Professor in Nursing, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
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Incollingo Rodriguez AC, Nephew BC, Polcari JJ, Melican V, King JA, Gardiner P. Race-Based Differences in the Response to a Mindfulness Based Integrative Medical Group Visit Intervention for Chronic Pain. GLOBAL ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE AND HEALTH 2024; 13:27536130241254793. [PMID: 38765807 PMCID: PMC11100402 DOI: 10.1177/27536130241254793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Background Chronic pain is one of the most common drivers of healthcare utilization and a marked domain for health disparities, as African American/Black populations experience high rates of chronic pain. Integrative Medical Group Visits (IMGV) combine mindfulness techniques, evidence-based integrative medicine, and medical group visits. In a parent randomized controlled trial, this approach was tested as an adjunct treatment in a diverse, medically underserved population with chronic pain and depression. Objective To determine race-based heterogeneity in the effects of a mindfulness based treatment for chronic pain. Methods This secondary analysis of the parent trial assessed heterogeneity of treatment effects along racialized identity in terms of primary patient-reported pain outcomes in a racially diverse sample suffering from chronic pain and depression. The analytic approach examined comorbidities and sociodemographics between racialized groups. RMANOVAs examined trajectories in pain outcomes (average pain, pain severity, and pain interference) over three timepoints (baseline, 9, and 21 weeks) between participants identifying as African American/Black (n = 90) vs White (n = 29) across both intervention and control conditions. Results At baseline, African American/Black participants had higher pain severity and had significantly different age, work status, and comorbidity profiles. RMANOVA models also identified significant race-based differences in the response to the parent IMGV intervention. There was reduced pain severity in African American/Black subjects in the IMGV condition from baseline to 9 weeks. This change was not observed in White participants over this time period. However, there was a reduction in pain severity in White participants over the subsequent interval from 9 to 21 week where IMGV had no significant effect in African American/Black subjects during this latter time period. Conclusion Interactions between pain and racialization require further investigation to understand how race-based heterogeneity in the response to integrative medicine treatments for chronic pain contribute to the broader landscape of health inequity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamin C. Nephew
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Justin J. Polcari
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Veronica Melican
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Jean A. King
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Paula Gardiner
- Center for Mindfulness and Compassion, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge MA, USA
- Department. of Family Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
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Qi L, Wang GL, Tian ZH, Guan S, Yang SY, Yang YL, Liu LQ, Lin YZ. Prefrontal cortical hemodynamics and functional network organization during Tai Chi standing meditation: an fNIRS study. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1294312. [PMID: 37954940 PMCID: PMC10634523 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1294312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Tai Chi standing meditation (Zhan Zhuang, also called pile standing) is characterized by meditation, deep breathing, and mental focus based on theories of traditional Chinese medicine. The purpose of the present study was to explore prefrontal cortical hemodynamics and the functional network organization associated with Tai Chi standing meditation by using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Methods Twenty-four channel fNIRS signals were recorded from 24 male Tai Chi Quan practitioners (54.71 ± 8.04 years) while standing at rest and standing during Tai Chi meditation. The general linear model and the SPM method were used to analyze the fNIRS signals. Pearson correlation was calculated to determine the functional connectivity between the prefrontal cortical sub-regions. The small world properties of the FC networks were then further analyzed based on graph theory. Results During Tai Chi standing meditation, significantly higher concentrations of oxygenated hemoglobin were observed in bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), frontal eye field (FEF), and pre-motor cortex (PMC) compared with the values measured during standing rest (p < 0.05). Simultaneously, significant decreases in deoxygenated hemoglobin concentration were observed in left VLPFC, right PMC and DLPFC during Tai Chi standing meditation than during standing rest (p < 0.05). Functional connectivity between the left and right PFC was also significantly stronger during the Tai Chi standing meditation (p < 0.05). The functional brain networks exhibited small-world architecture, and more network hubs located in DLPFC and VLPFC were identified during Tai Chi standing meditation than during standing rest. Discussion These findings suggest that Tai Chi standing meditation introduces significant changes in the cortical blood flow and the brain functional network organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liping Qi
- Faculty of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Guo-Liang Wang
- Faculty of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Zhi-Hao Tian
- Faculty of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Shuo Guan
- Faculty of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Shu-Ye Yang
- School of Physical Education and Health, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Yu-Long Yang
- School of Physical Education and Health, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Li-Qing Liu
- School of Physical Education and Health, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Yong-Zhong Lin
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
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The effect of mindfulness-based intervention on neurobehavioural functioning and its association with white-matter microstructural changes in preterm young adolescents. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2010. [PMID: 36737638 PMCID: PMC9898533 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29205-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Very preterm (VPT) young adolescents are at high risk of executive, behavioural and socio-emotional difficulties. Previous research has shown significant evidence of the benefits of mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on these abilities. This study aims to assess the association between the effects of MBI on neurobehavioral functioning and changes in white-matter microstructure in VPT young adolescents who completed an 8-week MBI program. Neurobehavioural assessments (i.e., neuropsychological testing, parents- and self-reported questionnaires) and multi-shell diffusion MRI were performed before and after MBI in 32 VPT young adolescents. Combined diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) measures were extracted on well-defined white matter tracts (TractSeg). A multivariate data-driven approach (partial least squares correlation) was used to explore associations between MBI-related changes on neurobehavioural measures and microstructural changes. The results showed an enhancement of global executive functioning using parent-reported questionnaire after MBI that was associated with a general pattern of increase in fractional anisotropy (FA) and decrease in axonal dispersion (ODI) in white-matter tracts involved in executive processes. Young VPT adolescents with lower gestational age at birth showed the greatest gain in white-matter microstructural changes after MBI.
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Effects of the Mindfulness-Based Blood Pressure Reduction (MB-BP) program on depression and neural structural connectivity. J Affect Disord 2022; 311:31-39. [PMID: 35594968 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.05.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hypertension-related illnesses are a leading cause of disability and death in the United States, where hypertension prevalence in adults is 46%, with only half of those afflicted having it under control. Due to the significant challenges in long-term efficacy and adverse effects associated with pharmacological interventions, there is an eminent need for complimentary approaches for treating hypertension. Although initial studies of the Mindfulness-Based Blood Pressure Reduction program (MB-BP) indicate that this novel 8-week intervention is effective at inducing lasting decreases in blood pressure, the neural correlates are unknown. METHODS The objectives of this study were to identify structural neural correlates of MB-BP using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI) and assess potential correlations with key clinical outcomes. RESULTS In a subset of participants (14 MB-BP, 22 controls) from a larger stage IIa randomized controlled trial, MB-BP participants exhibited increased interoception and decreased depressive symptoms compared to controls. Analyses of DTI data revealed significant group differences in multiple white matter neural tracts associated with the limbic system and/or blood pressure. Specific changes in neural structural connectivity were significantly associated with measures of interoception and depression. LIMITATIONS Limitations include small sample size (leading to insufficient power in the analysis of blood pressure) and the study duration (3 months). The main MRI limitation is suboptimal resolution in areas of extensive neural tract crossings. CONCLUSIONS It is concluded that MB-BP induces alterations in brain structural connectivity which could mediate beneficial changes in depression and interoceptive awareness in individuals with hypertension.
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Nephew BC, Incollingo Rodriguez AC, Melican V, Polcari JJ, Nippert KE, Rashkovskii M, Linnell LB, Hu R, Ruiz C, King JA, Gardiner P. Depression predicts chronic pain interference in racially diverse, income-disadvantaged patients. PAIN MEDICINE 2021; 23:1239-1248. [PMID: 34908146 DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnab342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic pain is one of the most common reasons adults seek medical care in the US, with prevalence estimates ranging from 11% to 40%. Mindfulness meditation has been associated with significant improvements in pain, depression, physical and mental health, sleep, and overall quality of life. Group medical visits are increasingly common and are effective at treating myriad illnesses, including chronic pain. Integrative Medical Group Visits (IMGV) combine mindfulness techniques, evidence based integrative medicine, and medical group visits and can be used as adjuncts to medications, particularly in diverse underserved populations with limited access to non-pharmacological therapies. OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN The objective of the present study was to use a blended analytical approach of machine learning and regression analyses to evaluate the potential relationship between depression and chronic pain in data from a randomized clinical trial of IMGV in diverse, income disadvantaged patients suffering from chronic pain and depression. METHODS The analytical approach used machine learning to assess the predictive relationship between depression and pain and identify and select key mediators, which were then assessed with regression analyses. It was hypothesized that depression would predict the pain outcomes of average pain, pain severity, and pain interference. RESULTS Our analyses identified and characterized a predictive relationship between depression and chronic pain interference. This prediction was mediated by high perceived stress, low pain self-efficacy, and poor sleep quality, potential targets for attenuating the adverse effects of depression on functional outcomes. CONCLUSIONS In the context of the associated clinical trial and similar interventions, these insights may inform future treatment optimization, targeting, and application efforts in racialized, income disadvantaged populations, demographics often neglected in studies of chronic pain. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT from clinicaltrials.gov: 02262377.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Nephew
- Dept. of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts
| | | | - Veronica Melican
- Dept. of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Justin J Polcari
- Dept. of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Kathryn E Nippert
- Dept. of Social Science and Policy Studies, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Mikhail Rashkovskii
- Dept. of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Lilly-Beth Linnell
- Dept. of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Ruofan Hu
- Computer Science Dept., Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Carolina Ruiz
- Computer Science Dept., Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Jean A King
- Dept. of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Paula Gardiner
- Dept. of Family Medicine and Community Health, UMass Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts
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Kurth F, Zsadanyi SE, Luders E. Reduced age-related gray matter loss in the subgenual cingulate cortex in long-term meditators. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 15:2824-2832. [PMID: 34686969 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-021-00578-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that meditation practices have positive effects on brain ageing overall. The cingulate is known to be recruited during meditation, but research into possible effects of meditation on the ageing of the cingulate is currently missing. Thus, the present study was designed to help close this knowledge gap, with particular focus on the subgenual cingulate, a region involved in emotional regulation and autonomic and endocrine functions, making it potentially relevant for meditation. Here, we investigated differences in age-related gray matter loss between 50 long-term meditation practitioners (28 male, 22 female), aged between 24 and 77, and 50 age- and sex-matched controls. Areas of interest were four subregions of the subgenual cingulate gyrus (areas 25, 33, s24, and s32) defined as per the Julich-Brain atlas. Our study revealed a significant age-related decline in all subregions in both meditators and controls, but with significantly lower rates of annual tissue loss in meditators, specifically in left and right area s32 and right area 25. These regions have been shown to play a role in mood regulation, autonomic processing, and the integration of emotion and cognitive processes, which are all involved in and impacted by meditation. Overall, the results add further evidence to the emerging notion that meditation may slow the effects of ageing on the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Kurth
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
| | - Sára E Zsadanyi
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Eileen Luders
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.,Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
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Bouhali F, Mongelli V, Thiebaut de Schotten M, Cohen L. Reading music and words: The anatomical connectivity of musicians' visual cortex. Neuroimage 2020; 212:116666. [PMID: 32087374 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Musical score reading and word reading have much in common, from their historical origins to their cognitive foundations and neural correlates. In the ventral occipitotemporal cortex (VOT), the specialization of the so-called Visual Word Form Area for word reading has been linked to its privileged structural connectivity to distant language regions. Here we investigated how anatomical connectivity relates to the segregation of regions specialized for musical notation or words in the VOT. In a cohort of professional musicians and non-musicians, we used probabilistic tractography combined with task-related functional MRI to identify the connections of individually defined word- and music-selective left VOT regions. Despite their close proximity, these regions differed significantly in their structural connectivity, irrespective of musical expertise. The music-selective region was significantly more connected to posterior lateral temporal regions than the word-selective region, which, conversely, was significantly more connected to anterior ventral temporal cortex. Furthermore, musical expertise had a double impact on the connectivity of the music region. First, music tracts were significantly larger in musicians than in non-musicians, associated with marginally higher connectivity to perisylvian music-related areas. Second, the spatial similarity between music and word tracts was significantly increased in musicians, consistently with the increased overlap of language and music functional activations in musicians, as compared to non-musicians. These results support the view that, for music as for words, very specific anatomical connections influence the specialization of distinct VOT areas, and that reciprocally those connections are selectively enhanced by the expertise for word or music reading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Bouhali
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013, Paris, France; Department of Psychiatry & Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
| | - Valeria Mongelli
- Neurobiology of Language Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition (ABC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Michel Thiebaut de Schotten
- Brain Connectivity and Behaviour Laboratory, Sorbonne Universities, Paris, France; Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives-UMR 5293, CNRS, CEA University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Laurent Cohen
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013, Paris, France; Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Fédération de Neurologie, F-75013, Paris, France
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Neural correlates of emotion-attention interactions: From perception, learning, and memory to social cognition, individual differences, and training interventions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 108:559-601. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Bendig BW, Shapiro D, Zaidel E. Group differences between practitioners and novices in hemispheric processing of attention and emotion before and after a session of Falun Gong qigong. Brain Cogn 2019; 138:105494. [PMID: 31811982 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2019.105494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
We examined the hemispheric effects of Falun Gong qigong (FLG), a movement meditation practice, using a systematic approach to hemispheric function by administering the Emotion Lateralized Attention Network Test (ELANT) to measure the interaction of the Conflict Resolution, Spatial Orienting, and Emotion networks. Measuring both behavior (ELANT, DV = accuracy) and physiology (HF-HRV), we compared experienced FLG practitioners (n = 19) to novices serving as an active control group (n = 16) before and after a 91-min sequence of FLG qigong exercises. We compared practitioners and novices using a hierarchy of intrahemispheric and interhemispheric control relations that can be tested with the ELANT. Practitioners exhibited a prominent short-term effect in which they improved relative to novices on trials requiring complex interhemispheric transfer (ηP2 = 0.21). Two baseline group differences, suggesting long-term effects of FLG, both involved the left hemisphere. First, practitioners were selectively spared the negative effects of processing positive emotion cues preceding left hemisphere targets (ηP2 = 0.34). Second, only practitioners showed improved left-hemisphere Conflict Resolution at higher levels of HF-HRV (r2 = 0.40). The data showed that FLG practitioners had increased flexibility in the management of a limited attentional resource pool that is accessible to both hemispheres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben W Bendig
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - David Shapiro
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Eran Zaidel
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
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Wassenaar TM, Yaffe K, van der Werf YD, Sexton CE. Associations between modifiable risk factors and white matter of the aging brain: insights from diffusion tensor imaging studies. Neurobiol Aging 2019; 80:56-70. [PMID: 31103633 PMCID: PMC6683729 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
There is increasing interest in factors that may modulate white matter (WM) breakdown and, consequentially, age-related cognitive and behavioral deficits. Recent diffusion tensor imaging studies have examined the relationship of such factors with WM microstructure. This review summarizes the evidence regarding the relationship between WM microstructure and recognized modifiable factors, including hearing loss, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, smoking, depressive symptoms, physical (in) activity, and social isolation, as well as sleep disturbances, diet, cognitive training, and meditation. Current cross-sectional evidence suggests a clear link between loss of WM integrity (lower fractional anisotropy and higher mean diffusivity) and hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and smoking; a relationship that seems to hold for hearing loss, social isolation, depressive symptoms, and sleep disturbances. Physical activity, cognitive training, diet, and meditation, on the other hand, may protect WM with aging. Preliminary evidence from cross-sectional studies of treated risk factors suggests that modification of factors could slow down negative effects on WM microstructure. Careful intervention studies are needed for this literature to contribute to public health initiatives going forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Wassenaar
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, FMRIB Centre, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, UK
| | - Kristine Yaffe
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ysbrand D van der Werf
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, VU University Medical Center, MC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Claire E Sexton
- Department of Neurology, Global Brain Health Institute, Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, UK.
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14
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The neuroanatomy of long-term meditators. Curr Opin Psychol 2019; 28:172-178. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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15
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Anderson NE, Maurer JM, Nyalakanti P, Harenski KA, Harenski CL, Koenigs MR, Decety J, Kiehl KA. Affective and interpersonal psychopathic traits associated with reduced corpus callosum volume among male inmates - RETRACTED. Psychol Med 2019; 49:1401-1408. [PMID: 30311599 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291718002921] [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: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychopathy is a personality disorder associated with severe emotional and interpersonal consequences and persistent antisocial behavior. Neurobiological models of psychopathy emphasize impairments in emotional processing, attention, and integration of information across large-scale neural networks in the brain. One of the largest integrative hubs in the brain is the corpus callosum (CC) - a large white matter structure that connects the two cerebral hemispheres. METHOD The current study examines CC volume, measured via Freesurfer parcellation, in a large sample (n = 495) of incarcerated men who were assessed for psychopathic traits using the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). RESULTS Psychopathy was associated with reduced volume across all five sub-regions of the CC. These relationships were primarily driven by the affective/interpersonal elements of psychopathy (PCL-R Factor 1), as no significant associations were found between the CC and the lifestyle/antisocial traits of psychopathy. The observed effects were not attributable to differences in substance use severity, age, IQ, or total brain volume. CONCLUSIONS These findings align with suggestions that core psychopathic traits may be fostered by reduced integrative capacity across large-scale networks in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel E Anderson
- The Mind Research Network & Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute,Albuquerque, NM,USA
| | - J Michael Maurer
- The Mind Research Network & Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute,Albuquerque, NM,USA
| | - Prashanth Nyalakanti
- The Mind Research Network & Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute,Albuquerque, NM,USA
| | - Keith A Harenski
- The Mind Research Network & Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute,Albuquerque, NM,USA
| | - Carla L Harenski
- The Mind Research Network & Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute,Albuquerque, NM,USA
| | | | | | - Kent A Kiehl
- The Mind Research Network & Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute,Albuquerque, NM,USA
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16
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Rivest-Gadbois E, Boudrias MH. What are the known effects of yoga on the brain in relation to motor performances, body awareness and pain? A narrative review. Complement Ther Med 2019; 44:129-142. [PMID: 31126545 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2019.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 03/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The current body of literature was reviewed to evaluate the effects of yoga on the brain in relation to motor performance, body awareness and pain. BACKGROUND Yoga has been increasingly popular in the Western countries especially for its unique integration of the mind and body. Yoga has been studied more intensely in the last decade. Although it has been shown to improve cognitive functions, few studies have looked into the effects of yoga on improving motor performance, body awareness or pain and the possible underlying brain mechanisms associated with them. METHODS A search of the current literature was made using keywords such as: "yoga brain motor", "yoga brain pain", "effects yoga brain" and "effects yoga brain motor performance". The findings were then discussed in relation to motor performance, body awareness and pain and their reported mechanisms of action on the brain. RESULTS A total of 61 articles were selected, out of which 29 were excluded because they did not meet our criteria. A total of thirty-two articles were included in this review, which we further subdivided by focus: motor performance (n = 10), body awareness (n = 14) and pain (n = 8). DISCUSSION Our review shows that yoga has a positive effect on learning rate, speed and accuracy of a motor task by increasing attention and decreasing stress through a better control of sensorimotor rhythms. Yoga also seems to improve sensory awareness and interoception, regulate autonomic input, increase parasympathetic activity and promote self-regulation. Yoga was also shown to reduce the threat signal, increase pain tolerance, decrease pain unpleasantness and decrease the anxiety and distress associated with pain. Those changes are associated with the recruitment of specific brain areas such as the insula, the amygdala and the hippocampus. CONCLUSION Based on the studies reviewed in this report, we found that the practice of yoga seems to facilitate motor learning, to increase body awareness and to decrease pain. These are associated with a wide variety of changes in terms of brain activity and structure. Further studies are necessary to reveal its precise mechanism of action on the brain and to validate its wider application in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle Rivest-Gadbois
- School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Montreal Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation (CRIR), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Marie-Hélène Boudrias
- School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Montreal Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation (CRIR), Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Feil and Oberfeld Research Centre, BRAIN Lab, Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital, Laval, Quebec, Canada.
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17
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Deepeshwar S, Nagendra HR, Rana BB, Visweswaraiah NK. Evolution from four mental states to the highest state of consciousness: A neurophysiological basis of meditation as defined in yoga texts. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2019; 244:31-83. [PMID: 30732843 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
This chapter provides a theoretical introduction to states of consciousness and reviews neuroscientific investigations of meditation. The different states of consciousness consist of four mental states, i.e., cancalata (random thinking), ekagrata (non-meditative focusing), dharna (focused meditation), and dhyana (meditation) as defined in yoga texts. Meditation is a self-regulated mental process associated with deep relaxation and increased internalized attention. Scientific investigations on meditation reported changes in electrophysiological signals and neuroimaging measures. But most outcomes of meditation studies showed inconsistent results, this may be due to heterogeneity in meditation methods and techniques evolved in the last 200 years. Traditionally, the features of meditation include the capacity to sustain a heightened awareness of thoughts, behaviors, emotions, and perceptions. Generally, meditation involves non-reactive effortless monitoring of the content of experience from moment to moment. Focused meditation practice involves awareness on a single object and open monitoring meditation is a non-directive meditation involved attention in breathing, mantra, or sound. Therefore, results of few empirical studies of advanced meditators or beginners remain tentative. This is an attempt to compile the meditation-related changes in electrophysiological and neuroimaging processes among experienced and novice practitioners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Singh Deepeshwar
- Department of Yoga and Life Sciences, Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Swami Vivekananda Yoga University (S-VYASA), Bengaluru, India
| | - H R Nagendra
- Department of Yoga and Life Sciences, Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Swami Vivekananda Yoga University (S-VYASA), Bengaluru, India
| | - Bal Budhi Rana
- Department of Yoga and Life Sciences, Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Swami Vivekananda Yoga University (S-VYASA), Bengaluru, India
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18
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Raffone A, Marzetti L, Del Gratta C, Perrucci MG, Romani GL, Pizzella V. Toward a brain theory of meditation. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2019; 244:207-232. [PMID: 30732838 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The rapidly progressing science of meditation has led to insights about the neural correlates of focused attention meditation (FAM), open monitoring meditation (OMM), compassion meditation (CM) and loving kindness meditation (LKM), in terms of states and traits. However, a unified theoretical understanding of the brain mechanisms involved in meditation-related functions, including mindfulness, is lacking. After reviewing the main forms of meditation and their relationships, the major brain networks and brain states, as well as influential theoretical views of consciousness, we outline a Brain Theory of Meditation (BTM). BTM takes the lead from considerations about the roles of the major brain networks, i.e., the central executive, salience and default mode networks, and their interplay, in meditation, and from an essential energetic limitation of the human brain, such that only up to 1% of the neurons in the cortex can be concurrently activated. The development of the theory is also guided by our neuroscientific studies with the outstanding participation of Theravada Buddhist monks, with other relevant findings in literature. BTM suggests mechanisms for the different forms of meditation, with the down-regulation of brain network activities in FAM, the gating and tuning of network coupling in OMM, and state-related up-regulation effects in CM and LKM. The theory also advances a leftward asymmetry in top-down regulation, and an enhanced inter-hemispheric integration, in meditation states and traits, also with implications for a theoretical understanding of conscious access. Meditation thus provides a meta-function for an efficient brain/mind regulation, and a flexible allocation of highly limited and often constrained (e.g., by negative emotion and mind wandering) brain activity resources, which can be related to mindfulness. Finally, a series of experimental predictions is derived from the theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonino Raffone
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Laura Marzetti
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "Gabriele D'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy; Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, "Gabriele D'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Cosimo Del Gratta
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "Gabriele D'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy; Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, "Gabriele D'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Mauro Gianni Perrucci
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "Gabriele D'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy; Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, "Gabriele D'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Gian Luca Romani
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "Gabriele D'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy; Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, "Gabriele D'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Vittorio Pizzella
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "Gabriele D'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy; Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, "Gabriele D'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
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19
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Chen C, Chen YC, Chen KL, Cheng Y. Atypical Anxiety-Related Amygdala Reactivity and Functional Connectivity in Sant Mat Meditation. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:298. [PMID: 30564108 PMCID: PMC6288484 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
While meditation has drawn much attention in cognitive neuroscience, the neural mechanisms underlying its emotional processing remains elusive. Sant Mat meditators were recruited, who adopt a loving-kindness mode of meditation along with a vegetarian diet and an alcohol-restricted lifestyle and novices. We assessed their State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and scanned their amygdala reactivity in response to an explicit and implicit (backward masked) perception of fearful and happy faces. In contrast with novices, meditators reported lower STAI scores. Meditators showed stronger amygdala reactivity to explicit happiness than to fear, whereas novices exhibited the opposite pattern. The amygdala reactivity was reduced in meditators regardless of implicit fear or happiness. Those who had more lifetime practice in meditation reported lower STAI and showed a weaker amygdala response to fear. Furthermore, the amygdala in meditators, relative to novices, had a stronger positive functional connectivity with the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) to explicit happiness, but a more negative connectivity with the insula and medial orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) to explicit fear. Mediation analysis indicated the amygdala reactivity as the mediator for the linkage between meditation experience and trait anxiety. The findings demonstrate the neural correlates that underpin the beneficial effects of meditation in Sant Mat. Long-term meditation could be functionally coupled with the amygdala reactivity to explicit and implicit emotional processing, which would help reduce anxiety and potentially enhance well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyi Chen
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Humanities in Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Research Center of Brain and Consciousness, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chun Chen
- Institute of Neuroscience and Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kuan-Ling Chen
- Institute of Neuroscience and Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yawei Cheng
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan.,Institute of Neuroscience and Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Research and Education, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
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20
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Gerritsen RJS, Band GPH. Breath of Life: The Respiratory Vagal Stimulation Model of Contemplative Activity. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:397. [PMID: 30356789 PMCID: PMC6189422 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Contemplative practices, such as meditation and yoga, are increasingly popular among the general public and as topics of research. Beneficial effects associated with these practices have been found on physical health, mental health and cognitive performance. However, studies and theories that clarify the underlying mechanisms are lacking or scarce. This theoretical review aims to address and compensate this scarcity. We will show that various contemplative activities have in common that breathing is regulated or attentively guided. This respiratory discipline in turn could parsimoniously explain the physical and mental benefits of contemplative activities through changes in autonomic balance. We propose a neurophysiological model that explains how these specific respiration styles could operate, by phasically and tonically stimulating the vagal nerve: respiratory vagal nerve stimulation (rVNS). The vagal nerve, as a proponent of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), is the prime candidate in explaining the effects of contemplative practices on health, mental health and cognition. We will discuss implications and limitations of our model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roderik J. S. Gerritsen
- Institute of Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Guido P. H. Band
- Institute of Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
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21
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Larrivee D, Echarte L. Contemplative Meditation and Neuroscience: Prospects for Mental Health. JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND HEALTH 2018; 57:960-978. [PMID: 28819790 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-017-0475-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Numerous studies show that personal spirituality developed through prayer positively influences mental health. Phenomenological and neuroscientific studies of mindfulness, an Eastern meditative prayer form, reveal significant health benefits now yielding important insights useful for guiding treatment of psychological disorders. By contrast, and despite its practice for millennia, Christian meditation is largely unrepresented in studies of clinical efficacy. Resemblances between mindfulness and disciplinary acts in Christian meditation taken from the ancient Greek practice of askesis suggest that Christian meditation will prove similarly beneficial; furthermore, psychological and neuroscientific studies suggest that its retention of a dialogical and transcendent praxis will additionally benefit social and existential psychotherapy. This paper thus argues that study of contemplative meditation for its therapeutic potential is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Larrivee
- Neiswanger Bioethics Institute, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- , 1032 W. Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL, 60660, USA.
| | - Luis Echarte
- Institute of Ethics and Culture, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
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22
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Kummar AS. Mindfulness and Fear Extinction: A Brief Review of Its Current Neuropsychological Literature and Possible Implications for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Psychol Rep 2017; 121:792-814. [PMID: 29298561 DOI: 10.1177/0033294117740137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Research in the neuroscience of mindfulness has grown rapidly in recent years. This includes empirical investigations into structural and functional changes in several brain regions-particularly, the hippocampus, the prefrontal cortex, and the amygdala-in association with the practice of mindfulness. Of interest to the current paper is that such brain regions are also implicated in empirical research focusing on fear extinction. While fear extinction has, therefore, been suggested as one of the possible mechanisms to underlie the positive effects of mindfulness, the conceptual links and research implications have lacked specific focus and detailed discussion in the literature. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, two-fold. First, this paper briefly reviews the extant literature on the neuropsychological mechanisms underlying mindfulness-particularly that, which has been found to be similarly implied in fear extinction-and hence, suggests future research directions based on its current state in the literature. Second, this paper explores the implications of this for fear-based psychopathologies, specifically for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Discussion from this paper suggests the idea of fear extinction as an underlying mechanism of mindfulness to be one that is still preliminary, yet promising; in turn, elucidating the need for further methodologically rigorous study to specifically determine fear extinction as a result of mindfulness, as well as to incorporate neuroimaging techniques in supporting the existing literature that have found preliminary support of mindfulness for PTSD.
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23
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Wang R, Wilkinson M, Kane T, Takahashi E. Convergence of Cortical, Thalamocortical, and Callosal Pathways during Human Fetal Development Revealed by Diffusion MRI Tractography. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:576. [PMID: 29163000 PMCID: PMC5671991 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There has been evidence that during brain development, emerging thalamocortical (TC) and corticothalamic (CT) pathways converge in some brain regions and follow each other's trajectories to their final destinations. Corpus callosal (CC) pathways also emerge at a similar developmental stage, and are known to converge with TC pathways in specific cortical regions in mature brains. Given the functional relationships between TC and CC pathways, anatomical convergence of the two pathways are likely important for their functional integration. However, it is unknown (1) where TC and CT subcortically converge in the human brain, and (2) where TC and CC converge in the cortex of the human brain, due to the limitations of non-invasive methods. The goals of this study were to describe the spatio-temporal relationships in the development of the TC/CT and CC pathways in the human brain, using high-angular resolution diffusion MR imaging (HARDI) tractography. Emerging cortical, TC and CC pathways were identified in postmortem fetal brains ranging from 17 gestational weeks (GW) to 30 GW, as well as in vivo 34-40 GW newborns. Some pathways from the thalami were found to be converged with pathways from the cerebral cortex as early as 17 GW. Such convergence was observed mainly in anterior and middle regions of the brain until 21 GW. At 22 GW and onwards, posterior pathways from the thalami also converged with cortical pathways. Many CC pathways reached the full length up to the cortical surface as early as 17 GW, while pathways linked to thalami (not only TC axons but also including pathways linked to thalamic neuronal migration) reached the cortical surface at and after 20 GW. These results suggest that CC pathways developed earlier than the TC pathways. The two pathways were widespread at early stages, but by 40 GW they condensed and formed groups of pathways that projected to specific regions of the cortex and overlapped in some brain regions. These results suggest that HARDI tractography has the potential to identify developing TC/CT and CC pathways with the timing and location of their convergence in fetal stages persisting in postnatal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongpin Wang
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Radiology, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, China
| | - Molly Wilkinson
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Tara Kane
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Emi Takahashi
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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24
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Sharma K, Trivedi R, Chandra S, Kaur P, Kumar P, Singh K, Dubey AK, Khushu S. Enhanced White Matter Integrity in Corpus Callosum of Long-Term Brahmakumaris Rajayoga Meditators. Brain Connect 2017; 8:49-55. [PMID: 29065696 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2017.0524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Meditation has a versatile nature to affect cognitive functioning of human brain. Recent researches demonstrated its effects on white matter (WM) properties of human brain. In this research, we aim to investigate WM microstructure of corpus callosum (CC) in long-term meditators (LTMs) of rajayoga meditation using diffusion tensor imaging. For this cross-sectional analysis, 22 LTMs and 17 control participants of age ranging from 30 to 50 years were recruited. Results show high fractional anisotropy values with low mean diffusivity in whole as well as different segments of CC in the LTM group. Also the experience of meditation was correlated with WM properties of CC tracts. Findings may suggest rajayoga meditation to bring potential changes in microstructure of CC segments. Further studies are suggested in clinical population to check its validity and efficacy against disorders involving agenesis of WM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanishka Sharma
- 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Science (INMAS) , Defence R&D Organization, Timarpur, Delhi, India .,2 Division of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology, Dwarka, Delhi, India
| | - Richa Trivedi
- 3 Division of NMR, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Science (INMAS) , Defence R&D Organization, Timarpur, Delhi, India
| | - Sushil Chandra
- 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Science (INMAS) , Defence R&D Organization, Timarpur, Delhi, India
| | - Prabhjot Kaur
- 3 Division of NMR, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Science (INMAS) , Defence R&D Organization, Timarpur, Delhi, India
| | - Pawan Kumar
- 3 Division of NMR, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Science (INMAS) , Defence R&D Organization, Timarpur, Delhi, India
| | - Kavita Singh
- 3 Division of NMR, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Science (INMAS) , Defence R&D Organization, Timarpur, Delhi, India
| | - Ashok K Dubey
- 2 Division of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology, Dwarka, Delhi, India
| | - Subash Khushu
- 3 Division of NMR, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Science (INMAS) , Defence R&D Organization, Timarpur, Delhi, India
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25
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Sato JR, Kozasa EH, Wallace BA, Amaro E. Neuroimaging Data From a Single Participant Before and After a Meditation Retreat: a Proof of Concept Study. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s41465-017-0025-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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26
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Guendelman S, Medeiros S, Rampes H. Mindfulness and Emotion Regulation: Insights from Neurobiological, Psychological, and Clinical Studies. Front Psychol 2017; 8:220. [PMID: 28321194 PMCID: PMC5337506 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 196] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2016] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
There is increasing interest in the beneficial clinical effects of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs). Research has demonstrated their efficacy in a wide range of psychological conditions characterized by emotion dysregulation. Neuroimaging studies have evidenced functional and structural changes in a myriad of brain regions mainly involved in attention systems, emotion regulation, and self-referential processing. In this article we review studies on psychological and neurobiological correlates across different empirically derived models of research, including dispositional mindfulness, mindfulness induction, MBIs, and expert meditators in relation to emotion regulation. From the perspective of recent findings in the neuroscience of emotion regulation, we discuss the interplay of top-down and bottom-up emotion regulation mechanisms associated with different mindfulness models. From a phenomenological and cognitive perspective, authors have argued that mindfulness elicits a "mindful emotion regulation" strategy; however, from a clinical perspective, this construct has not been properly differentiated from other strategies and interventions within MBIs. In this context we propose the distinction between top-down and bottom-up mindfulness based emotion regulation strategies. Furthermore, we propose an embodied emotion regulation framework as a multilevel approach for understanding psychobiological changes due to mindfulness meditation regarding its effect on emotion regulation. Finally, based on clinical neuroscientific evidence on mindfulness, we open perspectives and dialogues regarding commonalities and differences between MBIs and other psychotherapeutic strategies for emotion regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simón Guendelman
- Social Cognition Group, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt UniversitätBerlin, Germany
| | - Sebastián Medeiros
- Research Unit on Psychotherapeutic Interventions and Change Processes, Millennium Institute for Research in Depression and PersonalitySantiago, Chile
- Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de ChileSantiago, Chile
| | - Hagen Rampes
- Community Mental Health Team East, Central North West London Foundation NHS Foundation TrustLondon, UK
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27
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Braboszcz C, Cahn BR, Levy J, Fernandez M, Delorme A. Increased Gamma Brainwave Amplitude Compared to Control in Three Different Meditation Traditions. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0170647. [PMID: 28118405 PMCID: PMC5261734 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of research, effects of different types of meditation on electroencephalographic (EEG) activity are still being defined. We compared practitioners of three different meditation traditions (Vipassana, Himalayan Yoga and Isha Shoonya) with a control group during a meditative and instructed mind-wandering (IMW) block. All meditators showed higher parieto-occipital 60–110 Hz gamma amplitude than control subjects as a trait effect observed during meditation and when considering meditation and IMW periods together. Moreover, this gamma power was positively correlated with participants meditation experience. Independent component analysis was used to show that gamma activity did not originate in eye or muscle artifacts. In addition, we observed higher 7–11 Hz alpha activity in the Vipassana group compared to all the other groups during both meditation and instructed mind wandering and lower 10–11 Hz activity in the Himalayan yoga group during meditation only. We showed that meditation practice is correlated to changes in the EEG gamma frequency range that are common to a variety of meditation practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Braboszcz
- Université de Toulouse, UPS, Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Toulouse, France
- CerCo, CNRS UMR5549, Toulouse, France
- * E-mail:
| | - B. Rael Cahn
- University of Southern California Department of Psychiatry, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- University of Southern California Brain and Creativity Institute, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | | | - Manuel Fernandez
- Meditation Research Institute, Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Rishikesh, India
| | - Arnaud Delorme
- Université de Toulouse, UPS, Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Toulouse, France
- CerCo, CNRS UMR5549, Toulouse, France
- Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
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Luders E, Cherbuin N, Gaser C. Estimating brain age using high-resolution pattern recognition: Younger brains in long-term meditation practitioners. Neuroimage 2016; 134:508-513. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Revised: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
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Loizzo JJ. The subtle body: an interoceptive map of central nervous system function and meditative mind-brain-body integration. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2016; 1373:78-95. [PMID: 27164469 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Revised: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Meditation research has begun to clarify the brain effects and mechanisms of contemplative practices while generating a range of typologies and explanatory models to guide further study. This comparative review explores a neglected area relevant to current research: the validity of a traditional central nervous system (CNS) model that coevolved with the practices most studied today and that provides the first comprehensive neural-based typology and mechanistic framework of contemplative practices. The subtle body model, popularly known as the chakra system from Indian yoga, was and is used as a map of CNS function in traditional Indian and Tibetan medicine, neuropsychiatry, and neuropsychology. The study presented here, based on the Nalanda tradition, shows that the subtle body model can be cross-referenced with modern CNS maps and challenges modern brain maps with its embodied network model of CNS function. It also challenges meditation research by: (1) presenting a more rigorous, neural-based typology of contemplative practices; (2) offering a more refined and complete network model of the mechanisms of contemplative practices; and (3) serving as an embodied, interoceptive neurofeedback aid that is more user friendly and complete than current teaching aids for clinical and practical applications of contemplative practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J Loizzo
- Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science, Weill Cornell Center for Integrative Medicine, New York, New York
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Pisner DA, Smith R, Alkozei A, Klimova A, Killgore WDS. Highways of the emotional intellect: white matter microstructural correlates of an ability-based measure of emotional intelligence. Soc Neurosci 2016; 12:253-267. [PMID: 27072165 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2016.1176600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Individuals differ in their ability to understand emotional information and apply that understanding to make decisions and solve problems effectively - a construct known as Emotional Intelligence (EI). While considerable evidence supports the importance of EI in social and occupational functioning, the neural underpinnings of this capacity are relatively unexplored. We used Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) to determine the white matter correlates of EI as measured by the ability-based Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT). Participants included 32 healthy adults (16 men; 16 women), aged 18-45 years. White matter integrity in key tracts was positively correlated with the Strategic Area branches of the MSCEIT (Understanding Emotions and Managing Emotions), but not the Experiential branches (Perceiving and Facilitating Emotions). Specifically, the Understanding Emotions branch was associated with greater fractional anisotropy (FA) within somatosensory and sensory-motor fiber bundles, particularly those of the left superior longitudinal fasciculus and corticospinal tract. Managing Emotions was associated with greater FA within frontal-affective association tracts including the anterior forceps and right uncinate fasciculus, along with frontal-parietal cingulum and interhemispheric corpus callosum tracts. These findings suggest that specific components of EI are directly related to the structural microarchitecture of major axonal pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek A Pisner
- a Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory , University of Arizona College of Medicine , Tucson , AZ , USA
| | - Ryan Smith
- a Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory , University of Arizona College of Medicine , Tucson , AZ , USA
| | - Anna Alkozei
- a Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory , University of Arizona College of Medicine , Tucson , AZ , USA
| | - Aleksandra Klimova
- a Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory , University of Arizona College of Medicine , Tucson , AZ , USA
| | - William D S Killgore
- a Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory , University of Arizona College of Medicine , Tucson , AZ , USA.,b Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, McLean Hospital , Harvard Medical School , Belmont , MA , USA
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31
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Annells S, Kho K, Bridge P. Meditate don't medicate: How medical imaging evidence supports the role of meditation in the treatment of depression. Radiography (Lond) 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radi.2015.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Laneri D, Schuster V, Dietsche B, Jansen A, Ott U, Sommer J. Effects of Long-Term Mindfulness Meditation on Brain's White Matter Microstructure and its Aging. Front Aging Neurosci 2016; 7:254. [PMID: 26834624 PMCID: PMC4712309 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2015.00254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Although research on the effects of mindfulness meditation (MM) is increasing, still very little has been done to address its influence on the white matter (WM) of the brain. We hypothesized that the practice of MM might affect the WM microstructure adjacent to five brain regions of interest associated with mindfulness. Diffusion tensor imaging was employed on samples of meditators and non-meditators (n = 64) in order to investigate the effects of MM on group difference and aging. Tract-Based Spatial Statistics was used to estimate the fractional anisotrophy of the WM connected to the thalamus, insula, amygdala, hippocampus, and anterior cingulate cortex. The subsequent generalized linear model analysis revealed group differences and a group-by-age interaction in all five selected regions. These data provide preliminary indications that the practice of MM might result in WM connectivity change and might provide evidence on its ability to help diminish age-related WM degeneration in key regions which participate in processes of mindfulness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Laneri
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg Marburg, Germany
| | - Verena Schuster
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg Marburg, Germany
| | - Bruno Dietsche
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg Marburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Jansen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg Marburg, Germany
| | - Ulrich Ott
- Department of Psychology, Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen Giessen, Germany
| | - Jens Sommer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg Marburg, Germany
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Jao T, Li CW, Vértes PE, Wu CW, Achard S, Hsieh CH, Liou CH, Chen JH, Bullmore ET. Large-Scale Functional Brain Network Reorganization During Taoist Meditation. Brain Connect 2015; 6:9-24. [PMID: 26165867 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2014.0318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Meditation induces a distinct and reversible mental state that provides insights into brain correlates of consciousness. We explored brain network changes related to meditation by graph theoretical analysis of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Eighteen Taoist meditators with varying levels of expertise were scanned using a within-subjects counterbalanced design during resting and meditation states. State-related differences in network topology were measured globally and at the level of individual nodes and edges. Although measures of global network topology, such as small-worldness, were unchanged, meditation was characterized by an extensive and expertise-dependent reorganization of the hubs (highly connected nodes) and edges (functional connections). Areas of sensory cortex, especially the bilateral primary visual and auditory cortices, and the bilateral temporopolar areas, which had the highest degree (or connectivity) during the resting state, showed the biggest decrease during meditation. Conversely, bilateral thalamus and components of the default mode network, mainly the bilateral precuneus and posterior cingulate cortex, had low degree in the resting state but increased degree during meditation. Additionally, these changes in nodal degree were accompanied by reorganization of anatomical orientation of the edges. During meditation, long-distance longitudinal (antero-posterior) edges increased proportionally, whereas orthogonal long-distance transverse (right-left) edges connecting bilaterally homologous cortices decreased. Our findings suggest that transient changes in consciousness associated with meditation introduce convergent changes in the topological and spatial properties of brain functional networks, and the anatomical pattern of integration might be as important as the global level of integration when considering the network basis for human consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tun Jao
- 1 Brain Mapping Unit and Behavioural and Clinical Neurosciences Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom .,2 Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital , Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Wei Li
- 3 Interdisciplinary MRI/MRS Lab, Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University , Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Petra E Vértes
- 1 Brain Mapping Unit and Behavioural and Clinical Neurosciences Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Changwei Wesley Wu
- 4 Graduate Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Central University , Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Sophie Achard
- 5 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Grenoble Image Parole Signal Automatique , Grenoble, France
| | - Chao-Hsien Hsieh
- 3 Interdisciplinary MRI/MRS Lab, Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University , Taipei, Taiwan .,6 Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University , Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Hui Liou
- 3 Interdisciplinary MRI/MRS Lab, Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University , Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jyh-Horng Chen
- 3 Interdisciplinary MRI/MRS Lab, Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University , Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Edward T Bullmore
- 1 Brain Mapping Unit and Behavioural and Clinical Neurosciences Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom .,7 Alternative Discovery and Development , GlaxoSmithKline, Cambridge, United Kingdom .,8 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust , Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Facco E, Agrillo C, Greyson B. Epistemological implications of near-death experiences and other non-ordinary mental expressions: Moving beyond the concept of altered state of consciousness. Med Hypotheses 2015; 85:85-93. [PMID: 25892488 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2015.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2015] [Revised: 03/31/2015] [Accepted: 04/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
During the last decades an increasing interest has developed in the so-called altered state of consciousness (ASCs); among these, near-death experiences (NDEs) are one of the most intriguing and debated examples. NDEs are deep and universal experiences with a clear phenomenology and incidence, while some of their features challenge the current views of human consciousness (focused on neural circuits and based on the concept of mind as a byproduct of brain circuitry) with relevant epistemological and historical implications. The origin of the ruling mechanist-reductionist paradigm can be traced back to Descartes' radical separation of res cogitans and res extensa and the conflict between the nascent science and the Inquisition; this led to removing the subjective properties of mind from the field of scientific interest, relegating them to philosophy and theology in order to enable the development of modern science. However, the physics of the 20th century has eventually moved beyond the classical paradigm, permitting a profound renewal of scientific interest in the mind. Modern research on NDEs has contributed to reopening the debate surrounding the Cartesian separation, the mind-brain relationship and the nature of consciousness. It is now time to reappraise the relevance, strengths, and weaknesses of the available scientific interpretations of NDEs, their relationship with other ASCs, as well as the very concept of ASC; the latter looks to be ill-founded, suggesting the need for: (a) a revision of the conventional approach to subjective phenomena, including both the third- and first-person perspective; and (b) a deep reflection on the possible links between different non-ordinary mental expression, as regards both their phenomenology and mechanisms from a non-pathological perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Facco
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Italy; Inst. F. Granone - Italian Center of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (CIICS), Turin, Italy.
| | - Christian Agrillo
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Italy; Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Italy
| | - Bruce Greyson
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, United States
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35
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36
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Luders E, Thompson PM, Kurth F. Larger hippocampal dimensions in meditation practitioners: differential effects in women and men. Front Psychol 2015; 6:186. [PMID: 25798115 PMCID: PMC4351565 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
On average, the human hippocampus shows structural differences between meditators and non-meditators as well as between men and women. However, there is a lack of research exploring possible sex effects on hippocampal anatomy in the framework of meditation. Thus, we obtained high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging data from 30 long-term meditation practitioners (15 men/15 women) and 30 well-matched control subjects (15 men/15 women) to assess if hippocampus-specific effects manifest differently in male and female brains. Hippocampal dimensions were enlarged both in male and in female meditators when compared to sex- and age-matched controls. However, meditation effects differed between men and women in magnitude, laterality, and location on the hippocampal surface. Such sex-divergent findings may be due to genetic (innate) or acquired differences between male and female brains in the areas involved in meditation and/or suggest that male and female hippocampi are differently receptive to mindfulness practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen Luders
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles , Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Institute for Neuroimaging and Informatics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Florian Kurth
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles , Los Angeles, CA, USA
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McGeown WJ, Mazzoni G, Vannucci M, Venneri A. Structural and functional correlates of hypnotic depth and suggestibility. Psychiatry Res 2015; 231:151-9. [PMID: 25557062 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2014.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2013] [Revised: 09/11/2014] [Accepted: 11/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
This study explores whether self-reported depth of hypnosis and hypnotic suggestibility are associated with individual differences in neuroanatomy and/or levels of functional connectivity. Twenty-nine people varying in suggestibility were recruited and underwent structural, and after a hypnotic induction, functional magnetic resonance imaging at rest. We used voxel-based morphometry to assess the correlation of grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) against the independent variables: depth of hypnosis, level of relaxation and hypnotic suggestibility. Functional networks identified with independent components analysis were regressed with the independent variables. Hypnotic depth ratings were positively correlated with GM volume in the frontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Hypnotic suggestibility was positively correlated with GM volume in the left temporal-occipital cortex. Relaxation ratings did not correlate significantly with GM volume and none of the independent variables correlated with regional WM volume measures. Self-reported deeper levels of hypnosis were associated with less connectivity within the anterior default mode network. Taken together, the results suggest that the greater GM volume in the medial frontal cortex and ACC, and lower connectivity in the DMN during hypnosis facilitate experiences of greater hypnotic depth. The patterns of results suggest that hypnotic depth and hypnotic suggestibility should not be considered synonyms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Manila Vannucci
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health - Section of Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Annalena Venneri
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; IRCCS Fondazione Ospedale S. Camillo, Venice, Italy
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38
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BDNF-dependent plasticity induced by peripheral inflammation in the primary sensory and the cingulate cortex triggers cold allodynia and reveals a major role for endogenous BDNF as a tuner of the affective aspect of pain. J Neurosci 2015; 34:14739-51. [PMID: 25355226 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0860-14.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Painful experiences are multilayered, composed of sensory, affective, cognitive and behavioral facets. Whereas it is well accepted that the development of chronic pain is due to maladaptive neuronal changes, the underlying molecular mechanisms, their relationship to the different pain modalities, and indeed the localization of these changes are still unknown. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is an activity-dependent neuromodulator in the adult brain, which enhances neuronal excitability. In the spinal cord, BDNF underlies the development and maintenance of inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Here, we hypothesized that BDNF could be a trigger of some of these plastic changes. Our results demonstrate that BDNF is upregulated in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the primary sensory cortex (S1) in rats with inflammatory pain. Injections of recombinant BDNF (into the ACC) or a viral vector synthesizing BDNF (into the ACC or S1) triggered both neuronal hyperexcitability, as shown by elevated long-term potentiation, and sustained pain hypersensitivity. Finally, pharmacological blockade of BDNF-tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) signaling in the ACC, through local injection of cyclotraxin-B (a novel, highly potent, and selective TrkB antagonist) prevented neuronal hyperexcitability, the emergence of cold hypersensitivity, and passive avoidance behavior. These findings show that BDNF-dependent neuronal plasticity in the ACC, a structure known to be involved in the affective-emotional aspect of pain, is a key mechanism in the development and maintenance of the emotional aspect of chronic pain.
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Nakata H, Sakamoto K, Kakigi R. Meditation reduces pain-related neural activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, insula, secondary somatosensory cortex, and thalamus. Front Psychol 2014; 5:1489. [PMID: 25566158 PMCID: PMC4267182 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2014] [Accepted: 12/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that meditation inhibits or relieves pain perception. To clarify the underlying mechanisms for this phenomenon, neuroimaging methods, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, and neurophysiological methods, such as magnetoencephalography and electroencephalography, have been used. However, it has been difficult to interpret the results, because there is some paradoxical evidence. For example, some studies reported increased neural responses to pain stimulation during meditation in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and insula, whereas others showed a decrease in these regions. There have been inconsistent findings to date. Moreover, in general, since the activities of the ACC and insula are correlated with pain perception, the increase in neural activities during meditation would be related to the enhancement of pain perception rather than its reduction. These contradictions might directly contribute to the ‘mystery of meditation.’ In this review, we presented previous findings for brain regions during meditation and the anatomical changes that occurred in the brain with long-term meditation training. We then discussed the findings of previous studies that examined pain-related neural activity during meditation. We also described the brain mechanisms responsible for pain relief during meditation, and possible reasons for paradoxical evidence among previous studies. By thoroughly overviewing previous findings, we hypothesized that meditation reduces pain-related neural activity in the ACC, insula, secondary somatosensory cortex, and thalamus. We suggest that the characteristics of the modulation of this activity may depend on the kind of meditation and/or number of years of experience of meditation, which were associated with paradoxical findings among previous studies that investigated pain-related neural activities during meditation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Nakata
- Department of Integrative Physiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences Okazaki, Japan ; Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Human Life and Environment, Nara Women's University Nara, Japan
| | - Kiwako Sakamoto
- Department of Integrative Physiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences Okazaki, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Kakigi
- Department of Integrative Physiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences Okazaki, Japan
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Marchand WR. Neural mechanisms of mindfulness and meditation: Evidence from neuroimaging studies. World J Radiol 2014; 6:471-479. [PMID: 25071887 PMCID: PMC4109098 DOI: 10.4329/wjr.v6.i7.471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2013] [Revised: 03/02/2014] [Accepted: 05/29/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mindfulness is the dispassionate, moment-by-moment awareness of sensations, emotions and thoughts. Mindfulness-based interventions are being increasingly used for stress, psychological well being, coping with chronic illness as well as adjunctive treatments for psychiatric disorders. However, the neural mechanisms associated with mindfulness have not been well characterized. Recent functional and structural neuroimaging studies are beginning to provide insights into neural processes associated with the practice of mindfulness. A review of this literature revealed compelling evidence that mindfulness impacts the function of the medial cortex and associated default mode network as well as insula and amygdala. Additionally, mindfulness practice appears to effect lateral frontal regions and basal ganglia, at least in some cases. Structural imaging studies are consistent with these findings and also indicate changes in the hippocampus. While many questions remain unanswered, the current literature provides evidence of brain regions and networks relevant for understanding neural processes associated with mindfulness.
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Thomas J, Jamieson G, Cohen M. Low and then high frequency oscillations of distinct right cortical networks are progressively enhanced by medium and long term Satyananda Yoga meditation practice. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:197. [PMID: 24959124 PMCID: PMC4051196 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2013] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Meditation proficiency is related to trait-like (learned) effects on brain function, developed over time. Previous studies show increases in EEG power in lower frequency bands (theta, alpha) in experienced meditators in both meditation states and baseline conditions. Higher gamma band power has been found in advanced Buddhist meditators, yet it is not known if this occurs in Yoga meditation practices. This study used eLORETA to compare differences in cortical source activity underlying scalp EEG from intermediate (mean experience 4 years) and advanced (mean experience 30 years) Australian meditators from the Satyananda Yoga tradition during a body-steadiness meditation, mantra meditation, and non-meditation mental calculation condition. Intermediate Yoga meditators showed greater source activity in low frequencies (particularly theta and alpha1) during mental calculation, body-steadiness and mantra meditation. A similar spatial pattern of significant differences was found in all conditions but the number of significant voxels was double during body-steadiness and mantra meditation than in the non-meditation (calculation) condition. These differences were greatest in right (R) superior frontal and R precentral gyri and extended back to include the R parietal and occipital lobes. Advanced Yoga meditators showed greater activity in high frequencies (beta and especially gamma) in all conditions but greatly expanded during meditation practice. Across all conditions (meditation and non-meditation) differences were greatest in the same regions: R insula, R inferior frontal gyrus and R anterior temporal lobe. Distinct R core networks were identified in alpha1 (8-10 Hz) and gamma (25-42 Hz) bands, respectively. The voxels recruited to these networks greatly expanded during meditation practice to include homologous regions of the left hemisphere. Functional interpretation parallels traditionally described stages of development in Yoga proficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Thomas
- School of Health Sciences, RMIT UniversityBundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Graham Jamieson
- School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences, University of New EnglandArmidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Marc Cohen
- School of Health Sciences, RMIT UniversityBundoora, VIC, Australia
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42
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Wei GX, Dong HM, Yang Z, Luo J, Zuo XN. Tai Chi Chuan optimizes the functional organization of the intrinsic human brain architecture in older adults. Front Aging Neurosci 2014; 6:74. [PMID: 24860494 PMCID: PMC4029006 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 04/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Whether Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) can influence the intrinsic functional architecture of the human brain remains unclear. To examine TCC-associated changes in functional connectomes, resting-state functional magnetic resonance images were acquired from 40 older individuals including 22 experienced TCC practitioners (experts) and 18 demographically matched TCC-naïve healthy controls, and their local functional homogeneities across the cortical mantle were compared. Compared to the controls, the TCC experts had significantly greater and more experience-dependent functional homogeneity in the right post-central gyrus (PosCG) and less functional homogeneity in the left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the right dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex. Increased functional homogeneity in the PosCG was correlated with TCC experience. Intriguingly, decreases in functional homogeneity (improved functional specialization) in the left ACC and increases in functional homogeneity (improved functional integration) in the right PosCG both predicted performance gains on attention network behavior tests. These findings provide evidence for the functional plasticity of the brain’s intrinsic architecture toward optimizing locally functional organization, with great implications for understanding the effects of TCC on cognition, behavior and health in aging population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gao-Xia Wei
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology - Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China ; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology - Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China ; Laboratory for Functional Connectome and Development, Institute of Psychology - Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center, Institute of Psychology - Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China
| | - Hao-Ming Dong
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology - Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China ; Laboratory for Functional Connectome and Development, Institute of Psychology - Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China ; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China
| | - Zhi Yang
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology - Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China ; Laboratory for Functional Connectome and Development, Institute of Psychology - Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center, Institute of Psychology - Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China
| | - Jing Luo
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology - Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China ; Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, Department of Psychology, Capital Normal University Beijing, China
| | - Xi-Nian Zuo
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology - Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China ; Laboratory for Functional Connectome and Development, Institute of Psychology - Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center, Institute of Psychology - Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China
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Is meditation associated with altered brain structure? A systematic review and meta-analysis of morphometric neuroimaging in meditation practitioners. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 43:48-73. [PMID: 24705269 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 372] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2013] [Revised: 03/20/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Numerous studies have begun to address how the brain's gray and white matter may be shaped by meditation. This research is yet to be integrated, however, and two fundamental questions remain: Is meditation associated with altered brain structure? If so, what is the magnitude of these differences? To address these questions, we reviewed and meta-analyzed 123 brain morphology differences from 21 neuroimaging studies examining ∼300 meditation practitioners. Anatomical likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis found eight brain regions consistently altered in meditators, including areas key to meta-awareness (frontopolar cortex/BA 10), exteroceptive and interoceptive body awareness (sensory cortices and insula), memory consolidation and reconsolidation (hippocampus), self and emotion regulation (anterior and mid cingulate; orbitofrontal cortex), and intra- and interhemispheric communication (superior longitudinal fasciculus; corpus callosum). Effect size meta-analysis (calculating 132 effect sizes from 16 studies) suggests a global 'medium' effect size (Cohen's d¯=0.46; r¯=.19). Publication bias and methodological limitations are strong concerns, however. Further research using rigorous methods is required to definitively link meditation practice to altered brain morphology.
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Kurth F, MacKenzie-Graham A, Toga AW, Luders E. Shifting brain asymmetry: the link between meditation and structural lateralization. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2014; 10:55-61. [PMID: 24643652 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsu029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have revealed an increased fractional anisotropy and greater thickness in the anterior parts of the corpus callosum in meditation practitioners compared with control subjects. Altered callosal features may be associated with an altered inter-hemispheric integration and the degree of brain asymmetry may also be shifted in meditation practitioners. Therefore, we investigated differences in gray matter asymmetry as well as correlations between gray matter asymmetry and years of meditation practice in 50 long-term meditators and 50 controls. We detected a decreased rightward asymmetry in the precuneus in meditators compared with controls. In addition, we observed that a stronger leftward asymmetry near the posterior intraparietal sulcus was positively associated with the number of meditation practice years. In a further exploratory analysis, we observed that a stronger rightward asymmetry in the pregenual cingulate cortex was negatively associated with the number of practice years. The group difference within the precuneus, as well as the positive correlations with meditation years in the pregenual cingulate cortex, suggests an adaptation of the default mode network in meditators. The positive correlation between meditation practice years and asymmetry near the posterior intraparietal sulcus may suggest that meditation is accompanied by changes in attention processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Kurth
- Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7334, USA and Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, USC School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90032, USA
| | - Allan MacKenzie-Graham
- Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7334, USA and Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, USC School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90032, USA
| | - Arthur W Toga
- Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7334, USA and Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, USC School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90032, USA
| | - Eileen Luders
- Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7334, USA and Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, USC School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90032, USA
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE This article reviews neuroimaging studies that inform psychotherapy research. An introduction to neuroimaging methods is provided as background for the increasingly sophisticated breadth of methods and findings appearing in psychotherapy research. METHOD We compiled and assessed a comprehensive list of neuroimaging studies of psychotherapy outcome, along with selected examples of other types of studies that also are relevant to psychotherapy research. We emphasized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) since it is the dominant neuroimaging modality in psychological research. RESULTS We summarize findings from neuroimaging studies of psychotherapy outcome, including treatment for depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS The increasing use of neuroimaging methods in the study of psychotherapy continues to refine our understanding of both outcome and process. We suggest possible directions for future neuroimaging studies in psychotherapy research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol P Weingarten
- a Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences , Duke University , Durham , NC , USA
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Hazari N, Sarkar S. A Review of Yoga and Meditation Neuroimaging Studies in Healthy Subjects. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1089/act.2014.20109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nandita Hazari
- Senior residents in the department of psychiatry at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), in Chandigarh, India
| | - Siddharth Sarkar
- Senior residents in the department of psychiatry at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), in Chandigarh, India
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Loizzo J. Meditation research, past, present, and future: perspectives from the Nalanda contemplative science tradition. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2014; 1307:43-54. [PMID: 24673149 PMCID: PMC4253124 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This article offers an overview of meditation research: its history, recent developments, and future directions. As the number and scope of studies grow, the field has converged with cognitive and affective neuroscience, and spawned many clinical applications. Recent work has shed light on the mechanisms and effects of diverse practices, and is entering a new phase where consensus and coherent paradigms are within reach. This article suggests an unusual path for future advancement: complementing conventional research with rigorous dialogue with the contemplative traditions that train expert meditators and best know the techniques. It explores the Nalanda tradition developed in India and preserved in Tibet, because its cumulative approach to contemplative methods produced a comprehensive framework that may help interpret data and guide research, and because its naturalistic theories and empirical methods may help bridge the gulf between science and other contemplative traditions. Examining recent findings and models in light of this framework, the article introduces the Indic map of the central nervous system and presents three testable predictions based on it. Finally, it reviews two studies that suggest that the multimodal Nalanda approach to contemplative learning is as well received as more familiar approaches, while showing promise of being more effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Loizzo
- Center for Integrative Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical CollegeNew York
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Abstract
Human attention selectively focuses on aspects of experience that are threatening, pleasant, or novel. The physical threats of the ancient times have largely been replaced by chronic psychological worries and hurts. The mind gets drawn to these worries and hurts, mostly in the domain of the past and future, leading to mind wandering. In the brain, a network of neurons called the default mode network has been associated with mind wandering. Abnormal activity in the default mode network may predispose to depression, anxiety, attention deficit, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Several studies show that meditation can reverse some of these abnormalities, producing salutary functional and structural changes in the brain. This narrative review presents a mechanistic understanding of meditation in the context of recent advances in neurosciences about mind wandering, attention, and the brain networks.
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Braboszcz C, Cahn BR, Balakrishnan B, Maturi RK, Grandchamp R, Delorme A. Plasticity of visual attention in Isha yoga meditation practitioners before and after a 3-month retreat. Front Psychol 2013; 4:914. [PMID: 24376429 PMCID: PMC3859885 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Accepted: 11/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Meditation has lately received considerable interest from cognitive neuroscience. Studies suggest that daily meditation leads to long lasting attentional and neuronal plasticity. We present changes related to the attentional systems before and after a 3 month intensive meditation retreat. We used three behavioral psychophysical tests - a Stroop task, an attentional blink task, and a global-local letter task-to assess the effect of Isha yoga meditation on attentional resource allocation. 82 Isha yoga practitioners were tested at the beginning and at the end of the retreat. Our results showed an increase in correct responses specific to incongruent stimuli in the Stroop task. Congruently, a positive correlation between previous meditation experience and accuracy to incongruent Stroop stimuli was also observed at baseline. We also observed a reduction of the attentional blink. Unexpectedly, a negative correlation between previous meditation experience and attentional blink performance at baseline was observed. Regarding spatial attention orientation as assessed using the global-local letter task, participants showed a bias toward local processing. Only slight differences in performance were found pre- vs. post- meditation retreat. Biasing toward the local stimuli in the global-local task and negative correlation of previous meditation experience with attentional blink performance is consistent with Isha practices being focused-attention practices. Given the relatively small effect sizes and the absence of a control group, our results do not allow clear support nor rejection of the hypothesis of meditation-driven neuronal plasticity in the attentional system for Isha yoga practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Braboszcz
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, UPS, Université de ToulouseToulouse, France
- CERCO, CNRS UMR5549Toulouse, France
| | - B. Rael Cahn
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour, UC IrvineOrange, CA, USA
| | | | - Raj K. Maturi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Volunteer, Indiana University School of Medicine Shareholder, Midwest Eye InstituteIndianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Romain Grandchamp
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, UPS, Université de ToulouseToulouse, France
- CERCO, CNRS UMR5549Toulouse, France
| | - Arnaud Delorme
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, UPS, Université de ToulouseToulouse, France
- CERCO, CNRS UMR5549Toulouse, France
- SCCN, INC, UCSDLa Jolla CA, USA
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Abstract
A growing body of research suggests that meditation practices are associated with substantial psychological as well as physiological benefits. In searching for the biological mechanisms underlying the beneficial impact of meditation, studies have revealed practice-induced alterations of neurotransmitters, brain activity, and cognitive abilities, just to name a few. These findings not only imply a close link between meditation and brain structure, but also suggest possible modulating effects of meditation on age-related brain atrophy. Given that normal aging is associated with significant loss of brain tissue, meditation-induced growth and/or preservation might manifest as a seemingly reduced brain age in meditators (i.e., cerebral measures characteristic of younger brains). Surprisingly, there are only three published studies that have addressed the question of whether meditation diminishes age-related brain degeneration. This paper reviews these three studies with respect to the brain attributes studied, the analytical strategies applied, and the findings revealed. The review concludes with an elaborate discussion on the significance of existing studies, implications and directions for future studies, as well as the overall relevance of this field of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen Luders
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California
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