Onset of meditation explored with fMRI

Cognitive Processing, 2009

Meditation is an ancient spiritual practice, which aims to still the fluctuations of the mind. We investigated meditation with fMRI in order to identify and characterise both the "neural switch" mechanism used in the voluntary shift from normal consciousness to meditation and the "threshold regulation mechanism" sustaining the meditative state. Thirty-one individuals with 1.5-25 years experience in meditation were scanned using a blocked on-off design with 45 s alternating epochs during the onset of respectively meditation and normal relaxation. Additionally, 21 subjects were scanned during 14.5 min of sustained meditation. The data were analysed with SPM and ICA. During the onset of meditation, activations were found bilaterally in the putamen and the supplementary motor cortex, while deactivations were found predominately in the right hemisphere, the precuneus, the posterior cingulum and the parieto-temporal area. During sustained meditation, SPM analysis revealed activation in the head of nucleus caudatus. Extensive deactivations were observed in white matter in the right hemisphere, i.e. mainly in the posterior occipito-parieto-temporal area and in the frontal lobes. ICA identified 38 components including known baseline-resting state components, one of which not only overlaps with the activated area revealed in the SPM analysis but extends further into frontal, temporal, parietal and limbic areas, and might presumably constitute a combination of frontoparietal and cinguloopercular task control systems. The identified component processes display varying degrees of correlation. We hypothesise that a proper characterisation of brain processes during meditation will require an operational definition of brain dynamics matching a stable state of mind. An investigation of brain processes supporting meditation 1 The citations from Patanjali have been adapted from the referenced translations by the first author.

2009

Meditation is an ancient spiritual practice, which aims to still the fluctuations of the mind .W e investigated meditation with fMRI in order to identify and characterise both the ''neural switch'' mechanism used in the voluntary shift from normal consciousness to medita- tion and the ''threshold regulation mechanism'' sustaining the meditative state. Thirty-one individuals with 1.5- 25 years experience in meditation were scanned using a blocked on-off design with 45 s alternating epochs during the onset of respectively meditation and normal relaxation. Additionally, 21 subjects were scanned during 14.5 min of sustained meditation. The data were analysed with SPM and ICA. During the onset of meditation, activations were found bilaterally in the putamen and the supplementary motor cortex, while deactivations were found predomi- nately in the right hemisphere, the precuneus, the posterior cingulum and the parieto-temporal area. During sustained meditati...

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2012

Human Brain Mapping, 1999

The aim of the present study was to examine whether the neural structures subserving meditation can be reproducibly measured, and, if so, whether they are different from those supporting the resting state of normal consciousness. Cerebral blood flow distribution was investigated with the 15 O-H 2 O PET technique in nine young adults, who were highly experienced yoga teachers, during the relaxation meditation (Yoga Nidra), and during the resting state of normal consciousness. In addition, global CBF was measured in two of the subjects. Spectral EEG analysis was performed throughout the investigations. In meditation, differential activity was seen, with the noticeable exception of V1, in the posterior sensory and associative cortices known to participate in imagery tasks. In the resting state of normal consciousness (compared with meditation as a baseline), differential activity was found in dorso-lateral and orbital frontal cortex, anterior cingulate gyri, left temporal gyri, left inferior parietal lobule, striatal and thalamic regions, pons and cerebellar vermis and hemispheres, structures thought to support an executive attentional network. The mean global flow remained unchanged for both subjects throughout the investigation (39 Ϯ 5 and 38 Ϯ 4 ml/100 g/min, uncorrected for partial volume effects). It is concluded that the H 2 15 O PET method may measure CBF distribution in the meditative state as well as during the resting state of normal consciousness, and that characteristic patterns of neural activity support each state. These findings enhance our understanding of the neural basis of different aspects of consciousness. Hum. Brain Mapping 7: 98-105, 1999. 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc. ᭜ Human Brain Mapping 7:98-105(1999) ᭜ ᭜ PET Study of Meditation and the Resting State ᭜ ᭜ 101 ᭜ Negative X coordinates, left hemisphere; positive, right. Z score Ͼ 3.09. ᭜ Lou et al. ᭜ ᭜ 104 ᭜ ᭜ PET Study of Meditation and the Resting State ᭜ ᭜ 105 ᭜

Frontiers in Bioscience

Andrade et al. points out that about 30% of the inhabitants of a large metropolis suffer from mental disorders (10). Several meta-analysis have also shown that meditation can be used for treatment different psychological disorders with positive outcomes (11), (12). In this scenario, the use of adequate scientific methodology and instruments to observe the phenomena associated with meditation becomes important and allows health professionals to encourage meditation practice (13). Although there may be some differences between meditation practices such as focused attention (FA) and open monitoring (OM) and their correlates dharana (concentration) and dhyana (meditation) in the ancient texts (14), such techniques share many similarities. Here, we will review, the effects of meditation on brain structure and function, raise some methodological questions and will not discuss semantic differences. For example, in cross-sectional studies, conclusions about the results of meditation might be mistaken for pre-existing individual differences. Moreover, if we take the effects of meditation into account, we should also consider state and trait (15), where state encompasses the alterations caused during some practice, while trait encompasses those that transform baseline patterns and remain even when the individual is not meditating. In the present scenario, researches are more focused on the psychobiological effects of meditation as a cognitive training than on the reports of the mystical states of trance described as nirvana or samadhi, which were precursors for the first meditation studies (16), (17). The aim of this study was to review structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging studies about meditation.

Frontiers in Psychology, 2015

Perceptual and Motor Skills, 2010

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2014

There has been an increased interest in mindfulness and meditation training over the past decade. As evidenced by exponential growth in the number of publications since the beginning of the 21st century, progressively more is becoming known about both the clinical efficacy and underlying neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness training. This paper briefly highlights psychological models of stress that converge between ancient and modern day (e.g., operant conditioning); identifies key brain regions that, with these models, are biologically plausible targets for mindfulness (e.g., posterior cingulate cortex); and discusses recent and emerging findings from neuroimaging studies of meditation therein, including new advances using real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback in neurophenomenological studies.

2000

Meditation involves attentional regulation and may lead to increased activity in brain regions associated with attention such as dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined whether DLPFC and ACC were activated during meditation. Subjects who meditate were recruited and scanned on a 3.0 Tesla scanner. Subjects meditated for four sessions

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2010

Meditation involves attentional regulation and may lead to increased activity in brain regions associated with attention such as dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined whether DLPFC and ACC were activated during meditation. Subjects who meditate were recruited and scanned on a 3.0 Tesla scanner. Subjects meditated for four sessions of 12 min and performed four sessions of a 6 min control task. Individual and group t-maps were generated of overall meditation response versus control response and late meditation response versus early meditation response for each subject and time courses were plotted. For the overall group (n = 13), and using an overall brain analysis, there were no statistically significant regional activations of interest using conservative thresholds. A region of interest analysis of the entire group time courses of DLPFC and ACC were statistically more active throughout meditation in comparison to the control task. Moreover, dividing the cohort into short (n = 8) and long-term (n = 5) practitioners (>10 years) revealed that the time courses of long-term practitioners had significantly more consistent and sustained activation in the DLPFC and the ACC during meditation versus control in comparison to short-term practitioners. The regional brain activations in the more practised subjects may correlate with better sustained attention and attentional error monitoring. In summary, brain regions associated with attention vary over the time of a meditation session and may differ between long-and short-term meditation practitioners.