Functional connectivity and temporal dynamics of EEG in novice meditators: Association of psychomotor vigilance test performance changes and mean phase coherence
October 19, 2023 Ren Guerriero, Stephen Dundon, Shreyas Joshi et al.
Mean phase coherence (MPC), a phase-based measure of brain connectivity novel to meditation research, revealed high alpha coherence between front-temporal and frontal-occipital electrodes during 20 minutes of focused attention meditation in 25 healthy, meditation-naïve adults. High prefrontal gamma coherence at meditation onset correlated with better attentional performance, while frontal alpha and beta power increased later in the meditation. Alpha coherence throughout the meditation was associated with improved performance changes on a psychomotor vigilance task. The findings suggest meditation involves dynamic neural processes and that control conditions may share similar neural dynamics, warranting more systematic study.