Neural mechanisms underlying the depression-reducing effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction in university students: A Rs-fMRI study.
Biological Psychology January 1, 2026 Xiaonan Zhan, Huibiao Li, Ke Chen et al.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) reduces depressive symptoms in university students by altering brain activity and connectivity. In a randomized controlled trial, 42 healthy students completed an 8-week MBSR program or served as controls. MBSR participants showed greater improvement in depression scores. Brain imaging revealed reduced Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuations (ALFF), fractional ALFF, and Regional Homogeneity in the right middle cingulate cortex (MCC). Functional connectivity between the right MCC and the left hippocampus and bilateral precuneus also decreased. These connectivity changes correlated with depression improvement, suggesting MBSR promotes adaptive neural reorganization in emotional regulation networks.