Structural changes in socio‐affective networks: Multi‐modal MRI findings in long‐term meditation practitioners
Neuropsychologia August 31, 2017 Haakon Engen, B. Bernhardt, Leon Skottnik et al.
Long-term meditation practitioners who had spent an average of 40,000 hours cultivating loving-kindness and compassion showed increased cortical thickness in fronto-insular brain regions compared to meditation-naïve controls. Functional MRI during a loving-kindness meditation session revealed increased brain activity in multiple prefrontal and insular areas, with partial overlap in the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior insula, suggesting these regions are central to generating emotional states relevant to the practice. These cross-sectional findings motivate future longitudinal research on brain plasticity from training aimed at enhancing altruism and prosocial motivation.