Correlations between brain changes and pain management after cognitive and meditative therapies: A systematic review of neuroimaging studies.
Complementary Therapies in Medicine August 1, 2018 Simone S Nascimento, Larissa R Oliveira, Josimari M DeSantana
Cognitive and meditative therapies (CMT) such as cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and meditation alter brain activity in both chronic pain patients and healthy individuals. In chronic pain patients, CMT increases activation in the prefrontal cortex, somatosensory cortices, and limbic system. In healthy individuals, CMT increases activation in the anterior cingulate and anterior insular cortex while decreasing thalamus activation. These changes suggest that CMT regulates pain by affecting an extensive network of brain regions beyond those directly processing pain. CMT consistently reduces the affective experience of pain, but reductions in pain intensity ratings are less consistent across studies.