ALTERED DEFAULT MODE NETWORK (DMN) RESTING STATE FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY FOLLOWING A MINDFULNESS-BASED EXPOSURE THERAPY FOR POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) IN COMBAT VETERANS OF AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ.
Depression and Anxiety April 1, 2016 Anthony P. King, Stefanie R Block, Rebecca K Sripada et al.
Mindfulness training may help treat PTSD by strengthening connections between brain networks involved in self-focused thought and executive control. In combat veterans with PTSD, a mindfulness-based group therapy reduced symptoms (effect size d = 0.92), though not significantly more than an active control therapy (d = 0.46). Brain scans showed that mindfulness training increased resting-state functional connectivity between the default mode network and regions supporting attention and control, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. This increased connectivity correlated with improvements in avoidance and hyperarousal symptoms, suggesting a neural mechanism for how mindfulness helps regulate attention and reduce PTSD symptoms.