The Effects of Mindfulness on Brain Network Dynamics Following an Acute Stressor in a Population of Drinking Adults.
Brain Sciences March 14, 2026 Shannon M O'Donnell, W Jack Rejeski, Mohammadreza Khodaei et al.
Mindfulness reduces stress in heavy drinkers, but its neural basis was unclear. This study used a dynamic brain network model (hidden semi-Markov model) to examine brain states during a 10-minute mindfulness session or rest after a stress task in 32 moderate-to-heavy drinkers. During mindfulness, participants spent more time in states where the salience network was active and had more transitions between states. In the control group, more time was spent in default mode network states. Among controls, greater occupancy of salience-dominant states correlated with lower perceived stress. Dynamic connectivity offers new insight into how mindfulness alters brain networks.