Neural mechanisms of symptom improvements in generalized anxiety disorder following mindfulness training
NeuroImage Clinical January 1, 2013 Britta K. Hölzel, Elizabeth A Hoge, Douglas N. Greve et al. 285 citations
Mindfulness training alters brain activity in regions involved in emotion regulation among people with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). In a preliminary study, 26 GAD patients were randomly assigned to either an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program or a stress management education control. At baseline, GAD patients showed higher amygdala activation than healthy participants when viewing neutral faces, indicating heightened reactivity to ambiguous stimuli. After both interventions, amygdala activation to neutral faces decreased. MBSR, but not the control, led to greater increases in ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) activity and strengthened amygdala-prefrontal functional connectivity. These brain changes correlated with reductions in anxiety scores, suggesting clinical relevance. The shift from negative to positive amygdala-prefrontal coupling may represent a unique mechanism of mindfulness.