Change in Brainstem Gray Matter Concentration Following a Mindfulness-Based Intervention is Correlated with Improvement in Psychological Well-Being
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience January 1, 2014 Omar Singleton, Britta K. Hölzel, Mark Vangel et al. 116 citations
Participation in an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course led to increases in psychological well-being (PWB) scores, which were positively correlated with increases in gray matter concentration in two bilateral clusters in the brainstem, including the pontine tegmentum, locus coeruleus, nucleus raphe pontis, and sensory trigeminal nucleus. These brain areas are sites of norepinephrine and serotonin synthesis and release, which modulate arousal and mood. No brain regions showed a negative correlation with PWB change. This preliminary finding suggests a neural basis for enhanced well-being through mindfulness training.