Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging
August 1, 2024
Xuefeng Xu, Xuefeng Ma, Haosen Ni et al.
14 citations
Mindfulness meditation reduced addiction severity and game craving in people with internet gaming disorder more effectively than progressive muscle relaxation. After one month of training, functional connectivity between the executive control network and both the default mode network and reward-related brain regions increased. These connectivity changes correlated negatively with dopamine and acetylcholine transporters and positively with serotonin and GABA receptors. The findings suggest mindfulness meditation enhances top-down control over cravings by altering brain network interactions.
Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science
July 1, 2025
Shuang Li, Anhang Jiang, Xuefeng Ma et al.
3 citations
Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is a global mental health issue, and effective treatments remain challenging. In a study of 61 participants with IGD, 30 received mindfulness meditation (MM) training and 31 received progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) over eight sessions. Using resting-state functional MRI and dynamic network analysis of 142 brain regions, MM training significantly reduced addiction severity and cravings compared to PMR, which showed only nonspecific effects. MM increased brain network recruitment in the frontoparietal and basal ganglia networks while decreasing it in the default mode network, and increased integration between the frontoparietal-default mode and default mode-limbic networks. MM may improve top-down control, cognitive and emotional functions, and reward processing through reconfiguration of these neural pathways.
Translational Psychiatry
February 18, 2026
Xuefeng Xu, Huabin Wang, Shaoyu Cui et al.
Mindfulness meditation (MM) reduced depression, addiction severity, and cravings in patients with internet gaming disorder and co-occurring depression (IGD-D) more than progressive muscle relaxation did. After 8 training sessions over one month, brain scans showed that MM strengthened functional connectivity in networks involved in executive control, emotion regulation, and self-referential thought. These connectivity changes correlated with several neurotransmitter systems, including serotonin and dopamine receptors. The findings suggest MM works by enhancing top-down control and disrupting negative reinforcement mechanisms, making it a promising therapy for IGD-D.
Journal of Psychiatric Research
October 1, 2025
Haohao Dong, Huabin Wang, Xuefeng Xu et al.
Both online and face-to-face mindfulness meditation reduce the severity of Internet Gaming Disorder and enhance cortical structure, particularly in the superior temporal gyrus and right insula. In a randomized trial with 100 participants, eight sessions of mindfulness meditation (face-to-face or online) increased cortical thickness in the superior temporal gyrus compared to progressive muscle relaxation. Face-to-face meditation also increased local gyrification index in the left superior temporal gyrus and right insula. These structural changes correlated with reduced disorder severity. Mindfulness meditation also reduced structural covariance between the right superior temporal gyrus and default mode and sensory networks, suggesting neuroanatomical targets for treatment.
PNAS Nexus
September 1, 2025
Xin Luo, Huabin Wang, Xuefeng Xu et al.
Mindfulness meditation reduces gaming and depression severity in people with co-occurring internet gaming disorder and depression more effectively than progressive muscle relaxation. Brain imaging showed that mindfulness meditation decreased activity in the medial frontal gyrus and parahippocampal gyrus while increasing activity in the left lentiform when participants faced gaming cues. It also altered functional connectivity between these regions, suggesting changes in executive control and reward processing. Progressive muscle relaxation produced similar but weaker effects. Mindfulness meditation may be an efficacious treatment for individuals with both conditions.
npj Mental Health Research
July 31, 2025
Xuefeng Xu, Haosen Ni, Huabin Wang et al.
Internet gaming disorder involves abnormal functional connectivity in brain networks for executive control and reward processing. A randomized clinical trial with 80 patients compared mindfulness meditation (twice-weekly for 8 sessions) to progressive muscle relaxation. Mindfulness meditation enhanced connectivity within the executive control network and between the executive control and reward networks, improving top-down control over gaming cravings. The findings suggest mindfulness meditation can effectively treat internet gaming disorder.
JAMA Network Open
June 3, 2024
Haosen Ni, Huabin Wang, Xuefeng Ma et al.
An 8-session mindfulness meditation program reduced internet gaming disorder severity and gaming cravings more than progressive muscle relaxation in adults with internet gaming disorder. After four weeks, the mindfulness group showed a greater decrease in addiction severity scores than the relaxation group. Mindfulness meditation was linked to reduced brain activity in regions involved in reward and craving, and increased connectivity between the medial frontal gyrus and lentiform nuclei predicted lower craving. The findings suggest mindfulness meditation may be an effective treatment for internet gaming disorder by altering frontopallidal pathways.