Network neuroscience examines brain organization by mapping connections between its elements. This review describes how mindfulness meditation may alter structural and functional brain networks. Although evidence is preliminary, studies suggest mindfulness shifts connector hubs—the anterior cingulate cortex, thalamus, and mid-insula—and reduces intraconnectivity within the default mode network. Global connectivity findings are mixed. The authors call for rigorous study designs, open science, and diverse samples to better understand mindfulness's impact on brain networks.
An eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, compared to an active control, did not produce differential improvements in most measures of sustained attention or mind-wandering among older adults aged 65-85. A small effect was observed for self-reported task-unrelated thoughts. Both groups showed improvements over time on the Go/No-Go task, and group differences emerged on reaction time variability and the Conners Continuous Performance Test. The findings suggest that mindfulness training may not specifically enhance attentional control in older adults beyond an active control intervention.
Brief mindfulness meditation reduces emotional reactivity as measured by the late positive potential (LPP), an electrical brain response linked to emotional processing. In a study of participants, those who engaged in a guided meditation practice showed a smaller difference in LPP response between negative high-arousing and neutral stimuli over time, indicating reduced emotional reactivity. In contrast, simply instructing participants to attend mindfully to stimuli did not change the LPP. Dispositional mindfulness was also linked to reduced LPP responses to negative stimuli, but only among participants who listened to a control audio recording, not those who meditated. These findings suggest that practicing mindfulness meditation, rather than just adopting a mindful state, can cultivate emotional regulation similar to naturally high dispositional mindfulness.