Long-term meditation practice is linked to structural changes in the brain. Magnetic resonance imaging of 20 experienced Insight meditation practitioners showed greater cortical thickness in regions involved in attention, interoception, and sensory processing, including the prefrontal cortex and right anterior insula, compared to matched controls. The difference in prefrontal thickness was most pronounced in older participants, suggesting meditation may counteract age-related cortical thinning. Thickness in two regions also correlated with meditation experience. These findings provide the first structural evidence that meditation practice can induce experience-dependent cortical plasticity.
Two meditation-based stress reduction programs—Relaxation Response (RR) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)—both reduced stress, with MBSR showing a larger effect (Cohen's d = 1.02) than RR (Cohen's d = 0.50). Both programs activated shared neural pathways between ventromedial prefrontal regions and supplementary motor areas. However, the RR bodyscan meditation, which emphasizes physical relaxation, showed stronger connectivity between the right inferior frontal gyrus (involved in inhibition and control) and supplementary motor areas. The MBSR program, which emphasizes mindful awareness without explicit relaxation, uniquely improved self-compassion and rumination and showed connectivity between the right anterior insula (sensory awareness and salience) and pregenual anterior cingulate during meditation. These distinct neural patterns align with each program's theoretical focus.
Temporal interference (TI) electrical stimulation targeting the ventral striatum during mindfulness meditation increased the reward positivity (RewP) brain response and reduced anxiety in healthy adults. Nineteen participants (ages 18-36) received both active 8 Hz TI and sham stimulation across two sessions while meditating. Active TI, but not sham, boosted the RewP difference between winning and losing from before to after meditation, an effect that persisted in those who received active TI first. The RewP increase was driven by larger responses to wins. Anxiety decreased only with active TI, and this emotional change corresponded with greater RewP to wins. The findings suggest TI can engage deep reward circuits during meditation, producing short-term neural and emotional effects.
Temporal interference (TI) electrical stimulation can target the ventral striatum (VS) during breath-focused mindfulness meditation to alter reward processing and emotionality. In 19 healthy adults aged 18–36, active 8 Hz TI stimulation, compared to sham, increased the reward positivity potential (RewP) in EEG recordings during a reward task, indicating engagement of the VS. The effect was specific to reward processing, not an unrelated brain response. Active TI also reduced negative emotionality, and these emotional changes corresponded with increased RewP amplitude. The findings suggest TI can precisely target deep brain structures and produce short-term continued effects on reward-related functioning when combined with meditation.