Transformative Effects of Mindfulness Meditation Training on the Dynamic Reconfiguration of Executive and Default Mode Networks in Internet Gaming Disorder.
Shuang Li, Anhang Jiang, Xuefeng Ma, Zhengjie Zhang, Haosen Ni, Huabin Wang, Chang Liu, Xiaolan Song, Guang-Heng Dong
Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science July 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2025.100485 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 61 |
| Population | Participants with internet gaming disorder |
| Interventions | Mindfulness meditation Progressive muscle relaxation |
| Duration | 8-session training regimen |
| Topics | Default mode network Meditation |
| Keywords | Integration Internet gaming disorder Mindfulness meditation Progressive muscle relaxation Recruitment |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness meditation training significantly reduced addiction severity and cravings in participants with internet gaming disorder and altered dynamic brain network recruitment and integration. |
Abstract
Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is a pervasive global mental health issue, and finding effective treatments for the disorder has been challenging. Mindfulness meditation (MM), recognized for its holistic approach that involves integrating mental and physical facets, holds promise for addressing the multifaceted nature of addiction. Nevertheless, the effect of MM on IGD and its associated neural networks, particularly in terms of their dynamic characteristics, remains elusive. A total of 61 eligible participants with IGD (30 in the MM group, 31 in the progressive muscle relaxation [PMR] group) completed the experimental protocol, which involved pretest, an 8-session MM/PMR training regimen, and posttests. The 142 brain regions of interest were categorized into 5 brain networks using dynamic network reconfiguration analysis based on Shen's functional template. A comparative analysis of network dynamic features, including recruitment and integration coefficients, was performed across different groups and tests using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data. While clinically nonspecific effects were observed in the PMR group, the MM group exhibited a significant reduction in addiction severity and cravings. In the dynamic brain network, MM training increased the recruitment coefficient within the frontoparietal network (FPN) and basal ganglia network (BGN) but decreased it within the default mode network (DMN). Furthermore, MM training increased the integration coefficient in the FPN-DMN and DMN-limbic network (LN). MM has demonstrated pronounced efficacy in treating IGD. MM may enhance top-down control functions, cognitive and emotional functions, and reward-system processing, potentially through the reconfiguration of the FPN-DMN pathway, DMN-LN pathway, and BGN.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin Healthy volunteers | 2012 | Within-subjects, placebo-controlled, task-free fMRI study | n = 30 |
| The effects of psilocybin and MDMA on between-network resting state functional connectivity in healthy volunteers | 2014 | Placebo-controlled study | |
| Ketamine Decreases Resting State Functional Network Connectivity in Healthy Subjects: Implications for Antidepressant Drug Action Healthy subjects | 2012 | Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover rsfMRI challenge | |
| Antidepressants Normalize the Default Mode Network in Patients With Dysthymia Subjects with dysthymic disorder and healthy control participants aged 18 to 53 years | 2013 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Functional Connectivity Measures After Psilocybin Inform a Novel Hypothesis of Early Psychosis Healthy volunteers | 2012 | Within-subject, placebo-controlled experimental study | n = 15 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Mindfulness-based and mindfulness-informed interventions for internet use disorders in adolescents and young adults: A three-level random-effects meta-analysis Journal of Behavioral Addictions September 18, 2026
- Default Mode Network (DMN) for Human Five Senses and Sensory Environments Asploro Journal of Biomedical and Clinical Case Reports August 18, 2026
- Intervention effects of subconscious cultivation in mindfulness-based physical education teaching and training on pain perception and psychological resilience in advanced cancer patients Psycho-Oncologie December 17, 2025
- Integrating Yoga and Mindfulness in the Management of Internet Gaming Disorder: A Narrative Review of Current Evidence and Future Directions. Current Psychiatry Reports September 9, 2026
Cites 11
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- The Brain's Default Mode Network Annual Review of Neuroscience May 4, 2015
- Effects of Meditation Experience on Functional Connectivity of Distributed Brain Networks Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- A narrative review of yoga and mindfulness as complementary therapies for addiction. Complementary Therapies in Medicine June 1, 2013
- The role of the default mode network in component processes underlying the wandering mind Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience March 21, 2017
and 6 more in the library