Meditation expertise influences response bias and prestimulus alpha activity in the somatosensory signal detection task.
Maik Mylius, Simon Guendelman, Fivos Iliopoulos, Vittorio Gallese, Laura Kaltwasser
Psychophysiology February 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14712 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 64 |
| Population | 31 expert meditators and 33 matched controls (non-meditators who engage in regular reading, more than 5 h per week) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Alpha modulation Interoception Prestimulus alpha Somatosensory awareness Somatosensory signal detection |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | Meditators had a lower decision threshold rather than higher accuracy in a somatosensory signal detection task, with reduced prestimulus alpha power and a negative correlation between prestimulus alpha activity and tactile perception. |
Abstract
This study investigates the proposed mechanism of mindfulness, its impact on body awareness and interoception, and its potential benefits for mental and physical health. Using psychophysical assessments, we compared 31 expert meditators with 33 matched controls (non-meditators who engage in regular reading, more than 5 h per week) in terms of somatosensory accuracy with a somatosensory signal detection task (SSDT) and interoceptive sensibility via self-report measures. We hypothesized that meditators would demonstrate superior somatosensory accuracy, indicative of heightened body awareness, potentially linked to increased alpha modulation in the somatosensory cortex, as observed via electroencephalography (EEG). In the SSDT, participants attempted to detect near-threshold tactile stimuli presented with a non-informative light in half of the trials. Contrary to our expectations, the findings showed that meditators had a lower decision threshold rather than higher accuracy. EEG results corroborated earlier research, indicating reduced prestimulus alpha power in meditators, suggesting enhanced alpha modulation. Furthermore, a trial-by-trial analysis revealed a negative correlation between prestimulus alpha activity and tactile perception. Compared to controls, meditators also reported greater interoceptive sensibility, less emotional suppression, and fewer difficulties in describing feelings. These findings may imply that enhanced tactile perception is associated with lower prestimulus alpha activity by reducing sensory filtering in the somatosensory cortex, thus increasing response rates without necessarily improving accuracy among meditators.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- The Mindfulness Internal Attention (MIA) Framework: Uncovering the Attentional Mechanisms of Mindfulness Training. Annual Review of Psychology 2026
- Advanced Analysis of Alpha EEG Patterns for Identifying Meditative States in Alpha Power Activation Yoga (APAY) International Research Journal of Multidisciplinary Technovation March 30, 2025
Cites 38
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics Pharmacological Reviews June 20, 2019
- Defining mindfulness by how poorly I think I pay attention during everyday awareness and other intractable problems for psychology's (re)invention of mindfulness: Comment on Brown et al. (2011). Psychological Assessment 2011
and 33 more in the library