Impact of meditation training on the default mode network during a restful state
Véronique A. Taylor, Véronique Daneault, Joshua A Grant, Geneviève Scavone, Estelle Breton, Sébastien Roffe-Vidal, Jérôme Courtemanche, Anaïs S Lavarenne, Guillaume Marrelec, Habib Benali, Mario Beauregard
Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience March 24, 2012 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsr087 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 24 |
| Population | 13 experienced meditators (over 1000 h of training) and 11 beginner meditators (no prior experience, trained for 1 week) |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Topics | Default mode network Meditation |
| Keywords | Resting State FMRI Functional connectivity Prefrontal cortex Cognitive psychology Clinical psychology Cognition |
| Citations | 317 |
| Key findings | Experienced meditators had weaker functional connectivity between DMN regions involved in self-referential processing and emotional appraisal, and increased connectivity between certain other DMN regions, compared to beginners. |
Abstract
Mindfulness meditation has been shown to promote emotional stability. Moreover, during the processing of aversive and self-referential stimuli, mindful awareness is associated with reduced medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) activity, a central default mode network (DMN) component. However, it remains unclear whether mindfulness practice influences functional connectivity between DMN regions and, if so, whether such impact persists beyond a state of meditation. Consequently, this study examined the effect of extensive mindfulness training on functional connectivity within the DMN during a restful state. Resting-state data were collected from 13 experienced meditators (with over 1000 h of training) and 11 beginner meditators (with no prior experience, trained for 1 week before the study) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Pairwise correlations and partial correlations were computed between DMN seed regions' time courses and were compared between groups utilizing a Bayesian sampling scheme. Relative to beginners, experienced meditators had weaker functional connectivity between DMN regions involved in self-referential processing and emotional appraisal. In addition, experienced meditators had increased connectivity between certain DMN regions (e.g. dorso-medial PFC and right inferior parietal lobule), compared to beginner meditators. These findings suggest that meditation training leads to functional connectivity changes between core DMN regions possibly reflecting strengthened present-moment awareness.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on default mode network, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 134
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- Effects of mindful-attention and compassion meditation training on amygdala response to emotional stimuli in an ordinary, non-meditative state Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- Psychedelics, Meditation, and Self-Consciousness Frontiers in Psychology September 4, 2018
- Meditation leads to reduced default mode network activity beyond an active task Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience April 22, 2015
and 129 more in the library
Cites 15
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences October 11, 2007
- Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 8, 2004
and 10 more in the library