Neuroplasticity within and between Functional Brain Networks in Mental Training Based on Long-Term Meditation.
Roberto Guidotti, Cosimo Del Gratta, Mauro Gianni Perrucci, Gian Luca Romani, Antonino Raffone
Brain Sciences August 18, 2021 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11081086 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Long-term meditators |
| Topics | Meditation Neuroplasticity |
| Keywords | Mvpa Brain networks FMRI Functional connectivity Machine learning |
| Citations | 27 |
| Key findings | fMRI connectivity patterns in multiple brain networks can differentially predict meditation expertise and age, with expertise-predictive patterns varying by meditation style (FA vs OM) while age-predictive patterns do not. |
Abstract
(1) The effects of intensive mental training based on meditation on the functional and structural organization of the human brain have been addressed by several neuroscientific studies. However, how large-scale connectivity patterns are affected by long-term practice of the main forms of meditation, Focused Attention (FA) and Open Monitoring (OM), as well as by aging, has not yet been elucidated. (2) Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and multivariate pattern analysis, we investigated the impact of meditation expertise and age on functional connectivity patterns in large-scale brain networks during different meditation styles in long-term meditators. (3) The results show that fMRI connectivity patterns in multiple key brain networks can differentially predict the meditation expertise and age of long-term meditators. Expertise-predictive patterns are differently affected by FA and OM, while age-predictive patterns are not influenced by the meditation form. The FA meditation connectivity pattern modulated by expertise included nodes and connections implicated in focusing, sustaining and monitoring attention, while OM patterns included nodes associated with cognitive control and emotion regulation. (4) The study highlights a long-term effect of meditation practice on multivariate patterns of functional brain connectivity and suggests that meditation expertise is associated with specific neuroplastic changes in connectivity patterns within and between multiple brain networks.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on neuroplasticity, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychedelics and Mental Health in Endurance Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Study in Brazil. Brazilian endurance athletes | 2026 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 28 |
| Neural Dynamics of Heartfulness Meditation: EEG Alpha Modulation Across Experience Levels. Healthy adults categorized as long-term meditators (n = 12), short-term meditators (n =... | 2026 | Observational cross-sectional EEG study | n = 33 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 17
- Mindfulness meditation increases default mode, salience, and central executive network connectivity Scientific Reports August 2, 2022
- Long-Term and Meditation-Specific Modulations of Brain Connectivity Revealed Through Multivariate Pattern Analysis Brain Topography March 28, 2023
- Lightening the mind with audiovisual stimulation as an accessible alternative to breath-focused meditation for mood and cognitive enhancement. Scientific Reports October 26, 2024
- Exploring the Embodied Mind: Functional Connectome Fingerprinting of Meditation Expertise. Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science November 1, 2024
- Silence between words: Is solitude important for relatedness? Progress in Brain Research 2024
and 12 more in the library
Cites 34
- Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2003
- Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 28, 2007
- Investigating the phenomenological matrix of mindfulness-related practices from a neurocognitive perspective. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- Mindfulness meditation training alters cortical representations of interoceptive attention Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience June 11, 2012
- Neural mechanisms of attentional control in mindfulness meditation Frontiers in Neuroscience 2013
and 29 more in the library