Differential Effects of Meditation States and Traits on the Neural Mechanisms of Pain Processing
Vasil Kolev, Peter Malinowski, Antonino Raffone, Valentina Nicolardi, Luca Simione, Salvatore M. Aglioti, Juliana Yordanova
bioRxiv Preprint Server May 20, 2025 preprint DOI: 10.1101/2025.05.20.655049 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Different types of meditation produce distinct neurophysiologic effects on pain processing, with focused attention reducing both pain intensity and unpleasantness, open monitoring reducing only unpleasantness, and loving-kindness increasing unpleasantness. |
Abstract
Objectives The main objective of the present study was to explore the effects of different types of meditation on the neurophysiologic mechanisms of pain processing.
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
Cites 36
- Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- 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
- Neural mechanisms of attentional control in mindfulness meditation Frontiers in Neuroscience 2013
- Mindfulness meditation for the treatment of chronic low back pain in older adults: A randomized controlled pilot study ☆ Pain June 4, 2007
and 31 more in the library