Mindfulness meditation styles differently modulate source-level MEG microstate dynamics and complexity
Antea D’Andrea, Pierpaolo Croce, Jordan O’Byrne, Karim Jerbi, Annalisa Pascarella, Antonino Raffone, Vittorio Pizzella, Vittorio Pizzella, Laura Marzetti, Laura Marzetti
Frontiers in Neuroscience February 2, 2024 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1295615 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 10 |
| Population | Theravada Buddhist monks with at least 2,265 hours of meditation experience |
| Interventions | Focused attention meditation Open monitoring meditation |
| Duration | 6 minutes per meditation condition, with each block preceded and followed by 3 minutes of resting state |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Microstate analysis Brain criticality Complexity Mindfulness meditation Open monitoring meditation Focused attention meditation Meditation techniques Brain activity patterns Neuroscience research Mindfulness practices Cognitive states |
| Citations | 13 |
| Key findings | Brain criticality indices (Hurst exponent and Lempel-Ziv complexity) are modulated by meditation state and style, with open monitoring meditation showing the highest complexity and both meditation types reducing the Hurst exponent relative to rest. |
Abstract
BackgroundThe investigation of mindfulness meditation practice, classically divided into focused attention meditation (FAM), and open monitoring meditation (OMM) styles, has seen a long tradition of theoretical, affective, neurophysiological and clinical studies. In particular, the high temporal resolution of magnetoencephalography (MEG) or electroencephalography (EEG) has been exploited to fill the gap between the personal experience of meditation practice and its neural correlates. Mounting evidence, in fact, shows that human brain activity is highly dynamic, transiting between different brain states (microstates). In this study, we aimed at exploring MEG microstates at source-level during FAM, OMM and in the resting state, as well as the complexity and criticality of dynamic transitions between microstates.MethodsTen right-handed Theravada Buddhist monks with a meditative expertise of minimum 2,265 h participated in the experiment. MEG data were acquired during a randomized block design task (6 min FAM, 6 min OMM, with each meditative block preceded and followed by 3 min resting state). Source reconstruction was performed using eLORETA on individual cortical space, and then parcellated according to the Human Connect Project atlas. Microstate analysis was then applied to parcel level signals in order to derive microstate topographies and indices. In addition, from microstate sequences, the Hurst exponent and the Lempel-Ziv complexity (LZC) were computed.ResultsOur results show that the coverage and occurrence of specific microstates are modulated either by being in a meditative state or by performing a specific meditation style. Hurst exponent values in both meditation conditions are reduced with respect to the value observed during rest, LZC shows significant differences between OMM, FAM, and REST, with a progressive increase from REST to FAM to OMM.DiscussionImportantly, we report changes in brain criticality indices during meditation and between meditation styles, in line with a state-like effect of meditation on cognitive performance. In line with previous reports, we suggest that the change in cognitive state experienced in meditation is paralleled by a shift with respect to critical points in brain dynamics.
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 11
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Clinical Practice: A Systematic Review of Neurocognitive Outcomes and Applications for Mental Health and Well-Being. Journal of Clinical Medicine March 3, 2025
- Meditation and Complexity: a Systematic Review June 28, 2023
- Meditation and complexity: a review and synthesis of evidence. Neuroscience of Consciousness 2025
- Neurophysiological mechanisms of focused attention meditation: A scoping systematic review Imaging Neuroscience 2025
- Meditation for subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Frontiers in Public Health 2025
and 6 more in the library
Cites 20
- Consciousness is supported by near-critical slow cortical electrodynamics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences February 1, 2022
- Meditation Increases the Entropy of Brain Oscillatory Activity Neuroscience February 4, 2020
- Long-Term and Meditation-Specific Modulations of Brain Connectivity Revealed Through Multivariate Pattern Analysis Brain Topography March 28, 2023
- Nonlinear EEG signatures of mind wandering during breath focus meditation. Current Research in Neurobiology 2022
- Self-organized criticality as a framework for consciousness: A review study Frontiers in Psychology July 15, 2022
and 15 more in the library