Lower trait frontal theta activity in mindfulness meditators
Guaraci Ken Tanaka, Caroline Peressutti, Silmar Teixeira, Mauricio Cagy, Roberto Piedade, Antonio Egidio Nardi, Pedro Ribeiro, Bruna Velasques
Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria August 29, 2015 DOI: 10.1590/0004-282x20140133 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 20 |
| Population | Long- and short-term mindfulness practitioners including experienced Buddhist meditators |
| Intervention | mindfulness meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Meditação EEG Teta frontal Memória de trabalho |
| Key findings | Long-term mindfulness practitioners showed lower trait frontal theta activity than short-term practitioners, while both groups exhibited acute increases in theta during meditation. |
Abstract
Acute and long-term effects of mindfulness meditation on theta-band activity are not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate frontal theta differences between long- and short-term mindfulness practitioners before, during, and after mindfulness meditation. Twenty participants were recruited, of which 10 were experienced Buddhist meditators. Despite an acute increase in the theta activity during meditation in both the groups, the meditators showed lower trait frontal theta activity. Therefore, we suggested that this finding is a neural correlate of the expert practitioners’ ability to limit the processing of unnecessary information (e.g., discursive thought) and increase the awareness of the essential content of the present experience. In conclusion, acute changes in the theta band throughout meditation did not appear to be a specific correlate of mindfulness but were rather related to the concentration properties of the meditation. Notwithstanding, lower frontal theta activity appeared to be a trait of mindfulness practices.
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 14
- A systematic review of the neurophysiology of mindfulness on EEG oscillations Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 2015
- Brain-Heart Interactions Underlying Traditional Tibetan Buddhist Meditation. Cerebral Cortex March 21, 2020
- An electrophysiological investigation on the emotion regulatory mechanisms of brief open monitoring meditation in novice non-meditators Scientific Reports August 28, 2020
- The Mindful Brain at Rest: Neural Oscillations and Aperiodic Activity in Experienced Meditators Mindfulness October 1, 2024
- Cognitive Health and Differential Cortical Functioning in Dissociative Trance: An Explorative Study About Mediumship Frontiers in Psychology April 11, 2022
and 9 more in the library
Cites 16
- Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2000
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 8, 2004
- Mindfulness starts with the body: somatosensory attention and top-down modulation of cortical alpha rhythms in mindfulness meditation Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2013
- Mindfulness-induced changes in gamma band activity – Implications for the default mode network, self-reference and attention Clinical Neurophysiology September 21, 2011
and 11 more in the library