Effects of meditation on neural responses to pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis of fMRI studies.
Cheng Fan, Mengjiao Wu, Hong Liu, Xiaolin Chen, Zhen Gao, Xin Zhao, Jianhao Zhou, Zheng Jiang
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews July 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105735 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA systematic review of 18 fMRI studies found that meditation alters brain activity in regions associated with pain, mood, and cognition. Activation of the insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and orbitofrontal cortex was positively linked to pain relief, while activity in the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex was negatively correlated. Meta-analyses consistently implicated the insula, putamen, amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex, precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, superior temporal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, and caudate nucleus. These findings suggest meditation relieves pain by acting on specific neural circuits involved in both sensory and emotional pain processing.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Emotional pain FMRI Meta-analysis Somatic pain |
| Key finding | Meditation-induced pain relief is associated with increased activation in the insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and orbitofrontal cortex, and decreased activation in the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex. |
Abstract
This systematic review investigates the impact of meditation on neural responses to pain, as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Up to March 2024, we conducted searches across four databases for human studies implementing fMRI to assess the efficacy of meditation for pain relief. Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Our systematic review indicates that activation of the insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and orbitofrontal cortex is positively associated with meditation for pain relief, while activity in regions like the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex is negatively correlated with pain relief. Meta-analyses consistently reveal the involvement of various brain regions, including the insula, putamen, amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex, precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, superior temporal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, and caudate nucleus, in meditation-induced alleviation of pain. These findings suggest ccthat meditation acts on specific brain regions related to pain, mood, and cognition, providing insight into the potential mechanisms underlying the pain-alleviating effects of meditation on both pain sensations and emotional experiences.