8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction induces brain changes similar to traditional long-term meditation practice - A systematic review.
Rinske A. Gotink, Rozanna Meijboom, Meike W Vernooij, Marion Smits, M G Myriam Hunink
Brain and Cognition July 16, 2016 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2016.07.001 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Stressed, anxious, and healthy participants across included studies |
| Interventions | Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) |
| Duration | 8-week MBSR and MBCT programs |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Brain Humans Stress, psychological Connectome Functional MRI Structural MRI |
| Key findings | The review reports that mindfulness-based programs are associated with increased activity, connectivity, and volume in the prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, insula, and hippocampus, and with decreased amygdala activity, improved prefrontal-amygdala connectivity, and earlier amygdala deactivation after emotional stimuli. The authors argue these patterns resemble those seen in traditional meditation and may underlie MBSR-related improvements in emotion regulation. |
Abstract
Unlabelled: The objective of the current study was to systematically review the evidence of the effect of secular mindfulness techniques on function and structure of the brain. Based on areas known from traditional meditation neuroimaging results, we aimed to explore a neuronal explanation of the stress-reducing effects of the 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) program.
Methods: We assessed the effect of MBSR and MBCT (N=11, all MBSR), components of the programs (N=15), and dispositional mindfulness (N=4) on brain function and/or structure as assessed by (functional) magnetic resonance imaging. 21 fMRI studies and seven MRI studies were included (two studies performed both).
Results: The prefrontal cortex, the cingulate cortex, the insula and the hippocampus showed increased activity, connectivity and volume in stressed, anxious and healthy participants. Additionally, the amygdala showed decreased functional activity, improved functional connectivity with the prefrontal cortex, and earlier deactivation after exposure to emotional stimuli.
Conclusion: Demonstrable functional and structural changes in the prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, insula and hippocampus are similar to changes described in studies on traditional meditation practice. In addition, MBSR led to changes in the amygdala consistent with improved emotion regulation. These findings indicate that MBSR-induced emotional and behavioral changes are related to functional and structural changes in the brain.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 118
- Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology Annual Review of Clinical Psychology December 11, 2018
- Future directions in meditation research: Recommendations for expanding the field of contemplative science PLoS One November 7, 2018
- Effects of Yoga Respiratory Practice (Bhastrika pranayama) on Anxiety, Affect, and Brain Functional Connectivity and Activity: A Randomized Controlled Trial Frontiers in Psychiatry May 21, 2020
- A Pilot Study of the Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Brain Response to Traumatic Reminders of Combat in Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Combat Veterans with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Frontiers in Psychiatry August 25, 2017
- Reduced interference in working memory following mindfulness training is associated with increases in hippocampal volume Brain Imaging and Behavior March 17, 2018
and 113 more in the library
Cites 46
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- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
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