Coherence-based interhemispheric EEG functional connectivity changes in distinct frequency bands during eyes open meditation
G Pradeep Kumar, Kanishka Sharma, A Adarsh, Amrutha Manvi, G Ramajayam, A. G. Ramakrishnan
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) February 6, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.06.527252 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort |
|---|---|
| Population | Long-term Brahmakumaris Rajyoga meditators and control subjects with no knowledge of meditation |
| Intervention | Music listening |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Active listening Electroencephalography Audiology Alpha finance Eyes open Cognitive psychology Communication Developmental psychology |
| Key findings | During meditation, MSC increases in higher theta and alpha bands in frontal and parietal regions while |ICoh| decreases across most regions and bands except alpha, indicating increased functional integration. |
Abstract
Abstract Meditation is a self-regulatory process practiced primarily to reduce stress, manage emotions and mental health. The objective was to study the information exchange between symmetric electrodes across the hemispheres during meditation using functional connectivity (FC) measures. We investigate the changes in the coherence between EEG electrode pairs during the meditation practiced by long-term Brahmakumaris Rajyoga meditators with open eyes and during listening to music by controls as the comparable task. Two distinct FC measures derived from coherency, namely, magnitude squared coherence (MSC) and imaginary part of coherency (ICoh) are used to study the changes in interhemispheric coherence. During baseline conditions, higher MSC is found in meditators in frontocentral and centroparietal regions and higher |ICoh| globally in higher beta and gamma bands than controls. Further, in meditators, the MSC significantly increases in higher theta and alpha bands in the frontal and parietal regions and |ICoh| significantly decreases across all regions and bands except in the alpha band during meditation. However, the control subjects with no knowledge of meditation show no change in theta or alpha MSC or |ICoh| during the music session. Distinct patterns of changes are observed with the two FC measures in different frequency bands during meditation in the meditators and music-listening session in the control subjects indicating varied information processing between the right and left hemispheres and differences in the FC measures used. We found increased MSC and decreased |ICoh| between the frontal electrodes implying increased self-awareness in meditators. The MSC between the occipital electrodes in meditators is less than the controls in baseline condition indicating a possible modified visual information processing in Rajyoga meditators due to the long-term practice of meditation with open eyes. Overall, the changes in MSC indicate increased functional integration during meditation supporting the hypothesis of cortical integration theory.
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 23
- The Out-of-Body Experience: Disturbed Self-Processing at the Temporo-Parietal Junction The Neuroscientist January 4, 2005
- Individual Trait Anxiety Levels Characterizing the Properties of Zen Meditation Neuropsychobiology 2004
- CROSS-SECTIONAL AND LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF EFFECTS OF TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION PRACTICE ON INTERHEMISPHERIC FRONTAL ASYMMETRY AND FRONTAL COHERENCE International Journal of Neuroscience 2006
- Short-Term Longitudinal Effects of the Transcendental Meditation Technique on EEG Power and Coherence International Journal of Neuroscience 1981
- Meditation is associated with increased brain network integration. Neuroimage September 1, 2017
and 18 more in the library