A Brief Review of the EEG Literature on Mindfulness and Fear Extinction and its Potential Implications for Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms (PTSS).
Auretta S Kummar, Helen Correia, Hakuei Fujiyama
Brain Sciences September 27, 2019 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9100258 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation PTSD |
| Keywords | Trauma Neurofeedback Fear extinction Electroencephalogram EEG |
| Key findings | Argues that fear extinction is a plausible mechanism through which mindfulness exerts positive benefits, drawing on parallel findings from neurophysiological research, particularly EEG studies. Contends that EEG can index subcortical fear extinction network activity and that brain reactivity to unpleasant stimuli relates to posttraumatic stress symptom severity, supporting EEG's clinical integration for earlier diagnosis and neurofeedback in trauma treatment. |
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies in the area of mindfulness research have provided preliminary support for the idea of fear extinction as a plausible underlying mechanism through which mindfulness exerts its positive benefits. Whilst brain regions identified in the fear extinction network are typically found at a subcortical level, studies have also demonstrated the feasibility of cortical measures of the brain, such as electroencephalogram (EEG), in implying subcortical activations of the fear extinction network. Such EEG studies have also found evidence of a relationship between brain reactivity to unpleasant stimuli (i.e., fear extinction) and severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Therefore, the present paper seeks to briefly review the parallel findings between the neurophysiological literature of mindfulness and fear extinction (particularly that yielded by EEG measures), and discusses the implications of this for fear-based psychopathologies, such as trauma, and finally presents suggestions for future studies. This paper also discusses the clinical value in integrating EEG in psychological treatment for trauma, as it holds the unique potential to detect neuromarkers, which may enable earlier diagnoses, and can also provide neurofeedback over the course of treatment.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on PTSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychedelic Psychiatry's Brave New World. | 2020 | Review | |
| Reviewing the Potential of Psychedelics for the Treatment of PTSD | 2020 | Review | |
| Novel psychopharmacological therapies for psychiatric disorders: psilocybin and MDMA. | 2016 | Review | |
| MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD: Are memory reconsolidation and fear extinction underlying mechanisms? | 2018 | Review | |
| Clinical applications of hallucinogens: A review. | 2016 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Are Subjective Benefits of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Related to Changes in Cardiac and Cortical Responses to a Stress Task? Mindfulness May 14, 2024
- The Effects of an Online Neurofeedback‐Assisted Mindfulness‐Based Intervention (NF‐MBI) on Mental Health of Nursing Students in China: A Latent Growth Curve Modelling Analysis International Journal of Nursing Practice November 2, 2025
- Electroencephalography-Based Measures to Understand Meditation and Mindfulness: Bibliometric Scoping Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health 2026
- Short-term meditation training alters brain activity and sympathetic responses at rest, but not during meditation Scientific Reports May 15, 2024
- Open monitoring meditation alters the EEG gamma coherence in experts meditators: The expert practice exhibit greater right intra-hemispheric functional coupling. Consciousness and Cognition May 27, 2022
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