Conscious Attention, Meditation, and Bilateral Information Transfer
Petr Bob, Elizabeth M. Zimmerman, Elizabeth A. Hamilton, Jenna G. Sheftel, Stephanie D. Bajo, Jiri Raboch, Megan Golla, Lukasz M. Konopka
Clinical EEG and Neuroscience 2013 DOI: 10.1177/1550059412451705 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 7 |
| Population | Healthy persons |
| Interventions | Meditation Stroop task neurofeedback memory test |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Pointwise transinformation from bilateral electrodermal activity was highest during meditation, indicating greater left–right connectivity compared to other attentional states. |
Abstract
Recent findings indicate that conscious attention is related to large-scale information integration of various brain regions, including both hemispheres, that enables integration of parallel distributed modalities of processed information. There is also evidence that the level of information transference related to integration or splitting among brain regions, and between hemispheres, establishes a certain level of efficiency of the information processing. The level of information transference also may have modulatory influences on attentional capacity that are closely linked to the emotional arousal and autonomic response related to a stimulus. These findings suggest a hypothesis that changes in conscious attention, specifically during meditation could be reflected in the autonomic activity as the left–right information transference calculated from bilateral electrodermal activity (EDA). With the aim to compare conscious attention during meditation with other attentional states (resting state, Stroop task, and memory task), we performed bilateral EDA measurement in 7 healthy persons during resting state, Stroop task, neurofeedback memory test, and meditation. The results indicate that the information transference (ie, transinformation) is able to distinguish those attentional states, and that the highest level of the transinformation has been found during attentional processing related to meditation, indicating higher level of connectivity between left and right sides. Calculations other than pointwise transinformation (PTI) performed on EDA records, such as mean skin conductance level or laterality index, were not able to distinguish attentional states. The results suggest that PTI may present an interesting method useful for the assessment of information flow, related to neural functioning, that in the case of meditation may reflect typical integrative changes in the autonomic nervous system related to brain functions and focused attentional processing.
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 4
- Prefrontal cortical hemodynamics and functional network organization during Tai Chi standing meditation: an fNIRS study Frontiers in Human Neuroscience October 25, 2023
- Nature, Mind, and Medicine: A Model for Mind-Body Healing. Explore 2018
- Neural correlates of consciousness: what we know and what we have to learn! Neurological Sciences January 15, 2015
- Effortless Attention as a Biomarker for Experienced Mindfulness Practitioners. PLoS One 2015
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