Neurohemodynamic correlates of ′OM′ chanting: A pilot functional magnetic resonance imaging study
Bangalore G Kalyani, Ganesan Venkatasubramanian, Rashmi Arasappa, Naren P. Rao, Sunil V Kalmady, Rishikesh V Behere, Hariprasad Rao, Mandapati K Vasudev, Bangalore N Gangadhar
International Journal of Yoga April 29, 2011 DOI: 10.4103/0973-6131.78171 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 12 |
| Population | Right-handed healthy volunteers (nine men) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Audible 'OM' chanting induced significant limbic deactivation similar to vagus nerve stimulation, while the control 'ssss' condition did not. |
Abstract
Background: A sensation of vibration is experienced during audible ′OM′ chanting. This has the potential for vagus nerve stimulation through its auricular branches and the effects on the brain thereof. The neurohemodynamic correlates of ′OM′ chanting are yet to be explored.
Materials and Methods: Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), the neurohemodynamic correlates of audible ′OM′ chanting were examined in right-handed healthy volunteers (n=12; nine men). The ′OM′ chanting condition was compared with pronunciation of "ssss" as well as a rest state. fMRI analysis was done using Statistical Parametric Mapping 5 (SPM5).
Results: In this study, significant deactivation was observed bilaterally during ′OM′ chanting in comparison to the resting brain state in bilateral orbitofrontal, anterior cingulate, parahippocampal gyri, thalami and hippocampi. The right amygdala too demonstrated significant deactivation. No significant activation was observed during ′OM′ chanting. In contrast, neither activation nor deactivation occurred in these brain regions during the comparative task - namely the ′ssss′ pronunciation condition.
Conclusion: The neurohemodynamic correlates of ′OM′ chanting indicate limbic deactivation. As similar observations have been recorded with vagus nerve stimulation treatment used in depression and epilepsy, the study findings argue for a potential role of this ′OM′ chanting in clinical practice.
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 41
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- Meditation-related activations are modulated by the practices needed to obtain it and by the expertise: an ALE meta-analysis study Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2013
- Meditation effects within the hippocampal complex revealed by voxel-based morphometry and cytoarchitectonic probabilistic mapping Frontiers in Psychology 2013
- What Has Neuroimaging Taught Us on the Neurobiology of Yoga? A Review Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience July 8, 2020
- Training novice practitioners to reliably report their meditation experience using shared phenomenological dimensions. Consciousness and Cognition February 1, 2019
and 36 more in the library