There Is More to Mindfulness Than Emotion Regulation: A Study on Brain Structural Networks
Sabina Baltruschat, Antonio Cándido, Antonio Maldonado, Carmen Verdejo-Lucas, Elvira Catena-Verdejo, Andrés Catena
Frontiers in Psychology April 1, 2021 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.659403 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Dispositional mindfulness Emotion regulation Structural networks Individual differences Maas Ffmq |
| Key findings | Different brain regions are associated with dispositional mindfulness depending on whether it is measured by the MAAS or FFMQ, but areas related to emotional reactivity and semantic processing are generally related to dispositional mindfulness regardless of instrument. |
Abstract
Dispositional mindfulness and emotion regulation are two psychological constructs closely interrelated, and both appear to improve with the long-term practice of mindfulness meditation. These constructs appear to be related to subcortical, prefrontal, and posterior brain areas involved in emotional processing, cognitive control, self-awareness, and mind wandering. However, no studies have yet discerned the neural basis of dispositional mindfulness that are minimally associated with emotion regulation. In the present study, we use a novel brain structural network analysis approach to study the relationship between structural networks and dispositional mindfulness, measured with two different and widely used instruments [Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ)], taking into account the effect of emotion regulation difficulties. We observed a number of different brain regions associated with the different scales and dimensions. The total score of FFMQ and MAAS overlap with the bilateral parahippocampal and fusiform gyri. Additionally, MAAS scores were related to the bilateral hippocampus and the FFMQ total score to the right insula and bilateral amygdala. These results indicate that, depending on the instrument used, the characteristics measured could differ and could also involve different brain systems. However, it seems that brain areas related to emotional reactivity and semantic processing are generally related to Dispositional or trait mindfulness (DM), regardless of the instrument used.
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 7
- Combining mindfulness and cognitive training in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: study protocol of a pilot randomized controlled trial (the NeuroMind study). Frontiers in Psychology 2024
- Alterations in cerebral glucose metabolism measured by FDG PET in subjects performing a meditation practice based on clitoral stimulation F1000Research September 7, 2022
- Microstate Dynamics of Focused Attention Meditation bioRxiv Preprint Server January 19, 2026
- Shared neural mechanisms of trait mindfulness and hypnotic susceptibility: A scoping review toward a unifying predictive coding framework. Brain Research Bulletin June 27, 2026
- StreAM—Stress Reduction and Team Empowerment by Mindfulness for Hospital Staff: A Feasibility Trial Mindfulness April 1, 2026
and 2 more in the library
Cites 33
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness meditation training alters cortical representations of interoceptive attention Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience June 11, 2012
- How Does Mindfulness Training Affect Health? A Mindfulness Stress Buffering Account Current Directions in Psychological Science December 1, 2014
- Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology Annual Review of Clinical Psychology December 11, 2018
and 28 more in the library