Topological changes of brain network during mindfulness meditation: an exploratory source level magnetoencephalographic study
Anna Lardone, Marianna Liparoti, Pierpaolo Sorrentino, Roberta Minino, Arianna Polverino, Emahnuel Troisi Lopez, S. Bonavita, F. Lucidi, Giuseppe Sorrentino, Laura Mandolesi
AIMS Neuroscience May 7, 2022 DOI: 10.3934/neuroscience.2022013 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 55 |
| Population | Experienced meditators and individuals with no meditation experience |
| Intervention | Mindfulness Meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Experienced meditators showed increased betweenness centrality in multiple brainwave bands and brain regions during meditation compared to non-meditators. |
Abstract
We have previously evidenced that Mindfulness Meditation (MM) in experienced meditators (EMs) is associated with long-lasting topological changes in resting state condition. However, what occurs during the meditative phase is still debated. Utilizing magnetoencephalography (MEG), the present study is aimed at comparing the topological features of the brain network in a group of EMs (n = 26) during the meditative phase with those of individuals who had no previous experience of any type of meditation (NM group, n = 29). A wide range of topological changes in the EM group as compared to the NM group has been shown. Specifically, in EMs, we have observed increased betweenness centrality in delta, alpha, and beta bands in both cortical (left medial orbital cortex, left postcentral area, and right visual primary cortex) and subcortical (left caudate nucleus and thalamus) areas. Furthermore, the degree of beta band in parietal and occipital areas of EMs was increased too. Our exploratory study suggests that the MM can change the functional brain network and provides an explanatory hypothesis on the brain circuits characterizing the meditative process.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- EEG-based investigation of effects of mindfulness meditation training on state and trait by deep learning and traditional machine learning Frontiers in Human Neuroscience August 31, 2023
- Mindfulness Meditation and Network Neuroscience: Review, Synthesis, and Future Directions. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging April 1, 2025
- Trance practice and well-being measures: the case of Auto-Induced Cognitive Trance medRxiv July 17, 2026
- An interhemispheric frontoparietal network supports hypnotic states October 11, 2023
- Meditation Enhances Small-World Network Efficiency: MEG-Based Evidence from Attention and Control Systems. Brain Connectivity June 1, 2026
Cites 21
- Increased default mode network connectivity associated with meditation Neuroscience Letters October 28, 2010
- Quantitative change of EEG and respiration signals during mindfulness meditation Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation May 14, 2014
- A phenomenology of meditation-induced light experiences: traditional buddhist and neurobiological perspectives Frontiers in Psychology 2014
- Meditation is associated with increased brain network integration. Neuroimage September 1, 2017
- Mindfulness Meditation Is Related to Long-Lasting Changes in Hippocampal Functional Topology during Resting State: A Magnetoencephalography Study Neural Plasticity December 18, 2018
and 16 more in the library