Meditation effect in changing functional integrations across large-scale brain networks: Preliminary evidence from a meta-analysis of seed-based functional connectivity
Yang-Qian Shen, Hui Zhou, Xiao Chen, F. Castellanos, Chaogan Yan
Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology January 1, 2020 DOI: 10.1017/prp.2020.1 (opens in new tab) via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA meta-analysis of 14 functional connectivity studies (10 with seeds in the default mode network, involving 170 meditators and 163 controls) found that meditation is linked to increased connectivity within the default mode network and between the default mode network and the somatomotor network, and to decreased connectivity between the default mode network and the frontoparietal and ventral attention networks. Highly experienced meditators showed a more robust pattern of decreased within-default-mode-network connectivity and increased between-network connectivity. These neural interactions may help explain meditation's effectiveness in clinical interventions for physical and mental disorders.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Meta-analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 333 |
| Population | Meditators and control participants from 14 seed-based voxel-wise functional connectivity studies |
| Intervention | meditation |
| Keywords | Psychology Medicine |
| Key finding | Meditation is associated with increased connectivity within the default mode network and between the default mode network and somatomotor network, and decreased connectivity between the default mode network and frontoparietal and ventral attention networks, with more experienced meditators showing a more robust pattern of decreased within-DMN and increased between-network connectivity. |
Abstract
Meditation is a type of mental training commonly applied in clinical settings and also practiced for general well-being. Brain functional connectivity (FC) patterns associated with meditation have revealed its brain mechanisms. However, the variety of FC methods applied has made it difficult to identify brain communication patterns associated with meditation. Here we carried out a coordinate-based meta-analysis to get preliminary evidence of meditation effects on changing brain network interactions. Fourteen seed-based, voxel-wise FC studies reported in 13 publications were reviewed; 10 studies with seeds in the default mode network (DMN) were meta-analyzed. Seed coordinates and the effect sizes in statistically significant regions were extracted, based on 170 subjects in meditation groups and 163 subjects in control groups. Seed-based d-mapping was used to analyze meditation versus control FC differences with DMN seeds. Meditation was associated with increased connectivity within DMN and between DMN and somatomotor network and with decreased connectivity between DMN and frontoparietal network (FPN) as well as ventral attention network (VAN). The pattern of decreased within-DMN FC and increased between-network FC (FPN and DAN with DMN) was more robust in highly experienced meditators compared to less experienced individuals. The identified neural network interactions may also promote meditation’s effectiveness in clinical interventions for treating physical and mental disorders.