Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density
Britta K. Hölzel, J. Carmody, M. Vangel, C. Congleton, S. Yerramsetti, T. Gard, S. Lazar
Psychiatry Research November 10, 2010 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.08.006 (opens in new tab) via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractParticipation in an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program is associated with increases in gray matter concentration in several brain regions. Sixteen healthy, meditation-naïve adults underwent MRI scans before and after the program, and their brain changes were compared to a wait-list control group of 17 individuals. Increases were found in the left hippocampus, posterior cingulate cortex, temporo-parietal junction, and cerebellum. These regions are involved in learning, memory, emotion regulation, self-referential processing, and perspective taking. The findings suggest that MBSR can produce structural brain changes.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Controlled longitudinal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 16 |
| Population | Healthy, meditation-naïve adults |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) |
| Duration | Eight-week program |
| Keywords | Psychology Medicine |
| Key finding | Participation in MBSR is associated with increases in gray matter concentration in the left hippocampus, posterior cingulate cortex, temporo-parietal junction, and cerebellum. |
Abstract
Therapeutic interventions that incorporate training in mindfulness meditation have become increasingly popular, but to date, little is known about neural mechanisms associated with these interventions. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), one of the most widely used mindfulness training programs, has been reported to produce positive effects on psychological well-being and to ameliorate symptoms of a number of disorders. Here, we report a controlled longitudinal study to investigate pre-post changes in brain gray matter concentration attributable to participation in an MBSR program. Anatomical MRI images from sixteen healthy, meditation-naïve participants were obtained before and after they underwent the eight-week program. Changes in gray matter concentration were investigated using voxel-based morphometry, and compared to a wait-list control group of 17 individuals. Analyses in a priori regions of interest confirmed increases in gray matter concentration within the left hippocampus. Whole brain analyses identified increases in the posterior cingulate cortex, the temporo-parietal junction, and the cerebellum in the MBSR group compared to the controls. The results suggest that participation in MBSR is associated with changes in gray matter concentration in brain regions involved in learning and memory processes, emotion regulation, self-referential processing, and perspective taking.