Mindful attention to breath regulates emotions via increased amygdala-prefrontal cortex connectivity.
Anselm Doll, Britta K. Hölzel, Satja Mulej Bratec, Christine C. Boucard, Xiyao Xie, Afra M. Wohlschläger, Christian Sorg
Neuroimage July 1, 2016 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.03.041 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAfter two weeks of training in attention-to-breath (ATB) meditation, healthy participants viewed aversive pictures during fMRI. ATB, compared with passive viewing, reduced amygdala activation and increased coupling between the amygdala and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. This increased integration was associated with mindfulness ability. A fronto-parietal network was also recruited during emotional stimulation. The findings suggest that amygdala–dorsal prefrontal cortex integration may be a neural pathway through which mindfulness practice regulates emotion.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 26 |
| Population | Healthy controls |
| Intervention | Attention-to-breath meditation |
| Duration | Two-week training period |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Amygdala Attention-to-breath Emotion regulation FMRI |
| Key finding | Attention-to-breath down-regulated amygdala activation and increased amygdala-prefrontal integration, with such increased integration being associated with mindfulness ability. |
Abstract
Mindfulness practice is beneficial for emotion regulation; however, the neural mechanisms underlying this effect are poorly understood. The current study focuses on effects of attention-to-breath (ATB) as a basic mindfulness practice on aversive emotions at behavioral and brain levels. A key finding across different emotion regulation strategies is the modulation of amygdala and prefrontal activity. It is unclear how ATB relevant brain areas in the prefrontal cortex integrate with amygdala activation during emotional stimulation. We proposed that, during emotional stimulation, ATB down-regulates activation in the amygdala and increases its integration with prefrontal regions. To address this hypothesis, 26 healthy controls were trained in mindfulness-based attention-to-breath meditation for two weeks and then stimulated with aversive pictures during both attention-to-breath and passive viewing while undergoing fMRI. Data were controlled for breathing frequency. Results indicate that (1) ATB was effective in regulating aversive emotions. (2) Left dorso-medial prefrontal cortex was associated with ATB in general. (3) A fronto-parietal network was additionally recruited during emotional stimulation. (4) ATB down regulated amygdala activation and increased amygdala-prefrontal integration, with such increased integration being associated with mindfulness ability. Results suggest amygdala-dorsal prefrontal cortex integration as a potential neural pathway of emotion regulation by mindfulness practice.