Frontolimbic alpha activity tracks intentional rest BCI control improvement through mindfulness meditation.
Haiteng Jiang, James Stieger, Mary Jo Kreitzer, Stephen A Engel, Bin He
Scientific Reports March 25, 2021 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86215-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Longitudinal intervention study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Participants trained in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | MBSR training significantly improved BCI performance, accompanied by increased frontolimbic alpha activity and decreased alpha connectivity among key brain networks. |
Abstract
Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are capable of translating human intentions into signals controlling an external device to assist patients with severe neuromuscular disorders. Prior work has demonstrated that participants with mindfulness meditation experience evince improved BCI performance, but the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we conducted a large-scale longitudinal intervention study by training participants in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR; a standardized mind-body awareness training intervention), and investigated whether and how short-term MBSR affected sensorimotor rhythm (SMR)-based BCI performance. We hypothesize that MBSR training improves BCI performance by reducing mind wandering and enhancing self-awareness during the intentional rest BCI control, which would mainly be reflected by modulations of default-mode network and limbic network activity. We found that MBSR training significantly improved BCI performance compared to controls and these behavioral enhancements were accompanied by increased frontolimbic alpha activity (9-15 Hz) and decreased alpha connectivity among limbic network, frontoparietal network, and default-mode network. Furthermore, the modulations of frontolimbic alpha activity were positively correlated with the duration of meditation experience and the extent of BCI performance improvement. Overall, these data suggest that mindfulness allows participant to reach a state where they can modulate frontolimbic alpha power and improve BCI performance for SMR-based BCI control.
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 5
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Clinical Practice: A Systematic Review of Neurocognitive Outcomes and Applications for Mental Health and Well-Being. Journal of Clinical Medicine March 3, 2025
- Altered Brain Connectivity and Network Topological Organization in a Non-ordinary State of Consciousness Induced by Hypnosis Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 2023
- Immediate effects of short-term meditation on sensorimotor rhythm-based brain–computer interface performance Frontiers in Human Neuroscience December 20, 2022
- Evaluation of facial temperature distribution changes during meditation using infrared thermal imaging: An experimental, cross-over study Journal of Traditional Chinese Medical Sciences July 27, 2023
- Bidirectional alpha power EEG-neurofeedback during a focused attention meditation practice in novices.
Cites 15
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- Resting-State Functional Connectivity Reflects Structural Connectivity in the Default Mode Network Cerebral Cortex April 9, 2008
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Intensive meditation training improves perceptual discrimination and sustained attention. Psychological Science June 1, 2010
- Review of the Neural Oscillations Underlying Meditation Frontiers in Neuroscience March 26, 2018
and 10 more in the library