Data for default network reduced functional connectivity in meditators, negatively correlated with meditation expertise.

Functional connectivity within the default mode network (DMN) and visual network was higher in control participants than in long-term mindfulness meditators. Meditators showed increased connectivity between the DMN and visual networks compared to controls. During meditation, connectivity both within and between these networks decreased relative to resting-state. A significant negative correlation existed between DMN connectivity and meditation expertise, indicating that more experienced meditators had lower DMN connectivity.

Study at a glance

Abstract

FMRI data described here was recorded during resting-state in Mindfulness Meditators (MM) and control participants (see "Task-induced activity and resting-state fluctuations undergo similar alterations in visual and DMN areas of long-term meditators" Berkovich-Ohana et al. (2016) [1] for details). MM participants were also scanned during meditation. Analyses focused on functional connectivity within and between the default mode network (DMN) and visual network (Vis). Here we show data demonstrating that: 1) Functional connectivity within the DMN and the Visual networks were higher in the control group than in the meditators; 2) Data show an increase for the functional connectivity between the DMN and the Visual networks in the meditators compared to controls; 3) Data demonstrate that functional connectivity both within and between networks reduces during meditation, compared to the resting-state; and 4) A significant negative correlation was found between DMN functional connectivity and meditation expertise. The reader is referred to Berkovich-Ohana et al. (2016) [1] for further interpretation and discussion.