Spectral power and functional connectivity changes during mindfulness meditation with eyes open: A magnetoencephalography (MEG) study in long-term meditators.
W P Wong, David A Camfield, W Woods, Jerome Sarris, A Pipingas
International Journal of Psychophysiology October 1, 2015 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2015.07.006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 23 |
| Population | 11 long-term mindfulness meditators (>5 years experience) and 12 meditation-naïve controls |
| Topics | Default mode network Meditation |
| Keywords | Eyes-open resting state Functional connectivity Gamma power Magnetoencephalography meg Phase synchronisation Theta power |
| Key findings | Long-term meditators show greater theta band connectivity and lower gamma band connectivity during eyes-open rest and meditation compared to controls. |
Abstract
Whilst a number of previous studies have been conducted in order to investigate functional brain changes associated with eyes-closed meditation techniques, there is a relative scarcity in the literature with regards to changes occurring during eyes-open meditation. The current project used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to investigate differences in spectral power and functional connectivity between 11 long-term mindfulness meditators (LTMMs) with >5 years of experience and 12 meditation-naïve control participants both during baseline eyes-open rest and eyes-open open-monitoring (OM) mindfulness meditation. During resting with eyes-open, prior to meditating, greater mean alpha power was observed for LTMMs in comparison to controls. However, during the course of OM meditation, a significantly greater increase in theta power was observed over a broad fronto-centro-parietal region for control participants in comparison to LTMMs. In contrast, whole-head mean connectivity was found to be significantly greater for long-term meditators in comparison to controls in the theta band both during rest as well as during meditation. Additionally, mean connectivity was significantly lower for long-term meditators in the low gamma band during rest and significantly lower in both low and high gamma bands during meditation; and the variance of low-gamma connectivity scores for long-term meditators was significantly decreased compared to the control group. The current study provides important new information as to the trait functional changes in brain activity associated with long-term mindfulness meditation, as well as the state changes specifically associated with eyes-open open monitoring meditation techniques.
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 16
- EEG-based investigation of effects of mindfulness meditation training on state and trait by deep learning and traditional machine learning Frontiers in Human Neuroscience August 31, 2023
- Uncovering a stability signature of brain dynamics associated with meditation experience using massive time-series feature extraction. Neural Networks March 1, 2024
- The Mindful Brain at Rest: Neural Oscillations and Aperiodic Activity in Experienced Meditators Mindfulness October 1, 2024
- “And Now Close Your Eyes or Lower Your Gaze”: Exploring Novice Meditators and Their Attentional Processes During Meditation Journal of Cognitive Enhancement May 30, 2020
- A Review on Research and Evaluation Methods for Investigating Self-Transcendence. Frontiers in Psychology 2020
and 11 more in the library
Cites 35
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 8, 2004
and 30 more in the library