The posterior cingulate cortex as a plausible mechanistic target of meditation: findings from neuroimaging.

Mindfulness training targets brain regions like the posterior cingulate cortex, a hub of the default mode network, according to a review of psychological and neuroimaging research. Ancient and modern models of stress, such as operant conditioning, converge on plausible biological mechanisms for mindfulness. Recent studies using real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback in neurophenomenological investigations reveal how meditation alters activity in task-positive and default mode networks, reducing mind wandering. The paper highlights emerging findings that link mindfulness practice to changes in brain function, though it does not report new experimental results.

Study at a glance

Abstract

There has been an increased interest in mindfulness and meditation training over the past decade. As evidenced by exponential growth in the number of publications since the beginning of the 21st century, progressively more is becoming known about both the clinical efficacy and underlying neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness training. This paper briefly highlights psychological models of stress that converge between ancient and modern day (e.g., operant conditioning); identifies key brain regions that, with these models, are biologically plausible targets for mindfulness (e.g., posterior cingulate cortex); and discusses recent and emerging findings from neuroimaging studies of meditation therein, including new advances using real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback in neurophenomenological studies.