Cortical reorganization processes in meditation naïve participants induced by 7 weeks focused attention meditation training.

Short-term focused attention meditation training (averaging 7.3 weeks) in 27 healthy, meditation-naïve adults induced dynamic brain changes, including gray matter increases in the insula, caudate nucleus, and frontal cortices, and decreases in parietotemporal regions, the right medial prefrontal cortex, and the parahippocampal gyrus. Fractional anisotropy increased in the right hippocampus, basal ganglia, and adjacent regions. Some alterations correlated with reduced state anxiety. The results suggest that even brief meditation training can produce broad cortical reorganization and altered axonal integrity, with patterns differing from prior studies.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Based on the evidence that meditation is associated with numerous beneficial effects on well-being and reduced stress-related symptoms, mindfulness-based techniques were increasingly implemented into psychotherapeutic programs. However, different meditation styles and the cross-sectional nature of most previous analyses resulted in a great variety of morphometric findings. The present study aims to elucidate cortical reorganization processes and altered axonal integrity caused by short-term meditation training, and benefits from solely using focused attention meditation (FAM). 3 T MRI, including T1-MPRAGE and diffusion-weighted sequences, was performed in 27 healthy, meditation naïve participants (age: 43 ± 12.4 years) pre and post FAM meditation training (duration: 7.3 ± 0.4 weeks). Voxel-based morphometry was applied to assess brain changes in gray and white matter. Questionnaires were filled out by the individuals at both time-points to evaluate quality of life and self-awareness deficits. The major findings comprised (i) gray matter increases in the insula, the caudate nucleus and frontal cortices, (ii) decreases in extended parietotemporal regions, the right medial prefrontal cortex and the parahippocampal gyrus, as well as (iii) fractional anisotropy increases of the right hippocampus, the basal ganglia and adjacent regions. Regression analysis revealed an association of specific alterations with reduced levels of state anxiety. FAM training induced a broad range of dynamic brain alterations even within few weeks of training. Interestingly, this cohort revealed more, and partially different patterns of structural gray matter change compared to prior studies. The broad impact on neuronal organization processes may reflect more general outcomes related to health and well-being.