Meditation-induced modulation of brain response to transcranial magnetic stimulation.
Olivier Bodart, Matteo Fecchio, Marcello Massimini, S. Wannez, A. Virgillito, Silvia Casarotto, Mario Rosanova, Antoine Lutz, Matthieu Ricard, Steven Laureys, Olivia Gosseries
Brain Stimulation November 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2018.08.018 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The abstract does not report results; it only outlines the study's aim to establish whether TMS-EEG can detect changes in brain reactivity during meditation and whether these changes are specific to the achieved state and stimulated cortical areas. |
Abstract
Meditation can be conceptualized as a family of complex emotional and attentional regulatory training regimes developed for various ends, including the cultivation of well-being and emotional balance. Previous studies have demonstrated that meditation may have positive effects on self-awareness, emotion regulation, attention processes, and also structural neuroplasticity [1]. However, the underlying neurophysiology remains poorly understood. Transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with electroencephalography (TMS—EEG) is a non-invasive technique to probe brain activity and connectivity. We aim at establishing whether TMS—EEG can detect changes in brain reactivity during meditation practice and at evaluating whether these changes are specific to the achieved state and to stimulated cortical areas.