Pain Attenuation through Mindfulness is Associated with Decreased Cognitive Control and Increased Sensory Processing in the Brain
Tim Gard, Britta K. Hölzel, Alexander T. Sack, Hannes Hempel, Sara W. Lazar, Dieter Vaitl, Ulrich Ott
Cerebral Cortex December 15, 2011 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhr352 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Mindfulness practitioners and controls |
| Intervention | mindfulness |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Insula Anterior cingulate cortex Sensory system Posterior cingulate Cognition Sensory processing Chronic pain Anticipation artificial intelligence Prefrontal cortex Sensory cortex Audiology Central nervous system Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 275 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness practitioners reduced pain unpleasantness by 22% and anticipatory anxiety by 29% during a mindful state, associated with decreased lateral prefrontal cortex and increased right posterior insula activation during stimulation, and increased rostral anterior cingulate cortex activation during pain anticipation. |
Abstract
Pain can be modulated by several cognitive techniques, typically involving increased cognitive control and decreased sensory processing. Recently, it has been demonstrated that pain can also be attenuated by mindfulness. Here, we investigate the underlying brain mechanisms by which the state of mindfulness reduces pain. Mindfulness practitioners and controls received unpleasant electric stimuli in the functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner during a mindfulness and a control condition. Mindfulness practitioners, but not controls, were able to reduce pain unpleasantness by 22% and anticipatory anxiety by 29% during a mindful state. In the brain, this reduction was associated with decreased activation in the lateral prefrontal cortex and increased activation in the right posterior insula during stimulation and increased rostral anterior cingulate cortex activation during the anticipation of pain. These findings reveal a unique mechanism of pain modulation, comprising increased sensory processing and decreased cognitive control, and are in sharp contrast to established pain modulation mechanisms.