Restoration of default mode network and task positive network anti-correlation associated with mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for bipolar disorder
Tina Chou, Darin D. Dougherty, Andrew A. Nierenberg, Thilo Deckersbach
Psychiatry research. Neuroimaging November 1, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2021.111419 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 44 |
| Population | Individuals with DSM-IV bipolar disorder and healthy controls |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy Supportive psychotherapy |
| Duration | 12-week intervention |
| Topics | Default mode network Meditation |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy restored the anti-correlation between the default mode network and task positive network in individuals with bipolar disorder, while supportive psychotherapy did not produce a significant change. |
Abstract
Individuals with bipolar disorder (BP) show abnormalities in the default mode network (DMN), a brain network active at rest and during self-referential cognition. In healthy individuals, the DMN is anti-correlated (strongly negatively correlated) with the task positive network (TPN), a brain network that is active during attention demanding tasks. Mindfulness has been linked to changes in DMN connectivity. We investigated the effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) versus supportive psychotherapy (SP) on the relationship between these two networks in individuals with BP. We identified differences in BOLD resting state DMN-TPN connectivity between healthy controls (HC; n=22) and individuals with DSM-IV BP before treatment (n=22) using a seed region in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a key TPN node. We then explored changes in DMN-TPN connectivity after 12 weeks of MBCT or SP. Before treatment, BP individuals showed positively correlated activity and the HC group showed negatively correlated activity between the DLPFC and the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). After treatment, BP individuals who received MBCT showed negatively correlated DLPFC-PCC activity. BP individuals who received SP did not show a significant change. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy can restore the anti-correlation between the DMN and TPN in individuals with BP.