Changes in the neural correlates of self-blame following mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in remitted depressed participants.
K. Williams, R. Elliott, S. Mckie, R. Zahn, T. Barnhofer, I. Anderson
Psychiatry research. Neuroimaging July 23, 2020 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2020.111152 (opens in new tab) via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAfter mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), people in remission from major depressive disorder showed reduced brain activation in the bilateral dorsal anterior cingulate and medial superior frontal gyrus when blaming themselves compared to blaming others. Increased self-kindness after MBCT correlated with reduced activation in the posterior cingulate cortex and precuneus during self-blame. These findings suggest MBCT may alter neural responses to self-blame, possibly through increasing self-kindness. The study was small, with 16 participants, and lacked a control group, so results require confirmation.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Uncontrolled before-and-after study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 16 |
| Population | Adults in remission from major depressive disorder |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) |
| Duration | Before and after MBCT (exact duration not stated) |
| Keywords | Psychology Medicine |
| Key finding | MBCT was associated with reduced activation in cortical midline regions during self-blame, which may be mediated by increased self-kindness. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-Based-Cognitive-Therapy (MBCT) reduces vulnerability for relapse into depression by helping individuals to counter tendencies to engage in maladaptive repetitive patterns of thinking and respond more compassionately to negative self-judgment. However, little is known about the neural correlates underlying these effects. To elucidate these correlates, we investigated fMRI brain activation during a task eliciting feelings of blaming oneself or others. Sixteen participants in remission from major depressive disorder (MDD) completed fMRI assessments before and after MBCT, alongside self-reported levels of self-compassion, mindfulness, and depression symptoms. Analyses of self-blame versus other-blame contrasts showed a reduction in activation in the bilateral dorsal anterior cingulate/medial superior frontal gyrus after MBCT compared to baseline. Further, exploratory analyses showed that increases in self-kindness after MBCT correlated with reduced activation in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/precuneus in self-blame versus rest contrasts. These findings suggest that MBCT is associated with a reduction in activations in cortical midline regions to self-blame which may be mediated by increasing self-kindness. However, this is a small, uncontrolled study with 16 participants and therefore our results will need confirmation in a controlled study.