Rehabilitating the brain through meditation and electrical stimulation.
Cortex 2020 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.07.022 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Reports that fractional anisotropy (FA) is improved in pathways surrounding the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) following two to four weeks of meditation training. Proposes that increased frontal theta from meditation may cause this improvement, supported by a mouse optogenetics study imposing theta rhythms in the ACC. |
Abstract
This paper is a review of our recent studies and ideas related to the neuropsychological issues that Robert Rafal and I worked together to understand attention and hopefully improve it in a variety of patients. Rehabilitation is also a goal of my current research to determine if non invasive stimuli can improve white matter in humans. We have found that fractional anisotropy (FA) is improved in pathways surrounding the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) following two week to four weeks of meditation training. We hypothesized that the frontal theta increased following meditation training might be a cause of the improved connectivity. This was confirmed by a mouse study using optogenetics to impose theta rhythms in the ACC. We have evidence that electrical stimulation while performing a task that activates the ACC can also increase theta. We plan studies to determine whether two to four weeks of stimulation can improve FA in pathways surrounding the anterior cingulate.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Mining the Mind: Linear Discriminant Analysis of MEG Source Reconstruction Time Series Supports Dynamic Changes in Deep Brain Regions During Meditation Sessions. Brain Topography October 15, 2021
- Frontal theta activity and white matter plasticity following mindfulness meditation Current Opinion in Psychology April 18, 2019
Cites 5
- Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences October 11, 2007
- Changes in white matter in mice resulting from low-frequency brain stimulation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences July 3, 2018
- Rhythmic brain stimulation reduces anxiety-related behavior in a mouse model based on meditation training. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences March 7, 2017
- Brief meditation training induces smoking reduction. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences August 20, 2013
- Mechanisms of white matter changes induced by meditation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 26, 2012