An examination of mindfulness on Mu suppression and pain empathy and its relation to trait empathy.
L Jelsone-Swain, M Settepani, K McMullen, J Stafford, B Cho
Social Neuroscience August 2023 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2023.2242093 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 100 |
| Population | Over 100 participants enrolled in either a behavioral or EEG experiment examining pain empathy and mu suppression |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | EEG Empathy Mu suppression Sensorimotor resonance |
| Key findings | An acute mindfulness manipulation did not change pain empathy or mu suppression. Pain empathy responses were predicted significantly better when state decentering was added to a regression model than by trait empathy alone, and trait empathy was related to trait mindfulness. The authors suggest state decentering may be involved in increased pain empathy, while trait mindfulness appears more related to general trait empathy. |
Abstract
There have been multiple benefits reported from the practice of mindfulness meditation. Recently social functioning, including empathy, has emerged as one such possible benefit. However, the literature is mixed and it is unknown if mindfulness has an effect on the neural mechanism involved in empathy. Therefore, we conducted a large-scale experimental study involving over 100 participants that were either enrolled in a behavioral or EEG experiment to examine pain empathy and mu suppression, respectively. We also measured state and trait mindfulness and trait empathy. Results did not show a change in pain empathy or mu suppression in response to an acute mindfulness manipulation. However, pain empathy responses were able to be predicted significantly better when the component of state mindfulness involving decentering was incorporated into a regression model compared to trait empathy alone. Also, trait empathy was related to trait mindfulness. Collectively, state decentering may be involved in increased pain empathy, while trait mindfulness appears more related to general trait empathy. Further research is warranted to better understand the potential benefit a brief mindfulness meditation may produce in the realm of brain activity and social functioning.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cites 13
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- The toronto mindfulness scale: Development and validation Journal of Clinical Psychology 2006
- A systematic review of the neurophysiology of mindfulness on EEG oscillations Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 2015
and 8 more in the library