Long-term benefits of mindfulness on white matter tracts underlying the cortical midline structures in panic disorder: A 2-year longitudinal study.
Minji Bang, Borah Kim, Kang Soo Lee, Tai Kiu Choi, Sang-Hyuk Lee
Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences June 2023 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.13544 (opens in new tab)
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Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 71 |
| Population | Patients with panic disorder (26 receiving MBCT plus pharmacotherapy, 20 receiving pharmacotherapy alone) and 25 healthy controls |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) pharmacotherapy |
| Duration | 2 years |
| Measures | Fractional anisotropy (FA), severity of state and trait symptoms |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Cortical midline structures Diffusion tensor imaging White matter |
| Key findings | Over two years, patients with panic disorder who received MBCT plus pharmacotherapy showed decreased fractional anisotropy in the left anterior cingulate cortex, whereas those on pharmacotherapy alone showed increased fractional anisotropy in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and precuneus. Decreased fractional anisotropy in the anterior cingulate, posterior cingulate, and precuneus was associated with improvements in state and trait symptom severity. The authors argue that MBCT may reduce excessive white matter connectivity in cortical midline structures, contributing to clinical improvement. |
Abstract
We aimed to examine the long-term benefits of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on white matter plasticity in the cortical midline structures (CMS) for a period of 2 years in patients with panic disorder and the relationships between white matter changes in the CMS and severity of state and trait symptoms. Seventy-one participants were enrolled and underwent diffusion tensor imaging at baseline and after 2 years (26 who received MBCT as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy [MBCT+PT], 20 treated with pharmacotherapy alone [PT-alone], and 25 healthy controls [HCs]). The severity of symptoms and fractional anisotropy (FA) in white matter regions underlying the CMS were assessed at baseline and 2-year follow-up. The MBCT+PT group showed better outcomes after 2 years than the PT-alone group. The groups showed different FA changes: the MBCT+PT group showed decreased FA in the left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC); the PT-alone group showed increased FA in the bilateral dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and precuneus. Decreased white matter FA in the ACC, PCC, and precuneus was associated with improvements in the severity of state and trait symptoms in patients with panic disorder. Alleviation of excessive white matter connectivity in the CMS after MBCT leads to improvements in clinical symptoms and trait vulnerability in patients with panic disorder. Our study provides new evidence for the long-term benefits of MBCT on white matter plasticity and its clinical applicability as a robust treatment for panic disorder.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report Patients with a depressive disorder | 2015 | Observational study | |
| Patterning of Cognitive and Somatic Processes in the Self-Regulation of Anxiety: Effects of Meditation versus Exercise Regular practitioners of physical exercise or meditation | 1978 | Retrospective study | n = 77 |
| Dynamic coupling of whole-brain neuronal and neurotransmitter systems Healthy humans | 2020 | Observational study | |
| Psychedelics not linked to mental health problems or suicidal behavior: A population study Randomly selected United States adults | 2015 | Observational cohort | n = 135,095 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- ENIGMA-Meditation: Worldwide Consortium for Neuroscientific Investigations of Meditation Practices. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging April 1, 2025
- Intervensi Mindfuness Behavior Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) dalam Meningkatkan Self Esteem pada Remaja: Literature Review JIIP - Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Pendidikan December 1, 2023
Cites 16
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- The Brain's Default Mode Network Annual Review of Neuroscience May 4, 2015
- Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders American Journal of Psychiatry July 1, 1992
- A systematic review of neurobiological and clinical features of mindfulness meditations Psychological Medicine November 27, 2009
- Mindfulness meditation training alters stress-related amygdala resting state functional connectivity: a randomized controlled trial Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience June 5, 2015
and 11 more in the library