Neurofeedback-Augmented Mindfulness Training Elicits Distinct Responses in the Subregions of the Insular Cortex in Healthy Adolescents.
Xiaoqian Yu, Zsofia P Cohen, Aki Tsuchiyagaito, Gabriella Cochran, Robin L Aupperle, Jennifer L. Stewart, Manpreet K. Singh, Masaya Misaki, Jerzy Bodurka, Martin P. Paulus, Namik Kirlic
Brain Sciences March 9, 2022 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12030363 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental neuroimaging study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 37 |
| Population | Healthy adolescents (16 female) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Awareness Adolescents Insula Interoception Real-Time FMRI Neurofeedback |
| Key findings | During neurofeedback-augmented mindfulness training, the Focus-on-Breath versus Describe contrast showed a main effect of run in the anterior and posterior insula but not the mid insula. Greater anterior insula activity was associated with lower self-reported life satisfaction, while reduced posterior insula activity was associated with less pain behavior. |
Abstract
Mindfulness training (MT) reduces self-referential processing and promotes interoception, the perception of sensations from inside the body, by increasing one's awareness of and regulating responses to them. The posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and the insular cortex (INS) are considered hubs for self-referential processing and interoception, respectively. Although MT has been consistently found to decrease PCC, little is known about how MT relates to INS activity. Understanding links between mindfulness and interoception may be particularly important for informing mental health in adolescence, when neuroplasticity and emergence of psychopathology are heightened. We examined INS activity during real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback-augmented mindfulness training (NAMT) targeting the PCC. Healthy adolescents (N = 37; 16 female) completed the NAMT task, including Focus-on-Breath (MT), Describe (self-referential processing), and Rest conditions, across three neurofeedback runs and two non-neurofeedback runs (Observe, Transfer). Regression coefficients estimated from the generalized linear model were extracted from three INS subregions: anterior (aINS), mid (mINS), and posterior (pINS). Mixed model analyses revealed the main effect of run for Focus-on-Breath vs. Describe contrast in aINS [R2 = 0.39] and pINS [R2 = 0.33], but not mINS [R2 = 0.34]. Post hoc analyses revealed greater aINS activity and reduced pINS activity during neurofeedback runs, and such activities were related to lower self-reported life satisfaction and less pain behavior, respectively. These findings revealed the specific involvement of insula subregions in rtfMRI-nf MT.
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
Cited by 11
- EEG-based investigation of effects of mindfulness meditation training on state and trait by deep learning and traditional machine learning Frontiers in Human Neuroscience August 31, 2023
- Neural correlates of mindfulness meditation and hypnosis on magnetic resonance imaging: similarities and differences. A scoping review. Journal of neuroradiology = Journal de neuroradiologie March 1, 2024
- Meditation and interoception: a conceptual framework for the narrative and experiential self. Frontiers in Psychology October 16, 2024
- Modest Effects of Neurofeedback-Assisted Meditation Using a Wearable Device on Stress Reduction: A Randomized, Double-Blind, and Controlled Study. Journal of Korean medical science March 11, 2024
- Mindfulness-based Neurofeedback: A Systematic Review of EEG and fMRI studies. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology September 15, 2024
and 6 more in the library
Cites 30
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and 25 more in the library