Effect of meditation on intracerebral EEG in a patient with temporal lobe epilepsy: A case report.
Arnaud Delorme, Romain Grandchamp, J. Curot, G. Barrangan-Jason, M. Denuelle, J. Sol, L. Valton
Explore November 24, 2020 DOI: 10.1016/j.explore.2020.11.005 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A patient with drug-resistant epilepsy undergoing stereoencephalographic (SEEG) investigation who routinely practiced focused-attention meditation |
| Intervention | Focused-attention meditation |
| Measures | intracerebral EEG (SEEG) recordings classified for interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The proportion of EEG segments containing interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) increased significantly during focused-attention meditation compared with a mind-wandering task in a patient with drug-resistant epilepsy. The authors note this increase may not correlate with seizure frequency and that the patient might still benefit from meditation, but they argue further studies are warranted. |
Abstract
Meditation has been deemed a miracle cure for a wide range of neurological disorders. However, it is unclear whether meditation practice would be beneficial for patients suffering from epilepsy. Here we report on the comparison of the effects of focused-attention meditation and a control task on electroencephalographic (EEG) activity in a patient undergoing stereoencephalographic (SEEG) investigation for drug-resistant epilepsy. The patient routinely practiced focused-attention meditation and reported that she found it beneficial. During the SEEG investigation, intracerebral EEG data were recorded during meditation as well as during mind-wandering task. The EEG data were analyzed for type of electrical activity (labeled) by two expert epileptologists. We found that the proportion of EEG segments containing activity classified as interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs; abnormal electrical activity that occurs between seizures) increased significantly during meditation practice. Although the finding was surprising, this increase in IEDs may not correlate with an increase in seizure frequency, and the patient might still benefit from practicing meditation. The finding does, however, warrant further studies on the influence of meditation on epileptic activity.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brain sources of EEG gamma frequency during volitionally meditation-induced, altered states of consciousness, and experience of the self Advanced meditator | 2001 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Mindfulness Meditation for Alcohol Relapse Prevention: A Feasibility Pilot Study Adult alcohol-dependent graduates of an intensive outpatient program | 2008 | Prospective case series | n = 19 |
| How does it feel to lack a sense of boundaries? A case study of a long-term mindfulness meditator. A single long-term mindfulness practitioner (S) with 40 years of practice in... | 2015 | Qualitative case study | n = 1 |
| Loving‐kindness meditation to enhance recovery from negative symptoms of schizophrenia Individuals suffering from schizophrenia-spectrum disorders with persistent negative... | 2009 | Case study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Problem Gambling A female problem gambler | 2011 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- EEG changes induced by meditative practices: State and trait effects in healthy subjects and in patients with epilepsy. Revue Neurologique April 1, 2024
- Effectiveness of meditation in the management of epilepsy: An updated mini systematic review of recent findings. Complementary Therapies in Medicine June 1, 2026
- Mindfulness meditation increases interictal epileptiform discharges in meditation-naïve surgical epilepsy patients. Epilepsia June 16, 2026
- Influence of mindfulness meditation on intracranial EEG parameters in epileptic and non-epileptic brain areas. Epilepsy & Behavior December 1, 2024
- Neural dynamics of mindfulness meditation and hypnosis explored with intracranial EEG: a feasibility study. Neuroscience Letters November 1, 2021
Cites 22
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 8, 2004
- Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 28, 2007
- Effects of Meditation Experience on Functional Connectivity of Distributed Brain Networks Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
and 17 more in the library