The effect of body-mind relaxation meditation induction on major depressive disorder: A resting-state fMRI study.
Fangfang Chen, Xueyu Lv, Jiliang Fang, Shan Yu, Jing Sui, Lingzhong Fan, Tao Li, Yang Hong, Xiaoling Wang, Weidong Wang, Tianzi Jiang
Journal of Affective Disorders September 1, 2015 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.04.030 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational case-control study with repeated measures Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 45 |
| Population | 21 patients with major depressive disorder and 24 age- and gender-matched healthy controls |
| Measures | Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF), functional connectivity, Hamilton Rating Scales for Depression (HDRS) |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Body–mind relaxation meditation Cognitive reappraisal Medial frontal cortex Orbitofrontal cortex FMRI |
| Key findings | After body-mind relaxation meditation induction, both depressed patients and healthy controls showed decreased ALFF in the bilateral frontal pole (BA10). Only depressed patients showed increased functional connectivity from the right dorsal medial prefrontal cortex to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and left lateral orbitofrontal cortex. The authors propose that meditation induction may regulate prefrontal cortex activity and help patients construct reappraisal strategies. |
Abstract
Meditation has been increasingly evaluated as an important complementary therapeutic tool for the treatment of depression. The present study employed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to examine the effect of body-mind relaxation meditation induction (BMRMI) on the brain activity of depressed patients and to investigate possible mechanisms of action for this complex intervention. 21 major depressive disorder patients (MDDs) and 24 age and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs) received rs-fMRI scans at baseline and after listening to a selection of audio designed to induce body-mind relaxation meditation. The rs-fMRI data were analyzed using Matlab toolbox to obtain the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) of the BOLD signal for the whole brain. A mixed-design repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed on the whole brain to find which brain regions were affected by the BMRMI. An additional functional connectivity analysis was used to identify any atypical connection patterns after the BMRMI. After the BMRMI experience, both the MDDs and HCs showed decreased ALFF values in the bilateral frontal pole (BA10). Additionally, increased functional connectivity from the right dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) to the left dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and the left lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) was identified only in the MDDs after the BMRMI. In order to exclude the impact of other events on the participants׳ brain activity, the Hamilton Rating Scales for Depression (HDRS) was not measured after the body-mind relaxation induction. Our findings support the hypothesis that body-mind relaxation meditation induction may regulate the activities of the prefrontal cortex and thus may have the potential to help patients construct reappraisal strategies that can modulate the brain activity in multiple emotion-processing systems.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metacognitive awareness and prevention of relapse in depression: Empirical evidence. Residually depressed patients and nondepressed controls; recovered depressed patients | 2002 | Observational cohort with intervention components | |
| Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms. Patients with treatment-resistant depression | 2017 | Observational cohort | n = 19 |
| Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report Patients with a depressive disorder | 2015 | Observational study | |
| Concomitant BDNF and sleep slow wave changes indicate ketamine-induced plasticity in major depressive disorder Patients with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder | 2012 | Observational cohort | n = 30 |
| Altered peripheral immune profiles in treatment-resistant depression: response to ketamine and prediction of treatment outcome Healthy controls and actively depressed patients with treatment-resistant depression... | 2017 | Observational cohort | n = 59 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 15
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- Mindfulness-Based Interventions for the Recovery of Mental Fatigue: A Systematic Review International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health June 26, 2022
- Functional Connectivity of Prefrontal Cortex in Various Meditation Techniques – A Mini-Review International Journal of Yoga September 1, 2022
- 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
- Neural correlates of reduction in self-judgment after mindful self-compassion training: A pilot study with resting state fMRI. Journal of Mood and Anxiety Disorders March 1, 2025
and 10 more in the library
Cites 11
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences October 11, 2007
- Effects of Brief and Sham Mindfulness Meditation on Mood and Cardiovascular Variables The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine July 28, 2010
- Spontaneous Brain Activity in the Default Mode Network Is Sensitive to Different Resting-State Conditions with Limited Cognitive Load PLoS One May 28, 2009
and 6 more in the library