The brain structure correlates of individual differences in trait mindfulness: a voxel-based morphometry study.
H Lu, Y Song, M Xu, X Wang, X Li, J Liu
Neuroscience July 11, 2014 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.04.051 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional neuroimaging study (voxel-based morphometry) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 247 |
| Population | Young adults |
| Measures | Mindful Attention Awareness Scale |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Emotion regulation Executive attention Self-referential processing Trait mindfulness Voxel-based morphometry |
| Key findings | Higher trait mindfulness, measured by the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, was associated with greater gray matter volume in the right hippocampus/amygdala and bilateral anterior cingulate cortex, but less gray matter volume in bilateral posterior cingulate cortex and the left orbitofrontal cortex. The authors suggest these regions support executive attention, emotion regulation, and self-referential processing, through which mindfulness may benefit well-being. |
Abstract
Mindfulness is the state of being attentive to and aware of what is taking place in the present, which is beneficial for reducing stress-related symptoms and improving mental and physical health. Previous studies have demonstrated that meditation practice can improve individuals' mindfulness through modifying functions and structures of multiple brain regions, including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), insula, fronto-limbic network, posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and temporal-parietal junction. However, little is known about the neuroanatomical correlates of trait mindfulness. In the current study, we used voxel-based morphometry to investigate the neural correlates of individual differences in trait mindfulness by correlating the gray matter (GM) volume of each voxel across the whole brain with trait mindfulness measured by the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale in a large sample of young adults (N=247). We found that individuals who were more mindful of the present had greater GM volume in the right hippocampus/amygdala and bilateral ACC, but less GM volume in bilateral PCC and the left orbitofrontal cortex. These results suggest that trait mindfulness is associated with brain regions involved in executive attention, emotion regulation, and self-referential processing, through which mindfulness may exert its beneficial effects on psychological and physical well-being.
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 22
- Ability to Gain Control Over One’s Own Brain Activity and its Relation to Spiritual Practice: A Multimodal Imaging Study Frontiers in Human Neuroscience May 24, 2017
- A distinction between two instruments measuring dispositional mindfulness and the correlations between those measurements and the neuroanatomical structure Scientific Reports July 18, 2017
- Mindfulness in the focus of the neurosciences - The contribution of neuroimaging to the understanding of mindfulness. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience October 17, 2022
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Blood Pressure, Mental Health, and Quality of Life in Hypertensive Adult Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial Study. The journal of Tehran Heart Center July 1, 2022
- Gray Matter Changes in Adolescents Participating in a Meditation Training Frontiers in Human Neuroscience August 14, 2020
and 17 more in the library
Cites 38
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Assessment of Mindfulness by Self-Report Assessment September 1, 2004
- 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
and 33 more in the library