EEG source imaging during two Qigong meditations.
Pascal L Faber, Dietrich Lehmann, Shisei Tei, Takuya Tsujiuchi, Hiroaki Kumano, Roberto D Pascual-Marqui, Kieko Kochi
Cognitive Processing August 2012 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-012-0441-4 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study using multichannel EEG source imaging Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Experienced Qigong meditators |
| Intervention | Qigong meditation |
| Measures | sLORETA functional EEG tomography |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | During 'Qigong' meditation, alpha-2 activity was higher in a right parietal cluster (125 voxels; Brodmann areas 5, 7, 31, 40), while during 'Thinking of Nothing,' beta-1 activity was higher in a left prefrontal cluster (37 voxels; Brodmann areas 6, 8, 9). The authors propose these patterns may reflect input-centered and self-referential processing during 'Qigong' versus control-centered processing during 'Thinking of Nothing.' |
Abstract
Experienced Qigong meditators who regularly perform the exercises "Thinking of Nothing" and "Qigong" were studied with multichannel EEG source imaging during their meditations. The intracerebral localization of brain electric activity during the two meditation conditions was compared using sLORETA functional EEG tomography. Differences between conditions were assessed using t statistics (corrected for multiple testing) on the normalized and log-transformed current density values of the sLORETA images. In the EEG alpha-2 frequency, 125 voxels differed significantly; all were more active during "Qigong" than "Thinking of Nothing," forming a single cluster in parietal Brodmann areas 5, 7, 31, and 40, all in the right hemisphere. In the EEG beta-1 frequency, 37 voxels differed significantly; all were more active during "Thinking of Nothing" than "Qigong," forming a single cluster in prefrontal Brodmann areas 6, 8, and 9, all in the left hemisphere. Compared to combined initial-final no-task resting, "Qigong" showed activation in posterior areas whereas "Thinking of Nothing" showed activation in anterior areas. The stronger activity of posterior (right) parietal areas during "Qigong" and anterior (left) prefrontal areas during "Thinking of Nothing" may reflect a predominance of self-reference, attention and input-centered processing in the "Qigong" meditation, and of control-centered processing in the "Thinking of Nothing" meditation.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| 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 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
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- Alterations in the sense of time, space and body in the Mindfulness-trained brain: A neurophenomenologically-guided MEG study Frontiers in Psychology May 22, 2014
- Cannabis Essential Oil: A Preliminary Study for the Evaluation of the Brain Effects Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2018
- EEG Brain Activity in Dynamic Health Qigong Training: Same Effects for Mental Practice and Physical Training? Frontiers in Psychology February 7, 2017
- Cognitive, psychological, and physiological effects of a web-based mindfulness intervention in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: an open study. BMC Geriatrics February 14, 2024
- Comparative Analysis of Depth of Meditation Between Long-Term and Short Term Meditators using Electroencephalography International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Physiology December 30, 2019
and 4 more in the library
Cites 38
- Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2003
- 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
- Functional neuroanatomy of altered states of consciousness: The transient hypofrontality hypothesis Consciousness and Cognition May 19, 2003
- Psychobiology of Altered States of Consciousness. Psychological Bulletin 2005
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