Relationship of mindful awareness to neural processing of angry faces and impact of mindfulness training: A pilot investigation.
Athene K W Lee, David A Gansler, Nanyin Zhang, Matthew W Jerram, Jean A. King, Carl Fulwiler
Psychiatry Research Neuroimaging June 30, 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2017.03.016 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 18 |
| Population | Healthy adult volunteers, 10 of whom were recruited from a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction class |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Anger Experiential awareness FMRI Inferior parietal lobule |
| Key findings | Mindful awareness increased after MBSR training, but trait anger did not change. Baseline mindful awareness was negatively associated with left inferior parietal lobule activation to angry faces, and trait anger was positively associated with right middle frontal gyrus and bilateral angular gyrus activation. No significant pre-post changes in angry face processing were found, though changes in mindfulness and anger were linked to sub-threshold paralimbic differences. |
Abstract
Mindfulness is paying attention, non-judgmentally, to experience in the moment. Mindfulness training reduces depression and anxiety and influences neural processes in midline self-referential and lateralized somatosensory and executive networks. Although mindfulness benefits emotion regulation, less is known about its relationship to anger and the corresponding neural correlates. This study examined the relationship of mindful awareness and brain hemodynamics of angry face processing, and the impact of mindfulness training. Eighteen healthy volunteers completed an angry face processing fMRI paradigm and measurement of mindfulness and anger traits. Ten of these participants were recruited from a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) class and also completed imaging and other assessments post-training. Self-reported mindful awareness increased after MBSR, but trait anger did not change. Baseline mindful awareness was negatively related to left inferior parietal lobule activation to angry faces; trait anger was positively related to right middle frontal gyrus and bilateral angular gyrus. No significant pre-post changes in angry face processing were found, but changes in trait mindful awareness and anger were associated with sub-threshold differences in paralimbic activation. These preliminary and hypothesis-generating findings, suggest the analysis of possible impact of mindfulness training on anger may begin with individual differences in angry face processing.
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
Cited by 3
- 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
- Navigating the Storm: How Does Meditation Influence Mental Health Among Older Adults With Chronic Conditions? Journal of Population Ageing April 18, 2026
- There Is More to Mindfulness Than Emotion Regulation: A Study on Brain Structural Networks Frontiers in Psychology April 1, 2021
Cites 15
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- Assessment of Mindfulness by Self-Report Assessment September 1, 2004
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience August 13, 2007
and 10 more in the library