Brain regions involved in dispositional mindfulness during resting state and their relation with well-being.
Feng Kong, Xu Wang, Yiying Song, Jia Liu
Social Neuroscience 2016 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2015.1092469 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Measures | Regional homogeneity (ReHo) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Dispositional mindfulness Eudaimonic well-being Hedonic well-being Spontaneous brain activity |
| Key findings | Dispositional mindfulness was positively associated with resting-state ReHo in the left orbitofrontal cortex, left parahippocampal gyrus, and right insula, and negatively with ReHo in the right inferior frontal gyrus. Inferior frontal gyrus ReHo predicted eudaimonic well-being and orbitofrontal cortex ReHo predicted positive affect, both mediated by dispositional mindfulness, suggesting mindfulness engages multiple brain mechanisms that differentially influence hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. |
Abstract
Mindfulness can be viewed as an important dispositional characteristic that reflects the tendency to be mindful in daily life, which is beneficial for improving individuals' both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. However, no study to date has examined the brain regions involved in individual differences in dispositional mindfulness during the resting state and its relation with hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. To investigate this issue, the present study employed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to evaluate the regional homogeneity (ReHo) that measures the local synchronization of spontaneous brain activity in a large sample. We found that dispositional mindfulness was positively associated with the ReHo in the left orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), left parahippocampal gyrus (PHG), and right insula implicated in emotion processing, body awareness, and self-referential processing, and negatively associated with the ReHo in right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) implicated in response inhibition and attentional control. Furthermore, we found different neural associations with hedonic (i.e., positive and negative affect) and eudaimonic well-being (i.e., the meaningful and purposeful life). Specifically, the ReHo in the IFG predicted eudaimonic well-being whereas the OFC predicted positive affect, both of which were mediated by dispositional mindfulness. Taken together, our study provides the first evidence for linking individual differences in dispositional mindfulness to spontaneous brain activity and demonstrates that dispositional mindfulness engages multiple brain mechanisms that differentially influence hedonic and eudaimonic well-being.
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 26
- Resting-state fMRI functional connectivity and mindfulness in clinical and non-clinical contexts: A review and synthesis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews February 22, 2022
- Brief mindfulness-based training and mindfulness trait attenuate psychological stress in university students: a randomized controlled trial BMC Psychology February 1, 2021
- Resting-State Network Functional Connectivity Patterns Associated with the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale Brain Connectivity November 13, 2017
- Interoceptive awareness: MBSR training alters information processing of salience network Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience March 21, 2023
- Meditation-induced effects on whole-brain structural and effective connectivity Brain Structure and Function May 6, 2022
and 21 more in the library
Cites 31
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects Psychological Inquiry October 19, 2007
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology October 27, 2008
- Assessment of Mindfulness by Self-Report Assessment September 1, 2004
and 26 more in the library