Religious and spiritual importance moderate relation between default mode network connectivity and familial risk for depression.
Connie Svob, Zhishun Wang, Myrna M Weissman, Priya Wickramaratne, Jonathan Posner
Neuroscience Letters October 4, 2016 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.10.009 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational neuroimaging study (resting-state functional connectivity MRI) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 104 |
| Population | Individuals aged 11-60 at high and low familial risk for depression |
| Measures | resting-state functional connectivity MRI (rs-fcMRI), self-report measures of religion/spirituality importance |
| Topics | Default mode network Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Brain Humans Magnetic resonance imaging Risk Religion and psychology Spirituality Adolescent Middle aged Child Young adult Connectome |
| Key findings | Among individuals at high familial risk for depression, greater self-reported importance of religion/spirituality was associated with decreased default mode network connectivity. The authors propose this may represent a protective neural adaptation in the DMN and may have implications for meditation-based therapies for depression. |
Abstract
Individuals at high risk for depression have increased default mode network (DMN) connectivity, as well as reduced inverse connectivity between the DMN and the central executive network (CEN) [8]. Other studies have indicated that the belief in the importance of religion/spirituality (R/S) is protective against depression in high risk individuals [5]. Given these findings, we hypothesized that R/S importance would moderate DMN connectivity, potentially reducing DMN connectivity or increasing DMN-CEN inverse connectivity in individuals at high risk for depression. Using resting-state functional connectivity MRI (rs-fcMRI) in a sample of 104 individuals (aged 11-60) at high and low risk for familial depression, we previously reported increased DMN connectivity and reduced DMN-CEN inverse connectivity in high risk individuals. Here, we found that this effect was moderated by self-report measures of R/S importance. Greater R/S importance in the high risk group was associated with decreased DMN connectivity. These results may represent a protective neural adaptation in the DMN of individuals at high risk for depression, and may have implications for other meditation-based therapies for depression.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Functional connectivity of default mode network components: Correlation, anticorrelation, and causality Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study using resting-state fMRI and seed correlation analysis | |
| Patterns of Brain Activity Supporting Autobiographical Memory, Prospection, and Theory of Mind, and Their Relationship to the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2009 | Experimental study using fMRI | |
| Dynamic reconfiguration of the default mode network during narrative comprehension Human subjects | 2016 | Experimental study | |
| Broadband Cortical Desynchronization Underlies the Human Psychedelic State Healthy human participants | 2013 | Experimental study | |
| The brain on art: intense aesthetic experience activates the default mode network Human observers | 2012 | Observational study with fMRI and behavioral analysis |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Neural Correlates of Personalized Spiritual Experiences Cerebral Cortex May 14, 2018
- Spirituality as a Therapeutic Approach for Severe Mental Illness: Insights from Neural Networks Religions April 16, 2024
- The Neuroscience of Religious and Spiritual Practices: A Systematic Review of Neurotheological Evidence Brain and Behavior August 30, 2026
- Neural correlates of a mindfulness-based intervention in anorexia nervosa. BJPsych Open February 2, 2023
- The neuroscience of spirituality, religion, and mental health: A systematic review and synthesis. Journal of Psychiatric Research December 1, 2022
Cites 4
- Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2000
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Antidepressants Normalize the Default Mode Network in Patients With Dysthymia JAMA Psychiatry February 6, 2013
- Increased default mode network connectivity associated with meditation Neuroscience Letters October 28, 2010