Abnormal inferior parietal hub configuration during mindfulness following rumination in remitted depression.
Hairuo He, Kangning Li, Su Shu, Zeyu Wang, Mohan Ma, Aoqian Deng, Fanyu Meng, Yilin Peng, Sirui Gao, Hui Liang, Mi Wang, Jin Liu, Bangshan Liu, Yan Zhang, Zexuan Li, Yumeng Ju
Psychological Medicine November 6, 2026 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291726106126 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational case-control fMRI study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 92 |
| Population | 51 patients with remitted depression and 41 healthy controls |
| Measures | Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS) |
| Topics | Meditation Depression |
| Keywords | Inferior parietal lobule Network reconfiguration Remitted depression Rumination |
| Key findings | During mindfulness after rumination, patients with remitted depression showed a hyperconnected network component anchored in the left inferior parietal lobule but reduced hub efficiency (degree centrality, betweenness centrality, nodal efficiency; FDR-corrected p < 0.05) and lower rumination-to-mindfulness connectivity-profile similarity than controls. Within patients, left IPL degree and nodal efficiency were negatively associated with rumination severity. The authors propose inefficient hub reconfiguration during mindfulness may index residual vulnerability. |
Abstract
Rumination persists in remitted depression (RD) and increases relapse risk. Mindfulness-based strategies may interrupt rumination, but network reorganization during the transition from rumination to mindfulness is poorly understood. Fifty-one patients with RD and 41 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited and completed a six-state fMRI paradigm (resting state I, negative autobiographical recall, rumination, mindfulness, distraction, and resting state II). We used network-based statistics (NBS) within each state and graph-theoretical analyses across sparsity thresholds. Rumination severity was assessed with the Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS). An exploratory analysis tested rumination to the mindfulness similarity of the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL) connectivity profile. During mindfulness, RD showed a hyperconnected NBS component linking default mode, dorsal and ventral attention, and frontoparietal and somatomotor networks, anchored in a left IPL hub. A more widespread hyperconnected component was observed during resting state II in RD. Graph theoretical analyses showed that, during mindfulness, RD exhibited reduced degree centrality, betweenness centrality, and nodal efficiency in the left IPL (all FDR-corrected p < 0.05). IPL connectivity profile similarity from rumination to mindfulness was significantly lower in RD compared with HCs. Within RD, IPL degree and nodal efficiency were negatively associated with RRS. RD is characterized by an IPL-centered hub configuration during mindfulness following rumination, marked by broad coupling but reduced hub efficiency and reduced rumination-to-mindfulness reconfiguration. Clinically, inefficient hub reconfiguration during mindfulness attempts may index a residual vulnerability and may represent a candidate target for monitoring and intervention.
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
Cites 15
- Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2000
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 1, 2009
- Resting-state fMRI functional connectivity and mindfulness in clinical and non-clinical contexts: A review and synthesis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews February 22, 2022
- Neurobiological Changes Induced by Mindfulness and Meditation: A Systematic Review. Biomedicines November 15, 2024
- Meta-analytic evidence that mindfulness training alters resting state default mode network connectivity Scientific Reports July 18, 2022
and 10 more in the library