Mindfulness-based stress reduction training modulates striatal and cerebellar connectivity
Emiliano Santarnecchi1, Eutizio Egiziano2, Sicilia D'Arista2
1Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Journal of Neuroscience Research
|February 26, 2021
Summary
Mindfulness training reshapes brain connectivity, particularly in areas like the putamen and cerebellum. These changes during mind-wandering and meditation suggest altered neural pathways influencing behavior and potentially pain perception.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Psychology
Background:
- Mindfulness practice is linked to altered brain activity and structure.
- Understanding functional and effective connectivity changes from mindfulness is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in functional and effective brain connectivity after an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program.
- To analyze connectivity during both mind-wandering and meditation states using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
Main Methods:
- Connectivity fMRI analysis was performed on healthy individuals before and after an 8-week MBSR training.
- Data were collected during spontaneous mind-wandering and meditative states.
Main Results:
- Decreased local connectivity was observed in the right anterior putamen and insula during mind-wandering post-training.
- Reduced connectivity was noted in the right cerebellum during the meditative state after training.
- Effective connectivity analysis revealed decreased anterior cingulate cortex modulation of the putamen and altered putamen-cerebellum interactions.
Conclusions:
- Mindfulness practice induces a rearrangement of dorsal striatum functional and effective connectivity.
- Changes in cortico-subcortical-cerebellar modulatory dynamics are associated with mindfulness.
- These findings may explain behavioral effects of mindfulness, particularly concerning pain perception.
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