Non-replication of structural brain changes from Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Two combined randomized controlled trials
Tammi R. A. Kral, Kaley Davis, Cole Korponay, Matthew J. Hirshberg, Rachel Hoel, Lawrence Y. Tello, Robin I. Goldman, Melissa A. Rosenkranz, Antoine Lutz, Richard J. Davidson
medRxiv June 16, 2021 preprint DOI: 10.1101/2021.06.14.21258762 via OpenAlex
Summary
A large, rigorously controlled study combining data from two three-arm randomized controlled trials found no evidence that an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course produces changes in brain structure. Meditation-naive participants (218 total) were randomly assigned to a waitlist, an 8-week MBSR program, or a validated active control group. Structural MRI scans taken before and after the intervention showed no significant differences in gray matter volume, gray matter density, or cortical thickness between MBSR and either control group, at either the whole-brain level or in brain regions previously linked to MBSR. These results fail to replicate earlier, widely cited claims of MBSR-induced neuroplasticity.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 218 |
| Population | Meditation-naive participants |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation Neuroplasticity |
| Keywords | Mindfulness-based stress reduction Randomized controlled trial Replication statistics |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key finding | MBSR produced no neuroplastic changes in gray matter volume, gray matter density, or cortical thickness compared to either a waitlist or an active control group. |
Abstract
Abstract Studies purporting to show changes in brain structure following the popular, eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course are widely referenced despite major methodological limitations. Here, we present findings from a large, combined dataset of two, three-arm randomized controlled trials with active and waitlist (WL) control groups. Meditation-naive participants (n=218) completed structural MRI scans during two visits: baseline and post-intervention period. After baseline, participants were randomly assigned to WL (n=70), an 8-week MBSR program (n=75), or a validated, matched active control (n=73). We assessed changes in gray matter volume, gray matter density, and cortical thickness. In the largest and most rigorously controlled study to date, we failed to replicate prior findings and found no evidence that MBSR produced neuroplastic changes compared to either control group, at either the whole-brain level or in regions of interest drawn from prior MBSR studies.