Resting Brain Activity Related to Dispositional Mindfulness: a PET Study.
Mindfulness January 1, 2017 Martin Gartenschläger, Mathias Schreckenberger, Hans-Georg Buchholz et al.
Dispositional mindfulness, the trait of being aware of present experiences without judgment, is linked to specific patterns of brain activity at rest. In 32 individuals (23 with mental disorders, 9 healthy controls), higher mindfulness scores on the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale were associated with greater resting glucose metabolism in the superior parietal lobule and left precuneus, core areas of the default mode network involved in sense of self. Conversely, lower metabolism appeared in the left inferior frontal orbital gyrus and bilateral thalamus, regions tied to memory, decision making, and outward attention. These relationships held after adjusting for depression, anxiety, age, and education.