A randomized controlled trial with 42 participants found that combining mindfulness-based cognitive therapy with loving-kindness meditation altered brain activity in people with subclinical depression. During a task involving negative emotional faces, the meditation group showed greater activation in visual processing areas. At rest, they had increased connectivity between brain regions linked to attention and emotion regulation. Activity in cognitive control regions decreased while sensorimotor regions increased. These neural changes suggest the therapy may alleviate depression by improving executive function when processing negative stimuli.
A culturally adapted mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program for Chinese adults with chronic pain led to greater short-term reductions in pain catastrophizing compared with treatment as usual, though the effect was not maintained at three months. Among participants who completed the program, MBSR also reduced pain interference and perceived stress. Brain scans showed that both groups had decreased regional homogeneity in the frontal lobe, while increased activity in the cerebellum anterior lobe was unique to the MBSR group. The findings suggest modest benefits of a culturally adapted MBSR program for certain pain-related outcomes in Chinese adults with chronic pain.