NeuroImage
September 1, 2020
Frederick S Barrett, Samuel R Krimmel, Roland R Griffiths et al.
191 citations
Psilocybin, a serotonin 2A receptor partial agonist, alters claustrum function in humans. In 15 healthy participants, psilocybin decreased the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and variance of BOLD signal in the left and right claustrum. It also changed functional connectivity: right claustrum connectivity with auditory and default mode networks decreased, while connectivity with the fronto-parietal task control network increased; left claustrum connectivity with the fronto-parietal task control network decreased. Subjective effects predicted these neural changes. The findings provide the first empirical evidence that 5-HT2A receptor signaling significantly modulates claustrum activity, suggesting a role for the claustrum in psilocybin's subjective and therapeutic effects.
The journal of pain
July 1, 2024
Patrick H Finan, Carly Hunt, Michael L Keaser et al.
18 citations
A pilot mechanistic randomized controlled trial tested a positive emotion-enhancing intervention called Savoring Meditation against a Slow Breathing control in 44 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Savoring significantly reduced experimental pain intensity ratings relative to rest and increased cerebral blood flow in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, as well as connectivity between that region and the caudate during painful stimulation. Participants in the Savoring condition also reported significantly increased positive emotions and reduced anhedonic symptoms from pre- to post-intervention. The findings suggest that Savoring recruits reward-enhancing corticostriatal circuits in the face of pain, warranting future work on clinical pain outcomes.
Mindfulness
February 1, 2023
Madhav Goyal, Jennifer A Haythornthwaite, Sharat Jain et al.
10 citations
A 10-day silent Vipassana meditation retreat with 100 hours of sitting meditation reduced migraine burden. Among 58 participants with chronic or episodic migraine, average monthly migraine days dropped by 2.7 (from 16.6) per 28 days at 12 months, and headaches decreased by 3.4 (from 20.1) per 28 days. Acute medication use fell by 2.2 days per 28 days, and activity-limited days decreased by 2.3. Improvements in migraine-specific quality of life, pain catastrophizing, and perceived stress were sustained at one year. The findings suggest intensive meditation training may reduce migraine frequency and burden.
Mindfulness
April 1, 2023
Carly A Hunt, Janelle E Letzen, Samuel R Krimmel et al.
9 citations
A secondary analysis of a clinical trial compared a 12-week enhanced mindfulness-based stress reduction course (MBSR+) to stress management for headache in 98 migraine patients. Greater pre-treatment functional connectivity between the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and right nucleus accumbens predicted more meditation practice during MBSR+ and larger reductions in headache frequency. Participants who meditated more showed increased mindfulness and reduced helplessness related to pain, but not improvements in headache frequency, severity, or impact. Increased mindfulness mediated reductions in headache impact but not frequency. The findings suggest mesocorticolimbic system function relates to motivated behavior, and motivation-enhancing interventions might boost meditation engagement.