Neurobiological Changes Induced by Mindfulness and Meditation: A Systematic Review.
Biomedicines November 15, 2024 Andrea Calderone, Desirèe Latella, Federica Impellizzeri et al. 83 citations
Mindfulness and meditation practices, particularly Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), improve emotional regulation and brain structure, reduce anxiety, and enhance stress resilience. These practices induce neuroplasticity, increase cortical thickness, reduce amygdala reactivity, and improve brain connectivity and neurotransmitter levels. MBSR enhances brain regions involved in emotional processing and sensory perception, improves psychological outcomes such as anxiety and depression, and exhibits unique mechanisms of pain reduction compared to placebo. Future research should focus on diverse populations and naturalistic settings to better understand and optimize these benefits.