State Effects of Two Forms of Meditation on Prefrontal EEG Asymmetry in Previously Depressed Individuals
Mindfulness March 1, 2010 Thorsten Barnhofer, Tobias Chittka, Helen Nightingale et al. 99 citations
Both mindfulness breathing meditation and loving-kindness meditation shift brain activity toward greater left prefrontal activation, which is linked to approach motivation and positive emotion, in people with a history of depression. A 15-minute session of either meditation produced this change, and the effect depended on each person's tendency to brood. Those who ruminate a lot responded better to breathing meditation, while those low in brooding responded better to loving-kindness meditation. A comparison with a rest group showed the changes were not just due to time passing. The findings suggest both types of meditation can benefit previously depressed individuals, but the best choice may depend on the person's brooding tendency.