Revue neurologique
October 1, 2023
T Andrillon
18 citations
Sleep is traditionally defined by distinct behavioral, physiological, and subjective states, but recent evidence reveals that brain regions can show asynchronous activity, making it difficult to assign a single global vigilance state. Instead, sleep may be better understood as a multidimensional continuum rather than a series of discrete, mutually exclusive states. Shifting focus from sleep states to the underlying brain processes—such as those that clean and reorganize the brain overnight—offers a more useful framework. This process-oriented view highlights what sleep does (e.g., producing a cleaner, leaner brain each morning) rather than what it is, avoiding limitations of the state-based perspective.
Revue neurologique
April 1, 2024
I Merlet, M Guillery, L Weyl et al.
9 citations
Meditation affects brain activity both during practice (state effects) and as lasting changes in resting-state (trait effects). This review focuses on EEG changes in healthy subjects with or without meditation experience, covering baseline rhythms, functional connectivity, and nonlinear parameters, and discusses their feasibility for clinical applications. The article also reviews studies using standardized meditation programs—including mindfulness, loving-kindness, and compassion—as complementary therapy for epilepsy patients, who often experience anxiety and depression. These studies examine effects on psychological functioning and seizure occurrence. Preliminary results from an ongoing study quantifying the effects of mindfulness self-compassion practice on interictal and ictal epileptic activity are presented, along with feasibility, difficulties, and prospects.
Revue neurologique
October 1, 2024
F Blard, J Erraud, M Bonnet et al.
3 citations
A French study investigated the feasibility, acceptability, and effects of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program for people with Parkinson's disease. A national survey of 209 patients found that while 66% had heard of mindfulness meditation, few understood what it involved; 90% were in favor of trying it. In a clinical trial with 30 patients, 25 completed the program, which was offered online or face-to-face. Anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and quality of life showed statistically significant improvement, while pain and sleep quality did not change significantly. No unwanted effects occurred, and 24 of 25 completers rated the experience positively, reporting better stress and emotion management.
Revue neurologique
April 1, 2004
L Naccache
Over the past thirty years, the scientific study of the brain basis of consciousness has advanced through research on both brain-damaged patients and healthy individuals. Certain neuropsychological syndromes, such as blindsight, visual agnosias, and neglect, reveal dissociations that help identify principles of consciousness. These principles are then tested in healthy subjects using experimental psychology and brain imaging. This review focuses on visual phenomenal consciousness, the most studied aspect, and describes how findings from neuropsychological conditions and phenomena like visual illusions and subliminal perception have been generalized. The authors outline a scientific model of consciousness based on a "global workspace" that incorporates the reviewed evidence.