Impact of meditation training on the default mode network during a restful state
Véronique A. Taylor, Véronique Daneault, Joshua A. Grant, Geneviève Scavone, Estelle Breton, Sébastien Roffe-Vidal, Jérôme Courtemanche, Anaïs Lavarenne, Guillaume Marrelec, Habib Benali, Mario Beauregard
Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience March 24, 2012 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsr087 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractExperienced meditators with over 1000 hours of training show weaker functional connectivity between default mode network (DMN) regions involved in self-referential processing and emotional appraisal compared to beginners with no prior experience. They also show increased connectivity between certain DMN regions, such as the dorso-medial prefrontal cortex and right inferior parietal lobule. These resting-state functional connectivity changes suggest that extensive meditation training may strengthen present-moment awareness by altering how core DMN regions communicate, even when not actively meditating.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 24 |
| Population | 13 experienced meditators (over 1000 h of training) and 11 beginner meditators (no prior experience, trained for 1 week) |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Topics | Default mode network Meditation |
| Keywords | Resting State FMRI Functional connectivity |
| Citations | 317 |
| Key finding | Experienced meditators had weaker functional connectivity between DMN regions involved in self-referential processing and emotional appraisal, and increased connectivity between certain other DMN regions, compared to beginners. |
Abstract
Mindfulness meditation has been shown to promote emotional stability. Moreover, during the processing of aversive and self-referential stimuli, mindful awareness is associated with reduced medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) activity, a central default mode network (DMN) component. However, it remains unclear whether mindfulness practice influences functional connectivity between DMN regions and, if so, whether such impact persists beyond a state of meditation. Consequently, this study examined the effect of extensive mindfulness training on functional connectivity within the DMN during a restful state. Resting-state data were collected from 13 experienced meditators (with over 1000 h of training) and 11 beginner meditators (with no prior experience, trained for 1 week before the study) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Pairwise correlations and partial correlations were computed between DMN seed regions' time courses and were compared between groups utilizing a Bayesian sampling scheme. Relative to beginners, experienced meditators had weaker functional connectivity between DMN regions involved in self-referential processing and emotional appraisal. In addition, experienced meditators had increased connectivity between certain DMN regions (e.g. dorso-medial PFC and right inferior parietal lobule), compared to beginner meditators. These findings suggest that meditation training leads to functional connectivity changes between core DMN regions possibly reflecting strengthened present-moment awareness.