Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation

Abstract

Objective: The underlying changes in biological processes that are associated with reported changes in mental and physical health in response to meditation have not been systematically explored. We performed a randomized, controlled study on the effects on brain and immune function of a well-known and widely used 8-week clinical training program in mindfulness meditation applied in a work environment with healthy employees. Methods: We measured brain electrical activity before and immediately after, and then 4 months after an 8-week training program in mindfulness meditation. Twenty-five subjects were tested in the meditation group. A wait-list control group (N ϭ 16) was tested at the same points in time as the meditators. At the end of the 8-week period, subjects in both groups were vaccinated with influenza vaccine. Results: We report for the first time significant increases in left-sided anterior activation, a pattern previously associated with positive affect, in the meditators compared with the nonmeditators. We also found significant increases in antibody titers to influenza vaccine among subjects in the meditation compared with those in the wait-list control group. Finally, the magnitude of increase in left-sided activation predicted the magnitude of antibody titer rise to the vaccine. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that a short program in mindfulness meditation produces demonstrable effects on brain and immune function. These findings suggest that meditation may change brain and immune function in positive ways and underscore the need for additional research.

Reduced functional connectivity between cortical sources in five meditation traditions detected with lagged coherence using EEG tomography

“…This is not surprising since one could reasonably expect some temporarily persisting effect of meditation (see also Northoff et al, 2010 on pre-task and post-task resting). Indeed, even long-term electrophysiological effects of meditation are known (Davidson et al, 2003;Lutz et al, 2004;Tei et al, 2009). But, the dissimilarity of the 'into' and 'out of' changes of connectivity was surprising: The topographies of the two principal connectivities were about orthogonal to each other.…”

Meditators and Non-Meditators: EEG Source Imaging During Resting

“…Since the Stroop task was performed before and immediately after a 20 minute period of meditation (in non-meditators), it is still an open question, whether long-term experience produces lasting effects of the kind reported by Wenk-Sormaz. Increases in relative left-sided anterior activation of the brain after an 8-week mindfulness meditation program have been reported by Davidson et al (2003). A group of Zen meditators showed increased delta activity mainly in the medial prefrontal cortex during resting compared to controls (Faber et al 2008); this was interpreted as an inhibition of the medial prefrontal cortex resulting in a reduction of emotional and cognitive engagement, described by the Zen meditators as detachment.…”

Does positive affect influence health?

“…Davidson, Coe, Dolski, & Donzella, 1999; R. J. Davidson et al, 2003;Kang et al, 1991). Neurotransmitters may also respond differently to PA than to NA.…”