Common and distinct lateralised patterns of neural coupling during focused attention, open monitoring and loving kindness meditation

Abstract

Meditation has been integrated into different therapeutic interventions. To inform the evidence-based selection of specific meditation types it is crucial to understand the neural processes associated with different meditation practices. Here we explore commonalities and differences in electroencephalographic oscillatory spatial synchronisation patterns across three important meditation types. Highly experienced meditators engaged in focused attention, open monitoring, and loving kindness meditation. Improving on previous research, our approach avoids comparisons between groups that limited previous findings, while ensuring that the meditation states are reliably established. Employing a novel measure of neural coupling – the imaginary part of EEG coherence – the study revealed that all meditation conditions displayed a common connectivity pattern that is characterised by increased connectivity of (a) broadly distributed delta networks, (b) left-hemispheric theta networks with a local integrating posterior focus, and (c) right-hemispheric alpha networks, with a local integrating parieto-occipital focus. Furthermore, each meditation state also expressed specific synchronisation patterns differentially recruiting left- or right-lateralised beta networks. These observations provide evidence that in addition to global patterns, frequency-specific inter-hemispheric asymmetry is one major feature of meditation, and that mental processes specific to each meditation type are also supported by lateralised networks from fast-frequency bands.

Attentional and cognitive monitoring brain networks in long-term meditators depend on meditation states and expertise

“…The sample of highly experienced meditators involved in our previous study 12 was used to explore the role of cognitive control networks in meditation states. We studied 22 healthy right-handed volunteers (mean age = 44.2 years, SD = 9.9 years, age range 26–70 years, 4 females) who did not report any history of somatic disorders or neurological diseases.…”

“…As in 12 , participants had to perform a non-meditative rest condition (REST) and three meditation conditions: FAM, OMM and LKM. They were verbally instructed to switch between conditions.…”

“…One central neurophysiologic issue is whether meditation is a generic (or unique) brain state which can be cultivated by different meditation styles or whether brain states in meditation are profoundly different depending on the specific mental skills practiced in each style. In a previous study 12 , we addressed this question by analysing brain connectivity patterns in highly experienced meditators during three commonly used types of meditation: focused attention meditation (FAM), open monitoring meditation (OMM) and loving kindness meditation (LKM). We showed that brain states during these three meditation states share generic patterns that are substantially different from rest.…”

“…Given the growing evidence that brain mechanisms of cognitive control are involved in meditation 6 , 13 – 16 , we surmise that training-induced neuroplasticity of these networks may contribute to generic brain states of meditation as well as to specific states that depends on the type of meditation 7 , 17 . Towards this end, we re-analysed our previous data set 12 in the following directions: (1) we used FAM, OMM and LKM as three representative meditation states that differentially engage specific cognitive functions, (2) we explored the involvement of relevant executive control networks by analysing their synchronization patterns, and (3) we examined experienced meditators with a broad range of accumulated lifetime meditation practice to estimate the potential influence of meditation expertise on the involvement of executive networks.…”

“…To address the question how executive control networks are involved in regulating cognitive processes in different meditation states, we focused on FAM, OMM and LKM 12 . Popular classification systems of meditation that integrate traditional understanding of meditation with psychological and neuro-functional perspectives single out these three meditation types as prominent meditation exemplars 6 , 18 – 21 .…”