Increased neurocardiological interplay after mindfulness meditation: a brain oscillation-based approach

Abstract

BackgroundBrain oscillations facilitate interaction within the brain network and between the brain and heart activities, and the alpha wave, as a prominent brain oscillation, plays a major role in these coherent activities. We hypothesize that mindfully breathing can make the brain and heart activities more coherent in terms of increased connectivity between the electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) signals.MethodsEleven participants (28–52 years) attended 8 weeks of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training. EEG and ECG data of two states of mindful breathing and rest, both eye-closed, were recorded before and after the training. EEGLAB was used to analyze the alpha band (8–12 Hz) power, alpha peak frequency (APF), peak power and coherence. FMRIB toolbox was used to extract the ECG data. Heart coherence (HC) and heartbeat evoked potential (HEP) were calculated for further correlation analysis.ResultsAfter 8 weeks of MBSR training, the correlation between APF and HC increased significantly in the middle frontal region and bilateral temporal regions. The correlation between alpha coherence and heart coherence had similar changes, while alpha peak power did not reflect such changes. In contrast, spectrum analysis alone did not show difference before and after MBSR training.ConclusionThe brain works in rhythmic oscillation, and this rhythmic connection becomes more coherent with cardiac activity after 8 weeks of MBSR training. Individual APF is relatively stable and its interplay with cardiac activity may be a more sensitive index than power spectrum by monitoring the brain-heart connection. This preliminary study has important implications for the neuroscientific measurement of meditative practice.

Yoga, Mind-Body Coherence, and Zen

“…This implies that 8 weeks of mindfulness training can also yield long-term benefits on traits, dominated by a change in brain-heart interaction, measured by the correlation between the peak of the frontal alpha wave and heart coherence. Brain-heart connection may be more a sensitive index to monitor mental practice [13]. This suggests that short-term mindfulness breathing exercises can immediately alter the state of physical control in the human brain, while long-term mindfulness training effects changes in the frontal lobe, the control area of human brain cognition.…”

“…Breathing training plays a particularly important role in the systematic training of yoga, where the practice of breathing in and out harmonizes the flow of life force (prana), calms the mind, and regulates emotional states [11]. Both yoga and the modern fashionable mindfulness place a special emphasis on breathing [12,13]. From a neuroscientific point of view, breathing training lies in the effectiveness of any mental training, especially with its profound physiological basis (Figure 1).…”