Change in Brainstem Gray Matter Concentration Following a Mindfulness-Based Intervention is Correlated with Improvement in Psychological Well-Being

Abstract

Individuals can improve their levels of psychological well-being (PWB) through utilization of psychological interventions, including the practice of mindfulness meditation, which is defined as the non-judgmental awareness of experiences in the present moment. We recently reported that an 8-week-mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course lead to increases in gray matter concentration in several brain areas, as detected with voxel-based morphometry of magnetization prepared rapid acquisition gradient echo MRI scans, including the pons/raphe/locus coeruleus area of the brainstem. Given the role of the pons and raphe in mood and arousal, we hypothesized that changes in this region might underlie changes in well-being. A subset of 14 healthy individuals from a previously published data set completed anatomical MRI and filled out the PWB scale before and after MBSR participation. PWB change was used as the predictive regressor for changes in gray matter density within those brain regions that had previously shown pre- to post-MBSR changes. Results showed that scores on five PWB subscales as well as the PWB total score increased significantly over the MBSR course. The change was positively correlated with gray matter concentration increases in two symmetrically bilateral clusters in the brainstem. Those clusters appeared to contain the area of the pontine tegmentum, locus coeruleus, nucleus raphe pontis, and the sensory trigeminal nucleus. No clusters were negatively correlated with the change in PWB. This preliminary study suggests a neural correlate of enhanced PWB. The identified brain areas include the sites of synthesis and release of the neurotransmitters, norepinephrine and serotonin, which are involved in the modulation of arousal and mood, and have been related to a variety of affective functions as well as associated clinical dysfunctions.

Epigenetic Interactions and the Brain-Body Communication

“…These can produce volumetric changes in the prefrontal cortex (in the case of chronic fatigue) [47], in the amygdala (in the case of chronic anxiety) [48], and in a brainstem area associated with well-being [49]. Mindfulness-based stress reduction practice has been shown to increase regional brain gray matter density in the hippocampus, cerebellum, and prefrontal cortex, brain regions involved in learning and memory processes, emotion regulation, self-referential processing, and perspective taking [50].…”

Efectos del estrés sobre los procesos de plasticidad y neurogénesis: una revisión

“…3 j U l i o -se P t i e m B r e 2014 rante la meditación tales como la corteza cingulada anterior, la ínsula, la corteza temporo-parietal y la red fronto-límbica (Brewer et al, 2011;Holzel et al, 2010;Holzel et al, 2011;Holzel et al, 2013;Kerr, Sacchet, Lazar, Moore & Jones, 2013;Kerr et al, 2011;Lazar et al, 2005;Singleton et al, 2014;Vanhaudenhuyse et al, 2011). Desde el punto de vista comportamental, estos nuevos circuitos podrían servir al aumento del control de las respuestas emocionales y la consecuente disminución de la activación del eje HPA.…”

Investigating the human brainstem with structural and functional MRI

“…We have assembled articles from a number of scientists who have made important contributions to this evolving field, and continue to shape it. The articles have been divided into a functional (Brooks et al, 2013;Henderson and Macefield, 2013;Ress and Chandrasekaran, 2013;Ritter et al, 2013) and a structural section (Deistung et al, 2013;Ford et al, 2013;Lambert et al, 2013;Yeo et al, 2013;Singleton et al, 2014).The functional section starts with a review by Brooks et al The wealth of methods and applications covered by the authors indicates that functional and structural brainstem-MRI methods have developed to a point where they can be applied to study of a wide range of neuroscientific problems. It is the hope of the editors that the brainstem will soon lose its label of a terra incognita and become a region of major interest in the neuroscience community.…”

“…We have assembled articles from a number of scientists who have made important contributions to this evolving field, and continue to shape it. The articles have been divided into a functional (Brooks et al, 2013;Henderson and Macefield, 2013;Ress and Chandrasekaran, 2013;Ritter et al, 2013) and a structural section (Deistung et al, 2013;Ford et al, 2013;Lambert et al, 2013;Yeo et al, 2013;Singleton et al, 2014).…”

“…Lambert et al (2013) use quantitative MRI and tensor based morphometry in a large study sample to characterize aging in the human brainstem. Singleton et al (2014) apply volumetric methods to demonstrate gray matter changes related to meditation and mindfulness-based intervention. Yeo et al (2013) use probabilistic fiber tracking on diffusion-weighted images to delineate the ascending reticular activating system.…”