Mindfulness Training Associated With Resting-State Electroencephalograms Dynamics in Novice Practitioners via Mindful Breathing and Body-Scan

Abstract

Objectives: Mindfulness-based stress reduction has been proven to improve mental health and quality of life. This study examined how mindfulness training and various types of mindfulness practices altered brain activity.Methods: Specifically, the spectral powers of scalp electroencephalography of the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) group (n=17) who underwent an 8-week MBSR training—including mindful breathing and body-scan—were evaluated and compared with those of the waitlist controls (n=14).Results: Empirical results indicated that the post-intervention effect of MBSR significantly elevated the resting-state beta powers and reduced resting-state delta powers in both practices; such changes were not observed in the waitlist control. Compared with mindful breathing, body-scanning resulted in an overall decline in electroencephalograms (EEG) spectral powers at both delta and low-gamma bands among trained participants.Conclusion: Together with our preliminary data of expert mediators, the aforementioned spectral changes were salient after intervention, but mitigated along with expertise. Additionally, after receiving training, the MBSR group’s mindfulness and emotion regulation levels improved significantly, which were correlated with the EEG spectral changes in the theta, alpha, and low-beta bands. The results supported that MBSR might function as a unique internal processing tool that involves increased vigilant capability and induces alterations similar to other cognitive training.

Enhanced electroencephalography effective connectivity in frontal low‐gamma band correlates of emotional regulation after mindfulness training

“…This paper shares the same dataset that was reported by Ng et al (2021) and the data was collected in the fall of 2019. All candidates in a mindfulness training course were invited.…”

“…For the mindfulness intervention, participants took part in an 8‐week MBSR program that comprised one session (2.5 h) per week (Kabat‐Zinn, 1994). Pre‐ and post‐training EEG scanning tasks lasted 5 min each for each participant (Ng et al, 2021). The first EEG task was conducted at rest state ( Resting ), during which participants were instructed not to fall asleep, move, or think of anything constantly.…”

“…Moreover, mindfulness practitioners exhibited elevated alpha band power in the occipital and right temporal lobes (Ahani et al, 2014) and the whole scalp (Gao et al, 2016). It has also been reported that gamma band power differences between resting and mindful states are scattered across the scalp (Lutz et al, 2004) or along the Fz‐Pz central line (Ng et al, 2021). Elevated gamma band power has also been observed during rest (Lutz et al, 2004) and non–rapid eye movement sleep (Ferrarelli et al, 2013).…”

“…One of the important positive effects of mindfulness is attributable to the cultivation of improved emotional regulation capability (Brown & Ryan, 2003; Garland et al, 2015; Ng et al, 2021). A theory of emotional regulation is that it is a top‐down cognitive process that involves increasing the function of cognition to mitigate any strong emotional fluctuations (Chiesa et al, 2013; Kanske et al, 2011).…”

Interoceptive awareness: MBSR training alters information processing of salience network

“…The distinct features and subjective evaluations of adaptive interoceptive attentional styles observed between breathing mediation and body scan lead to the speculation that these two mindfulness practices would involve in distributed but dissociable neurocognitive mechanisms ( Tomasino and Fabbro, 2016 ; Gibson, 2019 ). In our previous work with objective measures, we conducted electroencephalography (EEG) recordings in both practices (breathing and body scan) before and after the MBSR program, and the results indicated reduced EEG Delta power during the breathing but not the body scan ( Ng et al, 2021 ), suggesting a higher vigilance level in the breathing practice among novice practitioners. Accordingly, we speculate that even in individuals with similar levels of attention and introspection, different mindfulness strategies (breathing and body scan) can lead to distinctive brain-connectivity patterns.…”