NEUROPLASTICITY AND MINDFULNESS MEDITATION

Tenzin Tsokyi

Meditation is characterized as a broad range of attentional and emotional regulatory training which further entails emotional balance and cultivation of well-being. These mental practices comprise of techniques that are designed to promote relaxation, exercise, and assist in attaining prudent goals such as a heightened sense of well-being (Davidson & Lutz, 2008). According to Siegel (2010), the term neuroplasticity is described as the potential of creating new neural connections and changes in neural structure with response to experience. When the framework of neuroplasticity is applied to meditation, meditation is considered equivalent to other forms of skill acquisition that can induce alteration or plastic changes in the brain (Davidson & Lutz, 2008). This blog will therefore explore how circuits in the brain are activated, regulated, and transformed by meditation.

The effectiveness of meditation in stress reduction and anxiety disorders has been a focal point of most research. In a study conducted by Carlson (2014), which works to assess the effect of participation in a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction program on mood disturbance and symptoms of stress in cancer outpatients, the results show a significant decrease in mood disturbance and stress symptoms when participants are intervened by the practice of meditation. Lardone et al. (2018) suggested that if meditation is constantly practiced, then it could be a notable nonpharmacological intervention that can influence and alter the hippocampal areas.

Moreover, advancements in science, particularly in epigenetics and behavioral science, have further validated the effect of meditation on the brain. Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist studies two major domains of effects of meditation, namely, attention and emotion. Davidson (2010) found an alteration in both the function and structure of the brain in Buddhist monks who practiced meditation for many years through either Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) or brain electrical measurements. The anterior cingulate cortex which is connected to the prefrontal cortex is also seen to have increased activity when meditating as seen through brain electrical measurement. This increased activation leads to greater emotional stability and less reactivity (Wilson, 2013). Additionally, when people experience high levels of stress and are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, they have an underactive prefrontal cortex. As seen in “Mindfulness and the Brain” (2013), mindfulness mediation also shows significant changes in the activity of the prefrontal cortex by helping in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.

With the usage of MRI, Vestergaard-Poulsen et al. observed higher gray matter density in lower brain stem regions of mindfulness meditators compared with nonpractitioners. An increase in density of the aforementioned also leads to structural change in part of the brain which is responsible for cardiorespiratory control in those mindfulness meditation practitioners.  The study has shown, a comparative result, suggesting the structural differences in the left forebrain and lower brain stem in meditation practitioners compared to those in the control group.

Individuals who practice meditation regularly have also been observed to have an increase in their cognitive abilities. Practitioners are seen to self-induce sustained electroencephalographic high-amplitude gamma-band oscillations and phase-synchrony while meditating (Lutz et al., 2004). Compared to those of the controls, a significant difference is detected in the electroencephalogram patterns over lateral frontoparietal electrodes, suggesting that mindfulness meditation may induce short-term and long-term neural changes thereby contributing to temporal integrative mechanisms of the brain. Manna et al. (2010) also demonstrated that meditation practitioners can self-regulate frontoparietal and insular areas in the left hemisphere thereby being able to control some cognitive activities. Furthermore, mindfulness meditation can also have a significant positive effect on age-related cognitive decline in the functionality of the brain (Gard et al., 2014).

In Davidson’s lab, when meditation practitioner Mingyur Rinpoche of “A Joyful Mind” (Meditation’s Impact on the Brain | Documentary Clip, 2019) undergoes meditation, a very fast frequency and high amplitude of gamma oscillations in the brain is observed. Unlike nonpractitioners, the duration of gamma oscillation stays longer and did last for many minutes. Conversely, the signals created by meditation did ensure synchronized gamma oscillation which is rarely observed without meditation. The practice of mindfulness meditation shows a notable change in our physiology of the brain and its related function. 

Therefore, it can be concluded that meditation can have a substantial role in the shaping and molding of the brain (Richard, 2014). Meditation leads to structural change in the brain and contributes towards neuroplasticity, thereby altering the functionality and behavioral output of the brain. Meditation has proven to be a major contributor to therapy and an alternative in medical settings. Despite that, it has been a paramount factor that helps in maintaining the holistic wellbeing of the individual. With the increasing globalization and rapid changes in society, meditation could help alleviate the probable stress and help cultivate healthy lifestyles. Thus, in the realm of neuroplasticity, meditation is a helpful tool in stress management, cognitive abilities, and fundamental action in day-to-day life.

References

Carlson, L. E., Ursuliak, Z., Goodey, E., Angen, M., & Speca, M. (2014, February 9). The effects of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction program on mood and symptoms of stress in cancer outpatients: 6-month follow-up - supportive care in cancer. SpringerLink. Retrieved February 13, 2022, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s005200000206?error=cookies_not_supported&code=ec7488fb-995f-4e95-af0a-f91ac4cfe7b4   

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Gard, T., Hölzel, B. K., & Lazar, S. W. (2014). The potential effects of meditation on age-related cognitive decline: A systematic review. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1307(1), 89–103. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.12348  

Lardone, A., Liparoti, M., Sorrentino, P., Rucco, R., Jacini, F., Polverino, A., Minino, R., Pesoli, M., Baselice, F., Sorriso, A., Ferraioli, G., Sorrentino, G., & Mandolesi, L. (2018). Mindfulness meditation is related to long-lasting changes in hippocampal functional topology during resting state: A magnetoencephalography study. Neural Plasticity, 2018, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/5340717  

Lutz, A., Greischar, L. L., Rawlings, N. B., Ricard, M., & Davidson, R. J. (2004). Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 101(46), 16369–16373. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0407401101

Manna, A., Raffone, A., Perrucci, M. G., Nardo, D., Ferretti, A., Tartaro, A., Londei, A., Del Gratta, C., Belardinelli, M. O., & Romani, G. L. (2010). Neural correlates of focused attention and cognitive monitoring in meditation. Brain Research Bulletin, 82(1-2), 46–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainresbull.2010.03.001  

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Vestergaard-Poulsen, P., van Beek, M., Skewes, J., Bjarkam, C. R., Stubberup, M., Bertelsen, J., & Roepstorff, A. (2009). Long-term meditation is associated with increased gray matter density in the Brain Stem. NeuroReport, 20(2), 170–174. https://doi.org/10.1097/wnr.0b013e328320012a

YouTube. (2019, December 8). Meditation's impact on the brain | documentary clip. YouTube. Retrieved February 13, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3neFV38TJQ&list=WL&index=2