Atypical Anxiety-Related Amygdala Reactivity and Functional Connectivity in Sant Mat Meditation
While meditation has drawn much attention in cognitive neuroscience, the neural mechanisms underlying its emotional processing remains elusive. Sant Mat meditators were recruited, who adopt a loving-kindness mode of meditation along with a vegetarian diet and an alcohol-restricted lifestyle and novi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00298/full |
| _version_ | 1818827424144556032 |
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| author | Chenyi Chen Chenyi Chen Chenyi Chen Chenyi Chen Yu-Chun Chen Kuan-Ling Chen Yawei Cheng Yawei Cheng Yawei Cheng |
| author_facet | Chenyi Chen Chenyi Chen Chenyi Chen Chenyi Chen Yu-Chun Chen Kuan-Ling Chen Yawei Cheng Yawei Cheng Yawei Cheng |
| author_sort | Chenyi Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While meditation has drawn much attention in cognitive neuroscience, the neural mechanisms underlying its emotional processing remains elusive. Sant Mat meditators were recruited, who adopt a loving-kindness mode of meditation along with a vegetarian diet and an alcohol-restricted lifestyle and novices. We assessed their State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and scanned their amygdala reactivity in response to an explicit and implicit (backward masked) perception of fearful and happy faces. In contrast with novices, meditators reported lower STAI scores. Meditators showed stronger amygdala reactivity to explicit happiness than to fear, whereas novices exhibited the opposite pattern. The amygdala reactivity was reduced in meditators regardless of implicit fear or happiness. Those who had more lifetime practice in meditation reported lower STAI and showed a weaker amygdala response to fear. Furthermore, the amygdala in meditators, relative to novices, had a stronger positive functional connectivity with the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) to explicit happiness, but a more negative connectivity with the insula and medial orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) to explicit fear. Mediation analysis indicated the amygdala reactivity as the mediator for the linkage between meditation experience and trait anxiety. The findings demonstrate the neural correlates that underpin the beneficial effects of meditation in Sant Mat. Long-term meditation could be functionally coupled with the amygdala reactivity to explicit and implicit emotional processing, which would help reduce anxiety and potentially enhance well-being. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T00:43:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2dfe28541f114c68bf49fe3be6eccc84 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5153 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T00:43:20Z |
| publishDate | 2018-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-2dfe28541f114c68bf49fe3be6eccc842022-12-21T20:44:23ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience1662-51532018-12-011210.3389/fnbeh.2018.00298419311Atypical Anxiety-Related Amygdala Reactivity and Functional Connectivity in Sant Mat MeditationChenyi Chen0Chenyi Chen1Chenyi Chen2Chenyi Chen3Yu-Chun Chen4Kuan-Ling Chen5Yawei Cheng6Yawei Cheng7Yawei Cheng8Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan, TaiwanGraduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, TaiwanInstitute of Humanities in Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, TaiwanResearch Center of Brain and Consciousness, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, TaiwanInstitute of Neuroscience and Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, TaiwanInstitute of Neuroscience and Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, TaiwanDepartment of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan, TaiwanInstitute of Neuroscience and Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, TaiwanDepartment of Research and Education, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, TaiwanWhile meditation has drawn much attention in cognitive neuroscience, the neural mechanisms underlying its emotional processing remains elusive. Sant Mat meditators were recruited, who adopt a loving-kindness mode of meditation along with a vegetarian diet and an alcohol-restricted lifestyle and novices. We assessed their State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and scanned their amygdala reactivity in response to an explicit and implicit (backward masked) perception of fearful and happy faces. In contrast with novices, meditators reported lower STAI scores. Meditators showed stronger amygdala reactivity to explicit happiness than to fear, whereas novices exhibited the opposite pattern. The amygdala reactivity was reduced in meditators regardless of implicit fear or happiness. Those who had more lifetime practice in meditation reported lower STAI and showed a weaker amygdala response to fear. Furthermore, the amygdala in meditators, relative to novices, had a stronger positive functional connectivity with the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) to explicit happiness, but a more negative connectivity with the insula and medial orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) to explicit fear. Mediation analysis indicated the amygdala reactivity as the mediator for the linkage between meditation experience and trait anxiety. The findings demonstrate the neural correlates that underpin the beneficial effects of meditation in Sant Mat. Long-term meditation could be functionally coupled with the amygdala reactivity to explicit and implicit emotional processing, which would help reduce anxiety and potentially enhance well-being.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00298/fullmeditationamygdala reactivityemotional processinganxietywell-being |
| spellingShingle | Chenyi Chen Chenyi Chen Chenyi Chen Chenyi Chen Yu-Chun Chen Kuan-Ling Chen Yawei Cheng Yawei Cheng Yawei Cheng Atypical Anxiety-Related Amygdala Reactivity and Functional Connectivity in Sant Mat Meditation Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience meditation amygdala reactivity emotional processing anxiety well-being |
| title | Atypical Anxiety-Related Amygdala Reactivity and Functional Connectivity in Sant Mat Meditation |
| title_full | Atypical Anxiety-Related Amygdala Reactivity and Functional Connectivity in Sant Mat Meditation |
| title_fullStr | Atypical Anxiety-Related Amygdala Reactivity and Functional Connectivity in Sant Mat Meditation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Atypical Anxiety-Related Amygdala Reactivity and Functional Connectivity in Sant Mat Meditation |
| title_short | Atypical Anxiety-Related Amygdala Reactivity and Functional Connectivity in Sant Mat Meditation |
| title_sort | atypical anxiety related amygdala reactivity and functional connectivity in sant mat meditation |
| topic | meditation amygdala reactivity emotional processing anxiety well-being |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00298/full |
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