Intensive Training Induces Longitudinal Changes in Meditation State-related EEG Oscillatory Activity
The capacity to focus one’s attention for an extended period of time can be increased through training in contemplative practices. However, the cognitive processes engaged during meditation that support trait changes in cognition are not well characterized. We conducted a longitudinal wait-list cont...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2012-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00256/full |
| _version_ | 1819134881458814976 |
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| author | Manish eSaggar Brandon G King Brandon G King Anthony P Zanesco Anthony P Zanesco Katherine A MacLean Stephen R Aichele Stephen R Aichele Tonya L Jacobs David A Bridwell Phillip R Shaver Erika L Rosenberg Baljinder K Sahdra Emilio eFerrer Akaysha C Tang George R Mangun George R Mangun George R Mangun B. Alan eWallace Risto eMiikkulainen Clifford D Saron Clifford D Saron |
| author_facet | Manish eSaggar Brandon G King Brandon G King Anthony P Zanesco Anthony P Zanesco Katherine A MacLean Stephen R Aichele Stephen R Aichele Tonya L Jacobs David A Bridwell Phillip R Shaver Erika L Rosenberg Baljinder K Sahdra Emilio eFerrer Akaysha C Tang George R Mangun George R Mangun George R Mangun B. Alan eWallace Risto eMiikkulainen Clifford D Saron Clifford D Saron |
| author_sort | Manish eSaggar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The capacity to focus one’s attention for an extended period of time can be increased through training in contemplative practices. However, the cognitive processes engaged during meditation that support trait changes in cognition are not well characterized. We conducted a longitudinal wait-list controlled study of intensive meditation training. Retreat participants practiced focused attention meditation techniques for three months during an initial retreat. Wait-list participants later undertook formally identical training during a second retreat. Dense-array scalp-recorded electroencephalogram (EEG) data were collected during six minutes of mindfulness of breathing meditation at three assessment points during each retreat. Second-order blind source separation, along with a novel semi-automatic artifact removal tool, was used for data preprocessing. We observed replicable reductions in meditative state-related beta-band power bilaterally over anteriocentral and posterior scalp regions. In addition, individual alpha frequency decreased across both retreats and in direct relation to the amount of meditative practice. These findings provide evidence for replicable longitudinal changes in brain oscillatory activity during meditation and increase our understanding of the cortical processes engaged during meditation that may support long-term improvements in cognition. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T10:10:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ec47534cc3a84cdea409d7d430426da1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5161 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T10:10:14Z |
| publishDate | 2012-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-ec47534cc3a84cdea409d7d430426da12022-12-21T18:29:53ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience1662-51612012-09-01610.3389/fnhum.2012.0025630162Intensive Training Induces Longitudinal Changes in Meditation State-related EEG Oscillatory ActivityManish eSaggar0Brandon G King1Brandon G King2Anthony P Zanesco3Anthony P Zanesco4Katherine A MacLean5Stephen R Aichele6Stephen R Aichele7Tonya L Jacobs8David A Bridwell9Phillip R Shaver10Erika L Rosenberg11Baljinder K Sahdra12Emilio eFerrer13Akaysha C Tang14George R Mangun15George R Mangun16George R Mangun17B. Alan eWallace18Risto eMiikkulainen19Clifford D Saron20Clifford D Saron21Stanford UniversityUniversity of California, DavisUniversity of California, DavisUniversity of California, DavisUniversity of California, DavisJohns Hopkins UniversityUniversity of California, DavisUniversity of California, DavisUniversity of California, DavisMind Research NetworkUniversity of California, DavisUniversity of California, DavisUniversity of Western SydneyUniversity of California, DavisUniversity of New MexicoUniversity of California, DavisUniversity of California, DavisUniversity of California, DavisSanta Barbara Institute for Consciousness StudiesUniversity of Texas at AustinUniversity of California, DavisUniversity of California, DavisThe capacity to focus one’s attention for an extended period of time can be increased through training in contemplative practices. However, the cognitive processes engaged during meditation that support trait changes in cognition are not well characterized. We conducted a longitudinal wait-list controlled study of intensive meditation training. Retreat participants practiced focused attention meditation techniques for three months during an initial retreat. Wait-list participants later undertook formally identical training during a second retreat. Dense-array scalp-recorded electroencephalogram (EEG) data were collected during six minutes of mindfulness of breathing meditation at three assessment points during each retreat. Second-order blind source separation, along with a novel semi-automatic artifact removal tool, was used for data preprocessing. We observed replicable reductions in meditative state-related beta-band power bilaterally over anteriocentral and posterior scalp regions. In addition, individual alpha frequency decreased across both retreats and in direct relation to the amount of meditative practice. These findings provide evidence for replicable longitudinal changes in brain oscillatory activity during meditation and increase our understanding of the cortical processes engaged during meditation that may support long-term improvements in cognition.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00256/fullAttentionMeditationEEGtrainingbetaindividual alpha frequency |
| spellingShingle | Manish eSaggar Brandon G King Brandon G King Anthony P Zanesco Anthony P Zanesco Katherine A MacLean Stephen R Aichele Stephen R Aichele Tonya L Jacobs David A Bridwell Phillip R Shaver Erika L Rosenberg Baljinder K Sahdra Emilio eFerrer Akaysha C Tang George R Mangun George R Mangun George R Mangun B. Alan eWallace Risto eMiikkulainen Clifford D Saron Clifford D Saron Intensive Training Induces Longitudinal Changes in Meditation State-related EEG Oscillatory Activity Frontiers in Human Neuroscience Attention Meditation EEG training beta individual alpha frequency |
| title | Intensive Training Induces Longitudinal Changes in Meditation State-related EEG Oscillatory Activity |
| title_full | Intensive Training Induces Longitudinal Changes in Meditation State-related EEG Oscillatory Activity |
| title_fullStr | Intensive Training Induces Longitudinal Changes in Meditation State-related EEG Oscillatory Activity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Intensive Training Induces Longitudinal Changes in Meditation State-related EEG Oscillatory Activity |
| title_short | Intensive Training Induces Longitudinal Changes in Meditation State-related EEG Oscillatory Activity |
| title_sort | intensive training induces longitudinal changes in meditation state related eeg oscillatory activity |
| topic | Attention Meditation EEG training beta individual alpha frequency |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00256/full |
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