Mindfulness meditation increases default mode, salience, and central executive network connectivity

Abstract

Recent research has begun to identify the neural mechanisms underlying the beneficial impact of mindfulness meditation training (MMT) on health and cognition. However, little is known about the effects of MMT on the global interplay of large-scale networks (LSNs) in the brain. In the present study, healthy, meditation-naïve adults (N = 46) underwent resting state fMRI prior to and upon completing 31 days of MMT or an active control intervention. Independent component analysis, sliding time window, and seed-based correlation analyses were performed to assess training-related changes in functional connectivity (FC) within and between networks with relevance to mindfulness meditation. Across sliding time window analyses and seed-based correlation analyses, we found increased FC between nodes of the default mode network (DMN) and nodes of the salience network (SN) in participants of the MMT. Seed-based correlation analyses revealed further connectivity increases between the SN and key regions of the central executive network (CEN). These results indicate, that, among multiple LSNs, one month of mindfulness meditation effectively increases interconnectivity between networks of the triple network model (DMN, SN, CEN), hereby introducing a potential mechanistic concept underlying the beneficial impact of MMT.Clinical trial registration: This study is listed as a clinical trial on the ISRCTN registry with trial ID ISRCTN95197731 (date of first registration: 15/02/2022).

Figure 1

Composite maps of the resulting 12 network components sorted into 6 large-scale networks as displayed on a Montreal Neurological Institute template taken from ICBM 152 Nonlinear atlases version 2009 (© 1993–2004 Louis Collins, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University) (schematic display). Visualized with help of MRIcroGL v1.2.20210317 (https://www.nitrc.org/projects/mricrogl). aDMN anterior default mode network, dpDMN dorsal posterior default mode network, spDMN superior posterior default mode network, ipDMN inferior posterior default mode network, vSN ventral salience network, dSN dorsal salience network, insSN insular salience network, rCEN right central executive network, supSM superior sensorimotor network, latSM lateral sensorimotor network, ifgFT inferior frontal gyrus network, BG basal ganglia network.

Figure 2

Cluster centroids representing different states of connectivity between network components across both groups and time points. Colors indicate z-transformed connectivity values with warm colors indicating high values and cool colors indicating low values. aDMN anterior default mode network, dpDMN dorsal posterior default mode network, spDMN superior posterior default mode network, ipDMN inferior posterior default mode network, vSN ventral salience network, dSN dorsal salience network, insSN insular salience network, rCEN right central executive network, supSM superior sensorimotor network, latSM lateral sensorimotor network, ifgFT inferior frontal gyrus network, BG basal ganglia network.

Figure 3

Group level Fisher r-to-z transformed correlation values between superior posterior default mode network (spDMN) and dorsal salience network (dSN) and between spDMN and insular salience network (insSN) across sliding windows. HT Health Training, MMT Mindfulness Meditation Training.

Figure 4

Seed region and the clusters showing group by time interactions as displayed on a Montreal Neurological Institute template taken from ICBM 152 Nonlinear atlases version 2009 (© 1993–2004 Louis Collins, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University). Visualized with help of MRIcroGL v1.2.20210317 (https://www.nitrc.org/projects/mricrogl). MMT Mindfulness Meditation Training, HT Health Training, spDMN superior posterior default mode network, dSN dorsal salience network, insSN insular salience network).

Figure 5

Schematic display of mindfulness-induced interaction patterns revealed through dynamic functional connectivity (FC) (solid lines) and seed-based FC analysis (dashed lines). Visualized with help of MRIcroGL v1.2.20210317 (https://www.nitrc.org/projects/mricrogl). Default mode network (DMN) associated areas are depicted in blue, salience network (SN) areas in green and central executive network (CEN) associated areas in red. Results from dynamic FC and seed-based FC reproduced highly similar interaction patterns between DMN and SN areas. Besides, SN regions showed increased FC with areas associated with the CEN. FEF/dlPFC Frontal eye field/dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, insSN insular salience network, dSN dorsal salience network, dPCC dorsal posterior cingulate cortex, spDMN superior posterior default mode network, SMG supramarginal gyrus).

Figure 6

Data acquisition scheme and participant flow chart. MMT Mindfulness Meditation Training, HT Health Training.