Abstract
Meditation practice is suggested to engage training of cognitive control systems in the brain. To evaluate the functional involvement of attentional and cognitive monitoring processes during meditation, the present study analysed the electroencephalographic synchronization of fronto-parietal (FP) and medial-frontal (MF) brain networks in highly experienced meditators during different meditation states (focused attention, open monitoring and loving kindness meditation). The aim was to assess whether and how the connectivity patterns of FP and MF networks are modulated by meditation style and expertise. Compared to novice meditators, (1) highly experienced meditators exhibited a strong theta synchronization of both FP and MF networks in left parietal regions in all mediation styles, and (2) only the connectivity of lateralized beta MF networks differentiated meditation styles. The connectivity of intra-hemispheric theta FP networks depended non-linearly on meditation expertise, with opposite expertise-dependent patterns found in the left and the right hemisphere. In contrast, inter-hemispheric FP connectivity in faster frequency bands (fast alpha and beta) increased linearly as a function of expertise. The results confirm that executive control systems play a major role in maintaining states of meditation. The distinctive lateralized involvement of FP and MF networks appears to represent a major functional mechanism that supports both generic and style-specific meditation states. The observed expertise-dependent effects suggest that functional plasticity within executive control networks may underpin the emergence of unique meditation states in expert meditators.
Highlights
Meditation practice is suggested to engage training of cognitive control systems in the brain
In a previous s tudy[12], we addressed this question by analysing brain connectivity patterns in highly experienced meditators during three commonly used types of meditation: focused attention meditation (FAM), open monitoring meditation (OMM) and loving kindness meditation (LKM)
We re-analysed our previous data set[12] in the following directions: (1) we used FAM, OMM and LKM as three representative meditation states that differentially engage specific cognitive functions, (2) we explored the involvement of relevant executive control networks by analysing their synchronization patterns, and (3) we examined experienced meditators with a broad range of accumulated lifetime meditation practice to estimate the potential influence of meditation expertise on the involvement of executive networks
Summary
Meditation practice is suggested to engage training of cognitive control systems in the brain. The distinctive lateralized involvement of FP and MF networks appears to represent a major functional mechanism that supports both generic and style-specific meditation states. Brain states of meditation as well as to specific states that depends on the type of meditation[7,17] Towards this end, we re-analysed our previous data set[12] in the following directions: (1) we used FAM, OMM and LKM as three representative meditation states that differentially engage specific cognitive functions, (2) we explored the involvement of relevant executive control networks by analysing their synchronization patterns, and (3) we examined experienced meditators with a broad range of accumulated lifetime meditation practice to estimate the potential influence of meditation expertise on the involvement of executive networks
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