Trait Mindfulness and Functional Connectivity in Cognitive and Attentional Resting State Networks.

Tracie D Parkinson,Stephen D Smith,Jennifer Kornelsen

doi:10.3389/fnhum.2019.00112

Tracie D Parkinson, Stephen D Smith + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2019.00112

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Abstract

Mindfulness has been described as an orienting of attention to the present moment, with openness and compassion. Individuals displaying high trait mindfulness exhibit this tendency as a more permanent personality attribute. Given the numerous physical and mental health benefits associated with mindfulness, there is a great interest in understanding the neural substrates of this trait. The purpose of the current research was to examine how individual differences in trait mindfulness associated with functional connectivity in five resting-state networks related to cognition and attention: the default mode network (DMN), the salience network (SN), the central executive network (CEN), and the dorsal and ventral attention networks (DAN and VAN). Twenty-eight undergraduate participants completed the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), a self-report measure of trait mindfulness which also provides scores on five of its sub-categories (Observing, Describing, Acting with Awareness, Non-judging of Inner Experience, and Non-reactivity to Inner Experience). Participants then underwent a structural MRI scan and a 7-min resting state functional MRI scan. Resting-state data were analyzed using independent-component analyses. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed to determine the relationship between each resting state network and each FFMQ score. These analyses indicated that: (1) trait mindfulness and its facets showed increased functional connectivity with neural regions related to attentional control, interoception, and executive function; and (2) trait mindfulness and its facets showed decreased functional connectivity with neural regions related to self-referential processing and mind wandering. These patterns of functional connectivity are consistent with some of the benefits of mindfulness—enhanced attention, self-regulation, and focus on present experience. This study provides support for the notion that non-judgmental attention to the present moment facilitates the integration of regions in neural networks that are related to cognition, attention, and sensation.

Highlights

Originating in Buddhist traditions, mindfulness training has made its way into Western culture as a method to reduce stress, enhance emotional regulation, and reduce symptoms in a variety of mental health disorders (Teasdale et al, 1995; Farb et al, 2012; Cavanagh et al, 2013; Tabak et al, 2015)
The six scores for each participant were used as covariates in each analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with each resting state network
The data from the current study indicate that individual differences in trait mindfulness are related to differences in functional connectivity in regions of the cerebellum, medial PFC (MPFC), posterior temporal lobe, anterior cingulate/insula, and precuneus

Summary

Introduction

Originating in Buddhist traditions, mindfulness training has made its way into Western culture as a method to reduce stress, enhance emotional regulation, and reduce symptoms in a variety of mental health disorders (Teasdale et al, 1995; Farb et al, 2012; Cavanagh et al, 2013; Tabak et al, 2015). Mindfulness has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression (Chiesa et al, 2015), Trait Mindfulness and Functional Connectivity bipolar disorder (Ives-Deliperi et al, 2013), anxiety (Cavanagh et al, 2013), chronic dysphoria (Farb et al, 2012), and borderline personality disorder (O’Connell and Dowling, 2014), in addition to increasing self-esteem (Bajaj et al, 2016), reducing substance cravings (Witkiewitz et al, 2013), and enhancing overall quality of life (Chiesa et al, 2015) With such extensive benefits in clinical and non-clinical populations, there has been a growing interest in understanding mindfulness. Given its numerous physical and psychological benefits, it is not surprising that a substantial number of studies have investigated the mechanisms underlying mindfulness (Ives-Deliperi et al, 2011; Farb et al, 2012; Dickenson et al, 2013; Gotnik et al, 2016; Haase et al, 2016; Kral et al, 2018)

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