Reference:

Sharp PB, Sutton BP, Paul EJ, Sherepa N, Hillman CH, Cohen NJ, Kramer AF, Prakash RS, Heller W, Telzer EH et al: Mindfulness training induces structural connectome changes in insula networks. Sci Rep 2018, 8(1):7929.

 

Mindfulness meditation consists in focusing one’s attention on the present experience without any judgment. This training is known to reduce levels of anxiety or depression and to enhance attention. It is increasingly prescribed to treat psychological problems or mental health disorders. A demonstrated fact about mindfulness is that it increases interoception, which is the ability to perceive one’s physiological state (e.g. heartbeat perception). The present study aims to look at the node-level structural changes in a neural region associated with interoception: the right insula.

Here is their method: the 86 participants were divided into 2 groups. The mindfulness group had a 16 weeks training including fitness, cognitive exercises and mindfulness. The active control group had the same training without mindfulness: this way, scientists were able to see the changes exclusively related to mindfulness. Thanks to neuroimaging sessions, 81 regions of interest were described in the brain and connections between them and the insula were counted, before and after the training period. This allowed to determine the insula strength, defined as the connection density of the insula across all connections.

After 16 weeks of training, the results could be observed: the mindfulness group’s mean insula strength was shown to have significatively increased, while the control group’s one remained the same. This allows to deduce that mindfulness does induce structural connectivity changes in the insula that physical fitness and cognitive training alone cannot produce, these changes are illustrated on figure 1.

However, some limitations must be cited. For example, the cross effects of different trainings are not considered. Indeed, the observed change can be a combined effect of cognitive training and mindfulness.

To conclude, this study allows to understand better the target of mindfulness and encourages further studies, to know more about this training and prescribe it more efficiently to the patients.