Short-term meditation induces white matter changes in the anterior cingulate
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Format:
Journal Article
Publication Year:
n.d.
Pages:
15649-15652
Library/Archive:
Copyright © 2010 National Academy of Sciences
Sources ID:
21889
Visibility:
Private
Zotero Collections:
Contemplation by Applied Subject, Neuroscience and Contemplation, Science and Contemplation
Abstract:
(Show)
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is part of a network implicated in the development of self-regulation and whose connectivity changes dramatically in development. In previous studies we showed that 3 h of mental training, based on traditional Chinese medicine (integrative body–mind training, IBMT), increases ACC activity and improves self-regulation. However, it is not known whether changes in white matter connectivity can result from small amounts of mental training. We here report that 11 h of IBMT increases fractional anisotropy (FA), an index indicating the integrity and efficiency of white matter in the corona radiata, an important white-matter tract connecting the ACC to other structures. Thus IBMT could provide a means for improving self-regulation and perhaps reducing or preventing various mental disorders.