Common and dissociable neural activity after mindfulness-based stress reduction and relaxation response programs

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Gunes Sevinc, Massachusetts General Hospital; Britta K. Hölzel, Massachusetts General Hospital; Javeria Hashmi, Dalhousie University; Jonathan Greenberg, Massachusetts General Hospital; Adrienne McCallister, Berkshire Medical Center; Michael Treadway, Emory University; Marissa L. Schneider, Massachusetts General Hospital; Jeffrey A. Dusek, Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health; James Carmody, University of Massachusetts; Sara W. Lazar, Massachusetts General Hospital
• Language: English
• Date: 2018-06-01
• Publisher: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000590
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Psychosomatic Medicine
• ISSN: 0033-3174
• Volume: 80
• Issue: 5
• Start Page: 439
• End Page: 451
• Grant/Funding Information: This project was funded by R01 AG048351; R21 AT003425; S10 RR019307; S10 RR023401.
• Keywords: Mindfulness; Adult; Male; Stress, Psychological; Relaxation Therapy; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Connectome; Cerebral Cortex; Outcome Assessment (Health Care); Female; Middle Aged; Humans
• Research Categories: Psychology, Clinical; Biology, Neuroscience; Health Sciences, Mental Health

Abstract

Objective: We investigated common and dissociable neural and psychological correlates of two widely used meditation-based stress reduction programs. Methods: Participants were randomized to the Relaxation Response (RR; n = 18; 56% female) or the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR; n = 16; 56% female) programs. Both programs use a "bodyscan" meditation; however, the RR program explicitly emphasizes physical relaxation during this practice, whereas the MBSR program emphasizes mindful awareness with no explicit relaxation instructions. After the programs, neural activity during the respective meditation was investigated using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Results: Both programs were associated with reduced stress (for RR, from 14.1 ± 6.6 to 11.3 ± 5.5 [Cohen's d = 0.50; for MBSR, from 17.7 ± 5.7 to 11.9 ± 5.0 [Cohen's d = 1.02]). Conjunction analyses revealed functional coupling between ventromedial prefrontal regions and supplementary motor areas (p <.001). The disjunction analysis indicated that the RR bodyscan was associated with stronger functional connectivity of the right inferior frontal gyrus - an important hub of intentional inhibition and control - with supplementary motor areas (p <.001, family-wise error [FWE] rate corrected). The MBSR program was uniquely associated with improvements in self-compassion and rumination, and the within-group analysis of MBSR bodyscan revealed significant functional connectivity of the right anterior insula - an important hub of sensory awareness and salience - with pregenual anterior cingulate during bodyscan meditation compared with rest (p =.03, FWE corrected). Conclusions: The bodyscan exercises in each program were associated with both overlapping and differential functional coupling patterns, which were consistent with each program's theoretical foundation. These results may have implications for the differential effects of these programs for the treatment of diverse conditions.