Increased Activity in Frontal and Prefrontal Regions

 

An article published in 2010 entitled “Regional Brain Activation During Meditation Shows Time and Practice Effects: An exploratory FMRI Study” explored the brain activity of meditators during their practice found that meditation can indeed affect the brain. Because attention regulation is used in meditation, the researchers observed the brain regions associated with attention such as the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Throughout the study, the subjects had a statistically significant increase in activity in these areas of the brain during meditation. Additionally, long-term practitioners had more consistent and sustained activation in the DLPFC and ACC.

 

fMRI stands for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The neuroimaging technology measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow. fMRI relies on the assumption that increased blood flow is associated with the activation of neurons indicating activity in a certain region.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This scan shows the activation in the left dorsal lateral frontal cortex and the ACC

 

 

Measurement of Regional Cerebral Blood Flow

 

The Division of Nuclear Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania also published research supporting increases cerebral book flow during meditation. The study found correlations between meditation and increased regional cerebral blood flow in the cingulate gyrus, inferior and orbital frontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and thalamus. The correlation between the DLPFC and the superior parietal lobe indicates an altered sense of space during meditation.

           

The table below shows that changes in brain activity between meditating and non-meditating subjects. As seen by statistically significant correlations (when P < 0.05), the DLPFC correlated positively with the activity in the thalamus and negatively with the  activity in the left superior parietal lobe. This is also why we see that the parietal lobe activity decreases with meditation in the scans while the frontal lobe activity increases with meditation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This study used single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in order to gather data. This process uses gamma rays by delivering a gamma-emitting radioisotope into the test subject. These isotopes attach to specific tissues so that the gamma camera can chart a certain part of the body.