Authors
Catherine E Kerr, Stephanie R Jones, Qian Wan, Dominique L Pritchett, Rachel H Wasserman, Anna Wexler, Joel J Villanueva, Jessica R Shaw, Sara W Lazar, Ted J Kaptchuk, Ronnie Littenberg, Matti S Hämäläinen, Christopher I Moore
Publication date
2011/5/30
Journal
Brain research bulletin
Volume
85
Issue
3-4
Pages
96-103
Publisher
Elsevier
Description
During selective attention, ∼7–14 Hz alpha rhythms are modulated in early sensory cortices, suggesting a mechanistic role for these dynamics in perception. Here, we investigated whether alpha modulation can be enhanced by “mindfulness” meditation (MM), a program training practitioners in sustained attention to body and breath-related sensations. We hypothesized that participants in the MM group would exhibit enhanced alpha power modulation in a localized representation in the primary somatosensory neocortex in response to a cue, as compared to participants in the control group. Healthy subjects were randomized to 8-weeks of MM training or a control group. Using magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recording of the SI finger representation, we found meditators demonstrated enhanced alpha power modulation in response to a cue. This finding is the first to show enhanced local alpha modulation …
Total citations
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