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The Impact of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Brain Functional Connectivity: a Systematic Review

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Abstract

Objectives

Despite the growing popularity of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), little is known about the neural connectivity changes that underlie the effects of MBI. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the effects of MBI on functional brain connectivity.

Methods

We summarized findings of longitudinal controlled studies investigating the impact of standardized and manualized 6- to 8-week MBIs on functional connectivity in healthy and clinical populations as measured with functional MRI. Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus were searched to identify articles published up to August 2021. Quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tools. Fourteen studies, investigating 681 participants, were eligible for a qualitative synthesis.

Results

Our summary of results shows altered functional connectivity between networks involved in attention, executive function, emotional reactivity, and mind wandering. More specifically, three studies reported increased amygdala-frontoparietal network connectivity after MBI compared to a control group. Two other studies reported altered connectivity between salience- and dorsal attention/frontoparietal network regions. Increased connectivity between a default mode network seed and areas in the prefrontal cortex was reported in two studies.

Conclusions

We speculate that increased amygdala-frontoparietal network connectivity might translate as improved emotion regulation after MBI. Furthermore, the capacity to be aware of unfolding experiences may be expressed in enhanced connectivity between attentional control- and salience-related brain areas. An increased focus after MBI might be reflected in enhanced default mode network-prefrontal cortex connectivity. However, studies investigating whole-brain connectivity or similar seed regions are needed to generalize conclusions.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Jeroen Blommaert and Ahmed Radwan for their valuable input and feedback while writing the manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by “Kom op tegen Kanker” and Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, grant no. 1S68621N – M.M. is supported by a fellowship of the Research Foundation Flanders). The funding organizations provide financial support for research and do not review any research protocols.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Imaging and Pathology, Translational MRI, KU Leuven, UZ Herestraat 49 – box 7003, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Michelle Melis, Gwen Schroyen, Stefan Sunaert & Sabine Deprez

  2. Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), Flanders, Belgium

    Michelle Melis

  3. Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Neuromodulation Laboratory, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Katleen Van der Gucht

  4. Leuven Cancer Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Gwen Schroyen & Sabine Deprez

  5. Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Leuven Mindfulness Centre, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Juliette Pollefeyt, Filip Raes & Katleen Van der Gucht

  6. Department of Oncology, Surgical Oncology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Ann Smeets

  7. Multidisciplinary Breast Center, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Ann Smeets

  8. Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Stefan Sunaert

Authors
  1. Michelle Melis
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  2. Gwen Schroyen
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  3. Juliette Pollefeyt
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  4. Filip Raes
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  5. Ann Smeets
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  6. Stefan Sunaert
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  7. Sabine Deprez
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  8. Katleen Van der Gucht
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Contributions

MM: design of the review, screening and review of articles, data analysis, data interpretation, and manuscript writing; GS and JP: screening and review of articles, data analysis, and manuscript editing; FR, AS, and SS: data interpretation and manuscript editing; SD and KVDG: conceptualization, design of the review, data interpretation, and manuscript editing; SD and KVDG share last authorship. All of the authors approved the final version of the manuscript for submission.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michelle Melis.

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Conflict of Interest

KVDG and FR are co-founders and members of the managing committee of the Leuven Mindfulness Centre Fund. They receive payments for workshops and presentations related to mindfulness. The authors declare that they have no other competing interests.

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Melis, M., Schroyen, G., Pollefeyt, J. et al. The Impact of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Brain Functional Connectivity: a Systematic Review. Mindfulness 13, 1857–1875 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-022-01919-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-022-01919-2

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