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

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.

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.

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.

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.