title: Approaching dysphoric mood: state-effects of mindfulness meditation on frontal brain asymmetry.
abstract: Meditation-based interventions reduce the relapse risk in recurrently depressed patients. Randomized trials utilizing neurophysiologic outcome measures, however, have yielded inconsistent results with regard to a prophylactic effect. Although frontal brain asymmetry, assessed through electroencephalographic (EEG) alpha activity (8-13 Hz), is indicative of approach vs. withdrawal-related response dispositions and represents a vulnerability marker of depression, clinical trials have provided mixed results as to whether meditation has beneficial effects on alpha asymmetry. Inconsistencies might have arisen since such trials relied on resting-state recordings, instead of active paradigms under challenge, as suggested by contemporary notions of alpha asymmetry. We examined two groups of remitted, recurrently depressed females. In a "mindfulness support group", EEG was recorded during neutral rest, and rest following a negative mood induction. Subsequently, participants received initial meditation instructions. EEG was then obtained during an active period of guided mindfulness meditation and rest following the active period. In a "rumination challenge group", EEG was obtained during the same resting conditions, whereas in the active period, initial meditation instructions were followed by a rumination challenge. A significant shift in mid-frontal asymmetry, yielding a pattern indicative of approach motivation, was observed in the mindfulness support group, specifically during the meditation period. This indicates that mindfulness meditation may have a transient beneficial effect, which enables patients to take an approach-related motivational stance, particularly under circumstances of risk.
authors: Institute of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Gartenstr. 29, 72074 Tübingen, Germany. pmkeune@gmail.com
authors: Philipp M
authors: PM
authors: Keune
authors: Vladimir
authors: V
authors: Bostanov
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Hautzinger
authors: Boris
authors: B
authors: Kotchoubey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D019122:Meditation / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation / Q000502:physiology; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires