title: Mindfulness and emotion regulation--an fMRI study.
abstract: Mindfulness--an attentive non-judgmental focus on present experiences--is increasingly incorporated in psychotherapeutic treatments as a skill fostering emotion regulation. Neurobiological mechanisms of actively induced emotion regulation are associated with prefrontally mediated down-regulation of, for instance, the amygdala. We were interested in neurobiological correlates of a short mindfulness instruction during emotional arousal. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated effects of a short mindfulness intervention during the cued expectation and perception of negative and potentially negative pictures (50% probability) in 24 healthy individuals compared to 22 controls. The mindfulness intervention was associated with increased activations in prefrontal regions during the expectation of negative and potentially negative pictures compared to controls. During the perception of negative stimuli, reduced activation was identified in regions involved in emotion processing (amygdala, parahippocampal gyrus). Prefrontal and right insular activations when expecting negative pictures correlated negatively with trait mindfulness, suggesting that more mindful individuals required less regulatory resources to attenuate emotional arousal. Our findings suggest emotion regulatory effects of a short mindfulness intervention on a neurobiological level.
authors.affiliation: Department for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zürich, CH-8032 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University of Ulm, D-89075 Ulm, Germany, Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Zürich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland, and Department of Psychology, Psychotherapy of Affective Disorders, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.affiliation: Department for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zürich, CH-8032 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University of Ulm, D-89075 Ulm, Germany, Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Zürich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland, and Department of Psychology, Psychotherapy of Affective Disorders, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, SwitzerlandDepartment for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zürich, CH-8032 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University of Ulm, D-89075 Ulm, Germany, Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Zürich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland, and Department of Psychology, Psychotherapy of Affective Disorders, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Herwig
authors.affiliation: Department for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zürich, CH-8032 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University of Ulm, D-89075 Ulm, Germany, Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Zürich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland, and Department of Psychology, Psychotherapy of Affective Disorders, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Opialla
authors.affiliation: Department for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zürich, CH-8032 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University of Ulm, D-89075 Ulm, Germany, Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Zürich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland, and Department of Psychology, Psychotherapy of Affective Disorders, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hittmeyer
authors.affiliation: Department for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zürich, CH-8032 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University of Ulm, D-89075 Ulm, Germany, Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Zürich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland, and Department of Psychology, Psychotherapy of Affective Disorders, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jäncke
authors.affiliation: Department for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zürich, CH-8032 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University of Ulm, D-89075 Ulm, Germany, Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Zürich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland, and Department of Psychology, Psychotherapy of Affective Disorders, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rufer
authors.affiliation: Department for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zürich, CH-8032 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University of Ulm, D-89075 Ulm, Germany, Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Zürich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland, and Department of Psychology, Psychotherapy of Affective Disorders, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grosse Holtforth
authors.affiliation: Department for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zürich, CH-8032 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University of Ulm, D-89075 Ulm, Germany, Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Zürich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland, and Department of Psychology, Psychotherapy of Affective Disorders, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland annette.bruehl@puk.zh.ch.
authors.forename: Annette B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Brühl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D059031:Anticipation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003463:Cues; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064866:Mindfulness; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011594:Psychometrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: amygdale; emotion regulation; fMRI; insula; mindfulness; prefrontal cortex
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