title: Lower trait frontal theta activity in mindfulness meditators.
abstract: Acute and long-term effects of mindfulness meditation on theta-band activity are not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate frontal theta differences between long- and short-term mindfulness practitioners before, during, and after mindfulness meditation. Twenty participants were recruited, of which 10 were experienced Buddhist meditators. Despite an acute increase in the theta activity during meditation in both the groups, the meditators showed lower trait frontal theta activity. Therefore, we suggested that this finding is a neural correlate of the expert practitioners' ability to limit the processing of unnecessary information (e.g., discursive thought) and increase the awareness of the essential content of the present experience. In conclusion, acute changes in the theta band throughout meditation did not appear to be a specific correlate of mindfulness but were rather related to the concentration properties of the meditation. Notwithstanding, lower frontal theta activity appeared to be a trait of mindfulness practices.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Guaraci Ken
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peressutti
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Silmar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cagy
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Piedade
authors.affiliation: Panic & Respiration Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Antonio Egídio
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Nardi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Bruna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Velasques
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D019122:Meditation; D008875:Middle Aged; D064866:Mindfulness; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D013826:Theta Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors