Imaging of Mind using Positron Emission Tomography


Author: Itoh Masatoshi1//Miyazaki Hiroshi 2//Takahashi Yasuo 2

Affiliation: Div. of Nuclear Medicine, Cyclotron Radioisotope Center, Tohoku, University, Sendai, Japan [1]//Laboratory of Neuroinformation Science, Tohoku-Gakuin University, Sendai, Japan [2]
Conference/Journal: J Intl Soc Life Info Science
Date published: 1996
Other:
 Volume ID: 14   ,  Issue ID: 1   ,  Pages: 76-80   ,  Special Notes: Also in Japanese. Proceedings of First Symposium of Life Information Science, without peer review.   ,  Word Count: 210  
    Qigong is a type of meditation originating in China and shares some
     common features with yoga and zen Buddhism. Our aim was to introduce
     scientific imaging technology in order to describe this unique state of
     mind by simultaneous recording of positron emission tomography and EEG.
     Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) images obtained by using [15O]water
     were transformed onto the Talairach-Tournoux's coordinate using brain
     standardization techniques. A statistical analysis of regional cross
     correlation between rCBF and EEG frequency fractions was examined to
     identify possible brain regions which related to qigong meditation.
     Eight right-handed normal subjects who served as a control compared
     with eight qigong professionals. The slow EEG waves (the delta)
     accompanied a general reduction of rCBF at resting condition and vice
     versa. The results of the control subjects document the effects of
     psychological tension or relaxation in rCBF during PET measurements.
     EEG slow waves in the qigong professionals on the contrary, accompanied
     increases in rCBF in deep brain structures. The right amygdala
     correlated with both EEG theta and alpha and the left hippocampus with
     delta. No remarkable positive correlation was found in the neocortices
     as a whole. These results support that qigong meditation is a state of
     mind that departs from ordinary thoughts traveling into the depth of
     consciousness.