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.