Entrainment of chaotic activities in brain and heart during MBSR meditation.
Author: Gao J1, Fan J2, Wu B2, Zhang Z3, Chang C4, Hung YS3, Fung PC5, Sik H6.
Affiliation:
1Centre of Buddhist Studies, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Alzheimer's Disease Research Network, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. 2Centre of Buddhist Studies, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. 3Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. 4Institute of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Soochow University, Hong Kong. 5Centre of Buddhist Studies, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Centre on Behavioral Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. 6Centre of Buddhist Studies, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Electronic address: hinhung@hku.hk.
Conference/Journal: Neurosci Lett.
Date published: 2016 Jan 16
Other:
Pages: S0304-3940(16)30001-5 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.01.001 , Word Count: 216
The activities of the brain and the heart are dynamic, chaotic, and possibly intrinsically coordinated. This study aims to investigate the effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on the chaoticity of electronic activities of the brain and the heart rate, and explore their potential correlation. Electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) were recorded at the beginning of an 8-week standard MBSR training course and after the course. EEG spectrum analysis was carried out, wavelet entropies (WE) of EEG (together with reconstructed cortical sources) and heart rate were calculated, and their correlation was investigated. We found enhancement of EEG power of alpha and beta waves and lowering of delta waves power during MBSR meditation state as compared to normal resting state wavelet entropy analysis indicated that MBSR meditation could reduce the chaotic activity of both EEG and heart rate as a change of state. However, longitudinal change of trait may need more long-term training. For the first time, our data demonstrated that the chaotic activities of the brain and the heart became more coordinated during MBSR meditation, suggesting that mindfulness training may increase the entrainment between mind and body. The 3D brain regions involved in the change in mental states were identified.
Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
KEYWORDS:
EEG; MBSR; Source analysis; brain-heart; coordination; wavelet Entropy
PMID: 26784361
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