Grey matter in this area of the brain is notably smaller in patients with schizophrenia as compared with patients in a control group. Insular activation is also notable in patients with depression and/or chronic pain along with healthy patients experiencing emotions of sadness, guilt, or disgust. 

Insula Activation in Psychopathology

The Insula has been consistently reported to activate during mindfulness meditation practice. This area of the brain is responsible for introspection and the awareness of bodily sensations, leading to the experience of "selfness", and it's activation during mindfulness practices is likely due to the practitioner's increased attentiveness toward internal sensations.

Villanova University

Arizona State University

Electroencephalography (EEG) is a medical device that detects abnormalities in the electrical activity of the brain. Excels in distinguishing between broad-spectrum changes in the neural activity of the brain, such as Aplha waves which represent relaxed attention and Delta waves which represent sleep states. Lacks in spatial resolution and cannot detect distinct regions of the brain. 

EEG in Mindfulness

Fabrizio, D. (ed.). (2009). Clinical handbook of mindfulness. Springer. 

Clinical Handbook of Mindfulness

Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex activation (DLPFC) has been a consistent finding throughout several EEG studies pertaining to a wide range of mindfulness and meditation practices. Increased cortical thickness in this area among seasoned meditators suggests that long-term and routine practice encourages neural strengthening in this area, which is associated with executive decision-making and the capacity for attentiveness.

DLPFC Activation in Mindfulness-based EEG Studies

The Cingulate Cortex, and in particular the Anterior subdivision (ACC) of the brain, is commonly found to be active during mindfulness and meditation. This area of the brain pulls together attention, motivation, and motor control and has been found to react to both emotional and cognitive stimuli. Thus, it is suggested that as a meditator gains leverage over his or her thoughts and emotions, their response to these stimuli both physically and emotionally is affected as well. 

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