Various structures on the left side of the anterior section of the brain are associated with positive emotion and stronger activation of this region indicates an increase in positive affect. Mindfulness meditation has shown an increase in left-sided anterior activation, suggesting an increase in positive affect for those who practice mindfulness.

Mindfulness Effects on Left-Sided Anterior Activation

Mindfulness mediation has been tied to a stronger immune system. A study found that participants who practiced mindfulness meditation exhibited a stronger response to flu vaccinations than participants who did not practice meditation. 

Mindfulness Effects on Immune Response

The Right Anterior Insula is a brain region associated with processing emotions, especially one's own emotions in relation to needs (pain, hunger, etc.). Mindfulness has been linked to an increase in gray matter in this region, which indicates improved processing of one's emotions.

Mindfulness Effects on the Right Anterior Insula

The amygdala is a section of the brain that processes fearful stimuli. Patients with anxiety disorders exhibit stronger amygdala responses than patients without anxiety disorders. Studies suggest that mindfulness interventions can reduce the amygdala response in patients with anxiety disorders.

Mindfulness Effects on the Amygdala and Anxiety

The Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex is a region of the brain involved in directing attention and ignoring distractions. Long-term mindfulness practice has been linked to increased activation in this region, suggesting that mindfulness practice can improve one's ability to regulate their attention.

Mindfulness Effects on Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex

Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBI) have been shown to improve symptoms related to a variety of physical disorders, including cancer, chronic pain or fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), epilepsy, heart disease, tinnitus, and acquired brain injury.

Mindfulness Effects on Patients with Physical Health Conditions 

Somatic:

- Improved Immune Response

- Improvement in Conditions Worsened by Stress

Neurological:

- Improved functioning of the amygdala and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex

- Increased gray matter in the right anterior insula

- Increased left-sided anterior activation

- Increased connection between the amygdala and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC)

New York University

University of Virginia, Charlottesville

University of Georgia

Georgetown University

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is an educational therapy program with the goal of teaching individuals both formal and informal/everyday mindfulness techniques to help reduce psychological distress.

Standard MBSR programs are 8-weeks in duration consisting of 26 hours with a 6-hour one day class (total of 32 hours). Participants are also expected to practice 45 minutes per day at home during the program.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

- Volumetry

- Concentration

- Thickness

- Fractional Anisotropy

- Diffusivity

- Gyrification


Different Morphometric Measures 

Wang, P. P., & Jernigan, T. L. (1994). Morphometric studies using neuroimaging. Neurologic clinics, 12(4), 789–802.

Morphometric studies using neuroimaging. 

Tang, YY., Hölzel, B. & Posner, M. The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nat Rev Neurosci 16, 213–225 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3916.

The Neuroscience of Mindfulness Meditation

Greeson, J. M. (2009). Mindfulness Research Update: 2008. Complementary Health Practice Review, 14(1), 10–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/1533210108329862

Mindfulness Research Update: 2008

Although mindfulness interventions are commonly thought of as a treatment solely for mental and psychological illness, various mindfulness interventions have been used in physical rehabilitation.

Mindfulness in Physical Rehabilitation 

- Medical students
- Patients with eating disorders
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients
- Trauma-exposed women
- Post-treatment breast cancer patients 
- LGBTQIA+ Individuals
- Patients with depression and anxiety

Populations that May Benefit from Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

- Decreases overall psychological distress
- Can help improve emotional regulation through attentional deployment

Benefits of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

- Short-term mindfulness-based stress reduction
- Therapeutic interventions that use mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques

Variations of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

Mindfulness-based stress reduction interventions can be incorporated into multiple different settings. These include:

- University elective courses
- Physical Therapy 

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Intervention Settings

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) interventions have multiple physiological effects including the following:
- Morphometric changes in brain regions
- Increased connection between the amygdala and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) 

Neurological Effects Resulting From Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

Physical Effects Resulting From Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

There are many online services and apps that are available that allow people to practice Mindfulness Interventions such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) from one’s own device. The ease of accessibility, lower cost, and convenience of these services are some of the pros of online MBI practices over face-to-face MBIs. 

Mindfulness Apps and Online Services

Exercises in MBSR, such as sitting meditation and the body scan, can give African American women (who are often consumed by caring for the needs of others) a restorative and imperative time-out to quiet the mind and restore balance.

MBSR’s Specific Value for Reducing Stress among African American Women

Volumetry measures the volume (mm^2) of a particular region of interest (e.g. amygdala). The significance of volumetry measures is that larger volumetric measures translate to be a larger structure size of that particular brain region.

Volumetry in morphometry

Concentration estimates the concentration of gray or white matter throughout the brain on a voxel-by-voxel basis, or in voxels within a predefined region of interest. The significance of a concentration measurement in morphometry is that greater concentration means that there is a greater density of tissue type within voxel or region of interest.

Concentration in morphometry

Thickness estimates the thickness (mm) of cortex or other structures (e.g., corpus callosum). The significance of thickness in the measurement of brain structure is that greater thickness translates to a greater number of neurons/glia or fibers in a given region.

Thickness in morphometry

Fractional Anisotropy estimates how ‘cigar-shaped’ (anisotropic) white matter fiber tracts are at a given voxel. A greater fractional anisotropy means greater white matter fiber density and/or coherence.

Fractional anisotropy in morphometry

Diffusivity estimates the coherence of water diffusion either parallel (axial diffusivity) or perpendicular (radial diffusivity) to axons. A Lower axial diffusivity means that there is greater axonal integrity. A lower radial diffusivity means that there is a greater myelination.

Diffusivity in morphometry


Gyrification estimates the degree of folding of cortical surface on a point-by-point basis. A higher index of gyrification means that there is greater cortical surface area (mm^2) per unit volume (mm^3), which is associated with greater cognitive functionality.

Gyrification in morphometry

There is preliminary evidence that results from disparate methods are comparable. Regardless of this preliminary evidence, different methods should not be expected to produce consistent results, since they likely rely on different underlying cellular changes for their outcomes. Nevertheless, the sensitivity differences of the varying morphometric imaging methods may be more of a  source of additional information than a shortcoming.




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