Effects of mindfulness meditation training on anticipatory alpha modulation in primary somatosensory cortex

During selective attention, ∼7–14 Hz alpha rhythms are modulated in early sensory cortices, suggesting a mechanistic role for these dynamics in perception. Here, we investigated whether alpha modulation can be enhanced by “mindfulness” meditation (MM), a program training practitioners in sustained attention to body and breath-related sensations. We hypothesized that participants in the MM group would exhibit enhanced alpha power modulation in a localized representation in the primary somatosensory neocortex in response to a cue, as compared to participants in the control group. Healthy subjects were randomized to 8-weeks of MM training or a control group. Using magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recording of the SI finger representation, we found meditators demonstrated enhanced alpha power modulation in response to a cue. This finding is the first to show enhanced local alpha modulation following sustained attentional training, and implicates this form of enhanced dynamic neural regulation in the behavioral effects of meditative practice.

► Mindfulness meditation training is associated with improved attentional processing. ► We examined whether 8-weeks of MM training enhances attentional modulation of alpha rhythms in SI. ► After training, MM modulation of alpha rhythms up or down in response to a somatic attentional cue was faster and greater than the control group and the MM pre-training baseline.