From state-to-trait meditation: Reconfiguration of central executive and default mode networks

Abstract

While brain default mode network (DMN) activation in human subjects has been associated with mind wandering, meditation practice has been found to suppress it and to increase psychological well-being. Additionally to DMN activity reduction, experienced meditators during meditation practice show and increased connectivity between the DMN and the central executive network (CEN). However, the gradual change between DMN and CEN configuration from pre-meditation, during meditation, and post-meditation are unknown. Here we investigated the change in DMN and CEN configuration by means of brain activity and functional connectivity analyses in experienced meditators across three back-to-back functional magnetic resonance imaging scans: Pre-meditation baseline (trait), meditation (state), and post-meditation (state-to-trait). Pre-meditation baseline group comparison was also performed between experienced meditators and healthy controls. Meditation trait was characterized by a significant reduction in activity and functional connectivity within DMN and increased anticorrelations between DMN and CEN. Conversely, meditation state and meditation state-to-trait periods showed increased activity and functional connectivity within the DMN and between DMN and CEN. However, the latter anticorrelations were only present in experienced meditators with limited practice. The interactions between networks during these states by means of Positive Diametric Activity (PDA) of the fractional Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuations (fALFF) defined as revealed no trait differences, but significant increases during meditation state that persisted in meditation state-to-trait. The gradual reconfiguration in DMN and CEN suggest a neural mechanism by which the CEN negatively regulates the DMN and is probably responsible for the long-term trait changes seen in meditators and reported psychological well-being.

Significance Statement We introduce a Positive Diametric Activity (PDA) metric to measure the relation between two anticorrelated rs-fMRI networks in experienced meditators. PDA as well as functional connectivity (FC) are increased during meditation compared to resting state and persists in the post meditation resting state. Conversely, meditation trait is characterized by positive PDA but with significant reduction in activity and functional connectivity within Default Mode Network (DMN) and increased anticorrelations between DMN and central executive network (CEN). PDA and FC between DMN and CEN distinguish meditation state-to-trait effects.