Abstract
BACKGROUND
Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide and prevalence is on the rise.
One of the most debilitating aspects of depression is the dominance and persistence
of depressive rumination,- a state of mind that is linked to onset, and recurrence
of depression. Mindfulness meditation trains adaptive attention regulation and present
moment embodied awareness: skills that may be particularly useful during depressive
mind states characterized by negative ruminative thoughts.
METHODS
In a randomized controlled fMRI study (N=80), we looked at the neurocognitive mechanisms
behind Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT, N=50) treatment of recurrent depression
compared to treatment as usual (TAU, N=30) across experimentally induced states of
rest, mindfulness practice and rumination, and the relationship with dispositional
psychological processes.
RESULTS
MBCT compared to TAU led to decreased salience network connectivity to the lingual
gyrus during a ruminative state, and this change in salience network connectivity
mediated improvements in the ability to sustain and control attention to body sensations.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings demonstrate that a clinically effective mindfulness intervention modulates
neurocognitive functioning during depressive rumination and the ability to sustain
attention to the body.
KEYWORDS
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Article Info
Publication History
Accepted:
June 23,
2022
Received in revised form:
June 23,
2022
Received:
November 11,
2021
Publication stage
In Press Journal Pre-ProofFootnotes
The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03353493).
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Published by Elsevier Inc on behalf of Society of Biological Psychiatry.
