Tibetan Buddhist meditation increased posterior high-frequency EEG activity, which significantly correlated with trait effects on heart rate and neuropilin-1 in monks.
Cross-Sectional (n=103)
Does Tibetan Buddhist meditation affect brain EEG activity, heart rate, and proteomics compared to meditation-naive controls?
Tibetan Buddhist meditation is associated with increased high-frequency EEG oscillations that correlate with changes in heart rate and neuropilin-1, suggesting an integrative body-mind effect.
Meditation has been a spiritual and healing practice in the East for thousands of years. However, the neurophysiologic mechanisms underlying its traditional form remain unclear. In this study, we recruited a large sample of monks (n = 73) who practice Tibetan Buddhist meditation and compared with meditation-naive local controls (n = 30). Their electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiogram signals were simultaneously recorded and blood samples were collected to investigate the integrative effects of Tibetan Buddhist on brain, heart, and proteomics. We found that the EEG activities in monks shifted to a higher frequency from resting to meditation. Meditation starts with decrease of the (pre)frontal delta activity and increase of the (pre)frontal high beta and gamma activity; while at the deep meditative state, the posterior high-frequency activity was also increased, and could be specified as a biomarker for the deep meditation. The state increase of posterior high-frequency EEG activity was significantly correlated with the trait effects on heart rate and nueropilin-1 in monks, with the source of brain-heart correlation mainly locating in the attention and emotion networks. Our study revealed that the effects of Tibetan Buddhist meditation on brain, heart, and proteomics were highly correlated, demonstrating meditation as an integrative body-mind training.
Guo et al. (Sat,) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy individuals (meditation practitioners vs controls) (n=103). Tibetan Buddhist meditation vs. Meditation-naive local controls was evaluated on EEG activities, heart rate, and proteomics (neuropilin-1). Tibetan Buddhist meditation increased posterior high-frequency EEG activity, which significantly correlated with trait effects on heart rate and neuropilin-1 in monks.