M05 - Cutting edge paper

Question 1

What problem is addressed in this cutting edge paper

Answer 1

The effect of meditation measured with high-resolution 7T functional MRI

Question 2

What is the goal of this paper?

Answer 2

• comparison of rest vs. focused meditation
• brain-wide analysis
• stringent statistical correlations and covariate control

Question 3

What where the results of this paper (in short)?

Answer 3

Reduced activity in default-mode network activity during meditation

Question 4

What network did they focus on?

Answer 4

Default Mode Network - network of regions that is known to be active when you are not doing any activity aka during quit rest

Question 5

What is their hypothesis?

Answer 5

• reduced activity of the Default-mode Network while meditating compared to just a passive state

Question 6

What instructions did the participants get for the fMRI?

Answer 6

Focused attention trial and rest trial

Question 7

What where the fMRI results?

Answer 7

• there were no regions that were more active during meditation vs rest
• regions were less active during meditation vs rest
  > confirmed hypothesis

Question 8

What were the results of the behavioral self-report?

Answer 8

Increased mindfulness
> not that significant bc it was just one trial

Question 9

What were the results based on the brain regions?

Answer 9

• default-mode network deactivation
• deactivation in thalamic nuclei and occipital cortex during meditation
• no brain regions increased activity