Mindfulness and emotion regulation--an fMRI study

Jacqueline Lutz; Uwe Herwig; Sarah Opialla; Anna Hittmeyer; Lutz Jäncke; Michael Rufer; Martin Grosse Holtforth; Annette B Brühl

doi:10.1093/scan/nst043

Mindfulness and emotion regulation--an fMRI study

Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2014 Jun;9(6):776-85. doi: 10.1093/scan/nst043. Epub 2013 Apr 5.

Authors

Jacqueline Lutz¹, Uwe Herwig², Sarah Opialla¹, Anna Hittmeyer¹, Lutz Jäncke¹, Michael Rufer¹, Martin Grosse Holtforth¹, Annette B Brühl³

Affiliations

¹ Department for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zürich, CH-8032 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University of Ulm, D-89075 Ulm, Germany, Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Zürich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland, and Department of Psychology, Psychotherapy of Affective Disorders, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland.
² Department for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zürich, CH-8032 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University of Ulm, D-89075 Ulm, Germany, Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Zürich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland, and Department of Psychology, Psychotherapy of Affective Disorders, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, SwitzerlandDepartment for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zürich, CH-8032 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University of Ulm, D-89075 Ulm, Germany, Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Zürich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland, and Department of Psychology, Psychotherapy of Affective Disorders, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland.
³ Department for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zürich, CH-8032 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University of Ulm, D-89075 Ulm, Germany, Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Zürich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland, and Department of Psychology, Psychotherapy of Affective Disorders, University of Zürich, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland annette.bruehl@puk.zh.ch.

Abstract

Mindfulness--an attentive non-judgmental focus on present experiences--is increasingly incorporated in psychotherapeutic treatments as a skill fostering emotion regulation. Neurobiological mechanisms of actively induced emotion regulation are associated with prefrontally mediated down-regulation of, for instance, the amygdala. We were interested in neurobiological correlates of a short mindfulness instruction during emotional arousal. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated effects of a short mindfulness intervention during the cued expectation and perception of negative and potentially negative pictures (50% probability) in 24 healthy individuals compared to 22 controls. The mindfulness intervention was associated with increased activations in prefrontal regions during the expectation of negative and potentially negative pictures compared to controls. During the perception of negative stimuli, reduced activation was identified in regions involved in emotion processing (amygdala, parahippocampal gyrus). Prefrontal and right insular activations when expecting negative pictures correlated negatively with trait mindfulness, suggesting that more mindful individuals required less regulatory resources to attenuate emotional arousal. Our findings suggest emotion regulatory effects of a short mindfulness intervention on a neurobiological level.

Keywords: amygdale; emotion regulation; fMRI; insula; mindfulness; prefrontal cortex.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Anticipation, Psychological / physiology
Brain / physiology*
Brain Mapping
Cues
Emotions / physiology*
Female
Humans
Interviews as Topic
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Middle Aged
Mindfulness*
Neuropsychological Tests
Photic Stimulation
Psychometrics
Surveys and Questionnaires
Visual Perception / physiology*
Young Adult