Meditation leads to reduced default mode network activity beyond an active task.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Case-control neuroimaging study comparing meditators to non-meditator controls.
PubMed 25904238 · doi:10.3758/s13415-015-0358-3
What was done
Researchers conducted a neuroimaging study comparing brain activation during meditation versus an active cognitive task in meditators and control participants. The study tested whether meditation decreases default mode network (DMN) activity beyond the reductions typically seen during standard effortful tasks, assessing Group × Task interaction effects across DMN regions.
What was found
The abstract reports no exact sample sizes, test statistics, or numerical effect sizes. It reports that meditation was associated with reduced default mode network activity relative to an active task in meditators compared with controls. Significant Group × Task interactions were observed in specific DMN regions, including the posterior cingulate/precuneus and the anterior cingulate cortex.
Why it matters
This indicates that DMN suppression during meditation is not merely an artifact of active cognitive effort or baseline rest instability, supporting DMN downregulation as a central neural feature of meditation.
Limits
The abstract does not provide exact participant counts, demographic characteristics, meditation style, criteria for long-term practice, or the specific nature of the active control task. The observational case-control design cannot determine causality or rule out pre-existing baseline differences between meditators and non-meditators.
Cited by
- supports Meditation shuts off or deactivates the brain's default mode network.