There Is More to Mindfulness Than Emotion Regulation: A Study on Brain Structural Networks

Baltruschat, Sabina; Cándido, Antonio; Maldonado, Antonio; Verdejo-Lucas, Carmen; Catena-Verdejo, Elvira; Catena, Andrés · 2021 · Crossref

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.659403

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Summary

This study investigates the neural basis of dispositional mindfulness (DM) independent of emotion regulation, addressing a gap in literature where these constructs are often conflated. While DM and emotion regulation are interrelated, the authors sought to identify brain structural features associated with DM that remain significant even when controlling for emotional dysregulation. The research utilized two widely used mindfulness instruments, the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), alongside the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). The study analyzed structural MRI data from 144 participants using a novel non-negative matrix factorization (NNMF) approach to identify brain structural networks. This method decomposes gray matter volumes into covariance networks without relying on a priori atlas-based parcellations. Multiple stepwise regression models were employed to predict DM scores (FFMQ dimensions and total score, and MAAS total score) using these structural networks, while controlling for age, gender, education, and DERS subscales. This design allowed the researchers to isolate the structural correlates of mindfulness that are minimally dependent on emotion regulation difficulties. The results revealed distinct neural correlates for different mindfulness measures. MAAS scores were significantly predicted by the bilateral hippocampus, bilateral parahippocampal gyrus, and bilateral fusiform gyrus. In contrast, the total FFMQ score was associated with the bilateral parahippocampal gyrus, bilateral anterior fusiform gyrus, bilateral amygdala, and right posterior insula. Specific FFMQ dimensions showed varied associations: "Awareness" correlated with the hippocampus and cerebellum; "Non-judging" with the amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, and precuneus; "Non-reactivity" with the fusiform gyrus and inferior orbitofrontal cortex; and "Observing" with the cerebellum and fusiform gyrus. Correlations between DM and emotion regulation were negative, confirming their inverse relationship, yet the structural predictors remained significant after controlling for DERS scores. The findings indicate that dispositional mindfulness involves brain systems related to emotional reactivity and semantic processing, distinct from those solely governing emotion regulation. The involvement of the hippocampus, amygdala, and fusiform gyrus suggests that DM is linked to memory, stress response, and semantic processing. The study concludes that different mindfulness instruments capture distinct psychological constructs with unique neural bases. This distinction is crucial for understanding the specific mechanisms through which mindfulness interventions improve psychological health, separating the benefits of trait mindfulness from general emotion regulation capabilities.

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