Relationship of mindful awareness to neural processing of angry faces and impact of mindfulness training: A pilot investigation. (30th June 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lee, Athene K.W.; Gansler, David A.; Zhang, Nanyin; Jerram, Matthew W.; King, Jean A.; Fulwiler, Carl
• Is Part Of: Psychiatry research. Volume 264(2017)
• Page Start: 22
• Page End: 28
• Publication Date: 2017-06-30
• Subjects: Mindfulness -- Experiential Awareness -- Anger -- Inferior Parietal Lobule -- FMRI; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Brain -- Imaging -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Diagnostic Imaging -- Periodicals; Psychiatrie -- Périodiques; Cerveau -- Imagerie pour le diagnostic -- Périodiques; 616.890754
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2017.03.016
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0925-4927

Abstract

Abstract: Mindfulness is paying attention, non-judgmentally, to experience in the moment. Mindfulness training reduces depression and anxiety and influences neural processes in midline self-referential and lateralized somatosensory and executive networks. Although mindfulness benefits emotion regulation, less is known about its relationship to anger and the corresponding neural correlates. This study examined the relationship of mindful awareness and brain hemodynamics of angry face processing, and the impact of mindfulness training. Eighteen healthy volunteers completed an angry face processing fMRI paradigm and measurement of mindfulness and anger traits. Ten of these participants were recruited from a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) class and also completed imaging and other assessments post-training. Self-reported mindful awareness increased after MBSR, but trait anger did not change. Baseline mindful awareness was negatively related to left inferior parietal lobule activation to angry faces; trait anger was positively related to right middle frontal gyrus and bilateral angular gyrus. No significant pre-post changes in angry face processing were found, but changes in trait mindful awareness and anger were associated with sub-threshold differences in paralimbic activation. These preliminary and hypothesis-generating findings, suggest the analysis of possible impact of mindfulness training on anger may begin with individual differences in angry face processing. Highlights: Mindful awareness is associated with lateral and midline brain hemodynamics. Mindfulness training increases right inferior parietal activation to angry faces. Mindful awareness gains are associated with greater parietal activation changes. Mindfulness based stress reduction has potential utility for anger reduction.