The neurobiology of Meditation and its clinical effectiveness in psychiatric disorders.

Full Abstract

This paper reviews the evidence for changes of Meditation on body and brain physiology and for clinical effectiveness in disorders of psychiatry. The aim of Meditation is to reduce or eliminate irrelevant thought processes through training of internalised attention, thought to lead to physical and mental relaxation, stress reduction, psycho-emotional stability and enhanced concentration. Physiological evidence shows a reduction with Meditation of stress-related autonomic and endocrine measures, while neuroimaging studies demonstrate the functional up-regulation of brain regions of affect regulation and attention control. Clinical studies show some evidence for the effectiveness of Meditation in disorders of affect, anxiety and attention. The combined evidence from neurobiological and clinical studies seems promising. However, a more thorough understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms of action and clinical effectiveness of the different Meditative practices is needed before Meditative practices can be leveraged in the prevention and intervention of mental illness.

Author information

Author/s: Rubia, Katya (K);

Affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, King's College University London, UK. k.rubia(-atsign-)iop.kcl.ac.uk

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Review

Journal: Biological psychology (Biol Psychol), published in Netherlands. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Sep; vol 82 (issue 1) : pp 1-11

Dates: Created 2009/07/21; Completed 2009/10/05;

PMID: 19393712, status: MEDLINE (last retrieved date: 10/5/2009)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article
(including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.