Neuroimaging Data From a Single Participant Before and After a Meditation Retreat: a Proof of Concept Study

There are many studies on the effects of meditation interventions and some about meditation retreats in a group of participants, but how to study the brain of a single subject who decides to seclude himself/herself in a retreat? The aim of this study was to present a proof of concept for the feasibility of a single-subject analysis, which allows the study of meditation effects on the brain. We tested the proposed approach in a meditator entering a 5.5-week retreat. Neuroimaging data were acquired using diffusion tensor imaging, structural magnetic resonance imaging, and functional magnetic resonance imaging under resting-state condition. Comparing pre vs. post data, we noticed reductions in the visual cortices (primary and secondary), Brodmann area 8, and anterior cingulate cortex, while the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations increased in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. A greater regional homogeneity was observed in the precuneus before the retreat. Reductions in the anterior cingulate cortex may be due to the retreat environment and routine and its focus on the management of mental affliction, allowing participants to develop a focused and calm mind (lessened conflicts). Other changes may be related to both less mind wandering and more recruitment of the attentional circuitry during the meditation practices.