The Neuroscience of Meditation: Understanding Individual Differences

The Neuroscience of Meditation
Copyright
Contents
Preface
	Outline of the book
	Chapter 1: Theoretical frameworks of individual differences in interventions
	Chapter 2: Personality and meditation
	Chapter 3: Cultural differences in meditation
	Chapter 4: Genetic association with meditation learning and practice (outcomes)
	Chapter 5: Sympathetic and parasympathetic systems in meditation
	Chapter 6: Brain regions and networks in meditation
	Chapter 7: Meditation over the lifespan
	Chapter 8: How to measure outcomes and individual differences in meditation
	Chapter 9: Personalized meditation
	Chapter 10: Critical questions and future directions in meditation
	References
1 Theoretical frameworks of individual differences in interventions
	Patient-centered care
	Aptitude (or attribute)×treatment interaction
	Precision medicine initiative
	Putative individual differences variables
	Summary and implications for translational research
	References
2 Personality and meditation
	Big Five factor model of personality
	Big Five factor and intervention effectiveness
	Trait mindfulness
	Trait mindfulness and the Big Five—mindful personality?
	Motivation and goals
	Summary and implications for translational research
	References
3 Cultural differences in meditation
	Cultural differences in attention and perception
	Cultural differences in somatic or interoceptive awareness
	Cultural differences in reasoning and decision-making
	Cultural differences in social behavior and self-related process
	Cultural differences in emotion processes and mental health
	Cross-cultural health model for prevention and treatment of disorders
	Cultural differences in genes and epigenetics
		Meditation–gene–culture interaction framework
		Practice tips
	References
4 Genetic association with meditation learning and practice (outcomes)
	WARNING!!! DUMMY ENTRY
		What are genes and alleles?
		How do genes and alleles influence behaviors?
		Does dopamine receptor D4 moderate cultural differences in learning, emotional experience, and social behavior?
		Does dopamine receptor D4 affect training or intervention?
		Are there other genotypes that affect behavior and intervention?
		Genetic polymorphisms and treatment response
		Practice tips
	Epigenetics: how do experience or environment shapes our genes?
		Nature versus nurture
		Meditation and epigenetics
		Reversibility of DNA methylation and/or histone modification
	Intergenerational transmissions
		Intergenerational transmission of neural circuits
		Prevention and reversibility of intergenerational transmission
	References
5 Sympathetic and parasympathetic systems in meditation
	The effect of meditation on sympathetic and parasympathetic systems
	Brain waves and heart rate variability in sympathetic and parasympathetic systems
	Body–mind interaction during meditation
	Anterior cingulate cortex As a bridge for autonomic nervous system and central nervous system interaction
		Why is the anterior cingulate cortex involved in so many functions?
	Individual differences in sympathetic and parasympathetic systems
	Optimal performance–insights for meditation
	Parasympathetic activity in brain–gut interaction and disorders
		Practice tips
	References
6 Brain regions and networks in meditation
	Structural magnetic resonance imaging studies of meditation
	Cortical thickness
	Volume
	Concentration/density
	Gyrification
	Brief summary of structural studies of gray matter
	Structural connectivity studies of meditation
	Functional relevance of structural changes
	Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies of meditation
	Attention control and meditation
	Emotion regulation and meditation
	Self-Awareness and meditation
	Brain networks and meditation
	Individual differences in brain functional regions, networks, and meditation
	Summary and implications for translational research
	References
7 Meditation over the lifespan
	Development of self-regulation and attention networks
	Brain networks of self-regulation during development
	Meditation in young children
	At what age can children practice meditation?
	Meditation in children and adolescents
	Meditation in young and middle-aged adults
	Meditation in older adults
	Is there a critical period for meditation learning and practice?
	References
8 How to measure outcomes and individual differences in meditation
	Reliability and validity
	Research design
	Sample size
	Potential solutions for individual differences research
	Measuring meditation outcomes
	Self-report questionnaires
	Cognitive tasks
	Neuroimaging
	Summary and implications for translational research
	References
9 Personalized meditation
	Prediction
	Implementation
	Assessing individual needs and preferences
	Personalized meditation and resources
	Personalized meditation and provider attention
	Personalized meditation and provider awareness
	Personalized medicine and administrative barriers
	Summary and implications for translational research
	References
10 Critical questions and future directions in meditation
	Instructor (trainer) effects on meditation outcomes
	Different meditation techniques matter
	Effort and stage of practice matter
	Meditation in the digital age
	Combining meditation with other intervention approaches
	Differences among meditation, psychedelic, and other states
	Potential side effects or adverse effects
	References
Index