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Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Anterior Cingulate Cortex in the Generation of Alpha Activity Induced by Transcendental Meditation : a Magnetoencephalographic Study

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Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Anterior Cingulate Cortex in the Generation of Alpha Activity Induced by Transcendental Meditation : a Magnetoencephalographic Study Acta Med. Okayama, 2006 Vol. 60, No. 1, pp. 51ﾝ58 CopyrightⒸ 2006 by Okayama University Medical School. Original Article http ://www.lib.okayama-u.ac.jp/www/acta/ Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Anterior Cingulate Cortex in the Generation of Alpha Activity Induced by Transcendental Meditation : A Magnetoencephalographic Study Shin Yamamotoa,c＊, Yoshihiro Kitamurab,c, Norihito Yamadac, Yoshihiko Nakashimad, and Shigetoshi Kurodac aMakoto Clinic, Okayama 700ﾝ0813, Japan, bOkayama Ryogo Center, Okayama 700ﾝ0927, Japan, cDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700ﾝ8558, Japan, and dSanyo Hospital, Okayama 702ﾝ8006, Japan Previous EEG studies have shown that transcendental meditation (TM) increases frontal and central alpha activity. The present study was aimed at identifying the source of this alpha activity using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG) simultaneously on eight TM practitioners before, during, and after TM. The magnetic fi eld potentials corresponding to TM-induced alpha activities on EEG recordings were extracted, and we attempted to localize the dipole sources using the multiple signal classifi cation (MUSIC) algorithm, equivalent current dipole source analysis, and the multiple spatio-temporal dipole model. Since the dipoles were mapped to both the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), it is suggested that the mPFC and ACC play an important role in brain activity induced by TM. Key words : transcendental meditation, magnetoencephalography (MEG), source analysis, medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex ranscendental meditation (TM) is a mental (MEG) has been reported analyzing the brain activity T stress reduction technique in which the practi- of a Yoga Master during meditation [3]. MEG has tioner closes his or her eyes and silently repeats a several theoretical advantages, including high spatial “mantra”, a meaningless sequence of sounds specifi c and temporal resolution, in identifying the localiza- to each individual, to promote a natural shift of tion of brain dipoles [4, 5]. Therefore, the use of awareness to a wakeful but deeply restful state [1]. MEG off ers a new approach to the recording of EEG studies have shown that TM increases frontal TM-related brain activity. and central alpha activity consistent with wakefulness In the present study, we used multichannel [2]. SQUID (superconducting quantum interference Recently, a study using magnetoencephalography device) magnetometers to extract the magnetic fi eld potentials that corresponded to TM-induced activities on EEG recordings, in an attempt to identify and Received August 10, 2005 ; accepted October 6, 2005. ＊Corresponding author. Phone : ＋81ﾝ86ﾝ231ﾝ2500 ; Fax : ＋81ﾝ86ﾝ231ﾝ2521 localize the sources of the brain activities during E-mail : [email protected] (S. Yamamoto) practice of TM. 52 Yamamoto et al. Acta Med. Okayama Vol. 60, No. 1 Materials and Methods EEG recorder (SYNAFIT 5000). Topographical maps during these tasks were made by fast Fourier Subjects. Sixteen healthy subjects (8 men and transformation (FFT) every 30 sec, which enabled 8 women ; mean age 38.8 years old, range 24ﾝ61 us to confi rm the change in distribution of ｸ waves years old) participated in the study. We obtained and the state of consciousness of the subjects. The their written informed consent prior to performing EEG topographies consisted of 6 frequency the experiments. bands : δ(2ﾝ4 Hz), θ(4ﾝ8), ｸ1(8ﾝ10), ｸ2(10ﾝ13), ｹ1(13 The study group consisted of 8 volunteers, aged ﾝ20), and ｹ2(20ﾝ30). 24 to 61 years old (4 men and 4 women ; mean age Analysis of EEG variables. The ｸ power, 39.0 years old), who had been practicing TM regu- index (content percentage), and mean frequency were larly for an average period of 3.9 years. The control obtained before and during TM practice using a soft- group comprised 8 persons aged 25 to 61 years old (4 ware for EEG mapping, ‘Atalas’ (Kissei Comtec, men and 4 women ; mean age 38.6 years old) who had Nagano, Japan). Data were conditioned with a not practiced TM or any other type of meditation Hanning window. These parameters in the 8ﾝ13 Hz before the study. window were averaged for a 60-s analysis period at Tasks and data acquisition. The subjects of frontal (Fp1, Fp2), parietal (P3, P4) and occipital the study group were required to practice TM for sites (O1, O2), respectively, although mean frequency 20 min. The control subjects were instructed to per- was obtained only at the occipital site. form a sham task ; a mock meditation involving a The index of each band is obtained using the fol- silent repetition of a simple non-mantra word (a sim- lowing formula : ple number) with their eyes closed. We employed repetition of a single number as the sham task since 21 Sn it is equally non-challenging and simple as a TM task. i＝6 Cp ＝ ×100（ｵ） The TM and the sham task were of equal length. δ 21 41 66 Sn ＋ Sn＋ Sn The recordings were made in a magnetically i＝6 i＝22 i＝42 shielded room. The subject sat comfortably with his 41 or her head under a whole-scalp neuromagnetometer Sn i＝22 that housed 148 SQUIDs (Magnes, Biomagnetic Cpθ＝ 21 41 66 ×100（ｵ） Technologies Inc., San Diego, CA, USA). Sn ＋ Sn＋ Sn Simultaneous EEG recordings were also performed i＝6i＝22 i＝42 with electrodes over the scalp, according to the 66 Sn International 10ﾝ20 method. Ag/AgCl electrodes i＝42 Cp ＝ ×100（ｵ） were referenced to the linked ears. The recording α 21 41 66 Sn ＋ Sn＋ Sn time was divided into 3 parts : fi rst, 5 min of rest i＝6i＝22 i＝42 before TM or the sham task with the eyes closed ; second, TM or the sham task for 20 min ; and where Sn is the averaged spectrum. third, 10 min of rest after the task, also with the 12 eyes closed. The experimentalist verbally signaled Sn＝ 1 Sn 12 the subjects to begin and end each task. i＝0 Both the MEGs and the EEGs were digitized at a Repeated-measures ANOVA was performed to sampling frequency of 678.17 Hz and fi ltered with a test condition-dependent diff erences in ｸ power and band-pass of 0.1 Hz ﾝ 200 Hz. Digitized data were index. Mean frequency and laterality of the parame- stored and analyzed off -line, using further fi ltering ters were analyzed with Student’s t-test. through a 3ﾝ50 Hz band-pass fi lter. The duration of MEG. Based on visual inspection, ｸ waves, each epoch was 30 sec at regular intervals of 60 sec which were active during TM or the control task and set by the internal trigger. Epochs were recorded 35 recorded simultaneously with the EEG, were times, once a minute, over the whole session. detected after the off set was performed. As stated in EEG. The data were sent to an NEC digital the Results section, increased frontal and central February 2006 MEG in Transcendental Meditation 53 alpha activities were observed during TM practice. from MUSIC analysis and the ECD model, another We extracted 300ﾝ500 epochs of 100 ms duration (50 analysis was performed with the multiple spatio-tem- ms pre- and 50 ms post-ｸ wave peak) of MEG waves poral dipole model using the BESA Program. This in each subject. method allows spatio-temporal modeling of multiple Analysis of MEG data. We applied 3 diff er- simultaneous sources over defi ned intervals. Signal ent methods to analyze sources of the brain activities epochs for source analysis were defi ned on the basis obtained during the task : the multiple signal classifi - of the global fi eld power (GFP) [14]. We considered cation (MUSIC) algorithm, equivalent current dipole that when the residual variance (100-GOF(ｵ)) was (ECD) source analysis for both raw and averaged less than 5ｵ, the adaptation of the dipoles would be MEG data, and the multiple spatio-temporal dipole signifi cant. model method using the brain electric source analysis (BESA) Program [6]. MEG records were averaged Results for every cycle of ｸ waves using individual negative peaks of ｸ waves in the EEG as a trigger point. EEG and EEG topography. The EEG of Source analysis using the MUSIC algorithm and TM practitioners appeared to show increased frontal BESA program were also performed from the aver- and central ｸ activity (diff use high-amplitude ｸ aged MEG data. waves) during TM, which is in good agreement with A GE Signa 1.5 T system was used for magnetic the results of a previous report [2]. In contrast, resonance imaging (MRI). 3D spoiled gradient pulse control subjects showed ordinary occipital-dominant sequence (SPGR) images were used for overlays with ｸ waves during the sham task. EEG topography also MUSIC localization and ECD sources detected by indicated that TM practitioners showed substantially MEG. The nasion was identifi ed on MR images with high ｸ power over a large cortical area, but the con- the aid of high-contrast cod liver oil capsules. trol subjects showed little change during the sham Source analysis was performed with the MUSIC task. Typical recordings of EEGs and EEG topogra- algorithm using Advanced Source Analysis (A.N.T. phies during TM and the sham task are shown in Fig. Software) on a PC/AT compatible personal com- 1. puter. The principle of the MUSIC algorithm has Analysis of EEG variables. Table 1 pres- been explained in detail in previous papers [7ﾝ13]. ents means and standard errors for the ｸ power and The advantage of using the MUSIC algorithm is that mean frequency of ｸ waves before and during the multiple asynchronous dipole sources can be drawn in task. Means of bilateral EEG parameters at each contour maps that describe the appropriateness of a site were used for the analysis since no signifi cant single dipole at each grid.
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