Change in Brain Oscillations as a Mechanism of Mindfulness-Meditation, Cognitive Therapy, and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Chronic Low Back Pain.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to examine EEG-assessed brain oscillation changes as potential mechanisms of mindfulness-meditation (MM) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for chronic low back pain (CLBP).
Results Summary
The study found significant reductions in theta, alpha, and beta power across all treatments, with beta power reduction in the central ROI specifically associated with reduced pain intensity in MBCT. These changes suggest lowered cortical arousal, supporting the capacity of psychological treatments to induce neurophysiological changes.
Population
Adults (N=57) with chronic low back pain.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
cognitive therapy (CT), mindfulness-meditation (MM), and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) | decrease | theta power in the left frontal ROI | Adults (N = 57) with CLBP | - | A significant reduction | #1 |
cognitive therapy (CT), mindfulness-meditation (MM), and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) | decrease | alpha power in the left frontal ROI | Adults (N = 57) with CLBP | - | A significant reduction | #2 |
cognitive therapy (CT), mindfulness-meditation (MM), and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) | decrease | beta power in all five ROIs | Adults (N = 57) with CLBP | - | significant reductions | #3 |
mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) | decrease | beta power reduction in the central ROI | Adults (N = 57) with CLBP | - | showed a significant association | #4 |
mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) | decrease | pain intensity | Adults (N = 57) with CLBP | - | significant association with reduced | #5 |
cognitive therapy (CT), mindfulness-meditation (MM), and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) | decrease | cortical arousal | Adults (N = 57) with CLBP | - | engendered a state of lowered | #6 |
OBJECTIVE: Psychological treatments for chronic low back pain (CLBP) are effective. However, limited research has investigated their neurophysiological mechanisms. This study examined electroencephalography- (EEG-) assessed brain oscillation changes as potential mechanisms of cognitive therapy (CT), mindfulness-meditation (MM), and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for CLBP. The a priori bandwidths of interest were changes in theta, alpha and beta power, measured at pre- and post-treatment. DESIGN: A secondary analysis of a clinical trial. SETTING: University of Queensland Psychology Clinic. SUBJECTS: Adults (N = 57) with CLBP who completed pre- and post-treatment EEG and pain outcome assessments. METHODS: EEG data were examined for five regions of interest (ROIs); the primary outcome was pain intensity. RESULTS: A significant reduction in theta (P=.015) and alpha (P=.006) power in the left frontal ROI across all treatments was found, although change in theta and alpha power in this region was not differentially associated with outcome across treatments. There were significant reductions in beta power in all five ROIs across all treatments (P≤.013). Beta power reduction in the central ROI showed a significant association with reduced pain intensity in MBCT only (P=.028). Changes in other regions were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide support for the capacity of psychological CLBP treatments to induce changes in brain activity. The reduced beta power in all five ROIs indicated that all three treatments engendered a state of lowered cortical arousal. The growing body of research in this area could potentially inform novel directions towards remedying central nervous system abnormalities associated with CLBP.