Brain Mechanisms Supporting Meditation-based Analgesia

Mindfulness meditation, significantly reduces pain in experimental and clinical settings.
Although findings from this laboratory provide novel insights into some of the brain
mechanisms supporting the modulation of pain by meditation , the specific analgesic
mechanisms engaged during mindfulness meditation remain poorly characterized.

To date, there are no studies that have identified the neurofunctional connections supporting
mindfulness meditation-based pain relief. Employing fMRI, the objective of this study will be
to determine the neural systems of action supporting mindfulness-based pain relief. The study
will determine if higher order brain regions are involved in mindfulness-based analgesia. The
results from this aim will identify a neural marker(s) for meditation-related pain relief, a
critical step in defining how meditation reduces pain.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Normal volunteers between ages 18 and 65.

- Men and women of all races will be included

Exclusion Criteria:

- Subjects with a history of psychiatric or neurological disorders.

- Subjects will be excluded if they report being claustrophobic.

- Subjects with a prior history of meditation training will be excluded.

- Subjects with ferrous metal or electronic devices (e g., pacemakers) implanted in
there body will be excluded.

- Pregnant subjects will be excluded.

- Subjects that demonstrate no pain to noxious temperatures (>49°C) or excessive
responses to temperatures at or below 43°C will be excluded.