A recent study, published in Scientific Reports, examines the effects of short-term mindfulness practice on reward prediction error (RPE) signals in the brain—a phenomenon where changes in dopaminergic neuron activity signal a difference between the expected value of a stimulus and its actual outcome. This process is paramount for understanding how the human brain learns from environmental stimuli by reinforcing behaviors that lead to positive outcomes.
The study, titled “Short-term mindfulness practice attenuates reward prediction errors signals in the brain” (DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43474-2), was conducted by a cross-institutional team including Kirk Ulrich from the Department of Psychology at the University of Southern Denmark and The Warburg Institute at the University of London, Pagnoni Giuseppe from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Sébastien Hétu from the Université de Montréal, and Read Montague from the Human Neuroimaging Laboratory at VTC and Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at UCL.
The research was supported by grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH HHS United States R01 DA011723) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS NINDS NIH HHS United States R01 NS045790), as well as funding from the Wellcome Trust in the United Kingdom.
The Experiment and Its Findings
The study investigated whether eight weeks of mindfulness training (MT) could reduce the intensity of reward prediction error signals in the striatum region of the brain, a phenomenon previously observed in long-term Zen meditators. The experiment utilized primary- and secondary-reward conditioning experiments to evaluate this effect in a sample of naïve subjects, who were randomly divided into mindfulness training (MT), active control training (CT), or a single-session mindfulness induction group (MI).
Upon completion of the eight-week training period, significant differences were observed in the MT group when compared to CT. The MT group exhibited a subdued response to positive prediction errors in the putamen, an area within the striatum, as well as greater activation in the posterior insula in response to primary rewards, regardless of predictability. The insula, known for processing interoceptive information, among other functions, was more responsive in the mindfulness-trained individuals, suggesting greater awareness of present sensations.
Broader Implications for Mindfulness Practice
The study’s findings highlight how mindfulness—the psychological process of bringing one’s attention to the present moment—could diminish the effect of reward prediction errors in the brain. This has implications for interventions aiming to mitigate addictive behaviors, excessive reward-seeking, or modulating emotional responses tied to reward anticipation.
Furthermore, the data are suggestive of a potential role for mindfulness in strengthening attention to interoceptive signals, which relates to perceptions of physiological states of the body. This heightened bodily awareness could be a contributing factor to the altered processing of rewards following mindfulness training.
Professional Perspectives
Giuseppe Pagnoni, a key contributor to the research, mentions, “Understanding how mindfulness can affect brain function is a significant step in applying these practices for therapeutic purposes. As we decode these mechanisms, we could potentially tailor mindfulness-based interventions to target specific psychological processes.”
Read Montague, another study co-author, adds, “The intersection between mindfulness and neuroeconomics is fascinating—this study contributes to a growing body of literature examining how contemplative practices can modulate the neural correlates of decision-making and reward processes.”
Contextualizing the Research
The findings from Ulrich, Pagnoni, Hétu, and Montague’s work build on a substantial foundation of related research:
1. Schultz et al. (1992), posited the role of ventral striatum neurons in signaling reward prediction, which paved the way for understanding how the brain anticipates rewards.
2. Montague et al. (1996), who expanded on the idea of predictive Hebbian learning in mesencephalic dopamine systems, influencing computational roles in behavioral control.
3. Pagnoni et al. (2002), found ventral striatum activity to errors of reward prediction, strengthening the connection between prediction error signals and reward processing.
Further Considerations and Future Research
Despite the promising results of this study, the team acknowledges the complexity of mindfulness practices and the need for further investigation. They suggest longitudinal research to examine long-term effects of mindfulness on reward processing and its potential to modulate the brain’s response to a variety of motivational stimuli.
Conclusion
The study represents a significant step forward in the field of neuroscience and mindfulness research. It provides valuable evidence that relatively short-term mindfulness practice can modulate neural circuits related to reward processing, offering hope for mindfulness-based interventions in clinical and professional settings.
References
1. Kirk U, et al. Short-term mindfulness practice attenuates reward prediction errors signals in the brain. Sci Rep. 2019 May 06;9(1):6964. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-43474-2.
2. Schultz W, Apicella P, Scarnati E, Ljungberg T. Neuronal activity in monkey ventral striatum related to the expectation of reward. J Neurosci. 1992;12(12):4595–4610.
3. Montague PR, Dayan P, Sejnowski TJ. A framework for mesencephalic dopamine systems based on predictive hebbian learning. J Neurosci. 1996;16(5):1936–1947.
4. Pagnoni G, Zink CF, Montague PR, Berns GS. Activity in human ventral striatum locked to errors of reward prediction. Nat Neurosci. 2002;5(2):97–98.
5. Montague PR, et al. Mindfulness meditation modulates reward prediction errors in a passive conditioning task. Front Psychol. 2015;6:90.
Keywords
1. Mindfulness Meditation Brain Effect
2. Reward Prediction Error
3. Neuroeconomics Mindfulness
4. Dopaminergic Neurons Mindfulness
5. Striatum Activation Mindfulness