Neurobiological Changes Induced by Mindfulness and Meditation: A Systematic Review

Background and Objectives: Meditation and mindfulness, rooted in ancient traditions, enhance mental well-being by cultivating awareness and emotional control. It has been shown to induce neuroplasticity, increase cortical thickness, reduce amygdala reactivity, and improve brain connectivity and neurotransmitter levels, leading to improved emotional regulation, cognitive function, and stress resilience. This systematic review synthesizes research on neurobiological changes associated with mindfulness and meditation practices. Materials and Methods: Studies were identified from PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase without a search time range. The review was registered on OSF (GV2JY). Results: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) enhances brain regions related to emotional processing and sensory perception, improves psychological outcomes such as anxiety and depression, and exhibits unique mechanisms of pain reduction compared to placebo. Conclusions: Mindfulness, particularly through MBSR, improves emotional regulation and brain structure, reduces anxiety, and enhances stress resilience. Future research should focus on diverse populations and naturalistic settings to better understand and optimize these benefits.

Andrea Calderone, Desirée Latella, Federica Impellizzeri, Paolo de Pasquale, Fausto Famà, Angelo Quartarone, Rocco Salvatore Calabrò