Spiking neural network modelling approach reveals how mindfulness training rewires the brain

Doborjeh, Z, Doborjeh, M, Taylor, T, Kasabov, N, Wang, GY, Siegert, R and Sumich, A ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4333-8442, 2019. Spiking neural network modelling approach reveals how mindfulness training rewires the brain. Scientific Reports, 9: 6367. ISSN 2045-2322

[thumbnail of 13796_a1464_Sumich.pdf]
Preview
Text
13796_a1464_Sumich.pdf - Published version

Download (13MB) | Preview

Abstract

There has been substantial interest in Mindfulness Training (MT) to understand how it can benefit healthy individuals as well as people with a broad range of health conditions. Research has begun to delineate associated changes in brain function. However, whether measures of brain function can be used to identify individuals who are more likely to respond to MT remains unclear. The present study applies a recently developed brain-inspired Spiking Neural Network (SNN) model to electroencephalography (EEG) data to provide novel insight into: i) brain function in depression; ii) the effect of MT on depressed and non-depressed individuals; and iii) neurobiological characteristics of depressed individuals who respond to mindfulness. Resting state EEG was recorded from before and after a 6 week MT programme in 18 participants. Based on self-report, 3 groups were formed: non-depressed (ND), depressed before but not after MT (responsive, D+) and depressed both before and after MT (unresponsive, D-). The proposed SNN, which utilises a standard brain-template, was used to model EEG data and assess connectivity, as indicated by activation levels across scalp regions (frontal, frontocentral, temporal, centroparietal and occipitoparietal), at baseline and follow-up. Results suggest an increase in activation following MT that was site-specific as a function of the group. Greater initial activation levels were seen in ND compared to depressed groups, and this difference was maintained at frontal and occipitoparietal regions following MT. At baseline, D+ had great activation than D-. Following MT, frontocentral and temporal activation reached ND levels in D+ but remained low in D-. Findings support the SNN approach in distinguishing brain states associated with depression and responsiveness to MT. The results also demonstrated that the SNN approach can be used to predict the effect of mindfulness on an individual basis before it is even applied.

Item Type: Journal article
Publication Title: Scientific Reports
Creators: Doborjeh, Z., Doborjeh, M., Taylor, T., Kasabov, N., Wang, G.Y., Siegert, R. and Sumich, A.
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
Date: 23 April 2019
Volume: 9
ISSN: 2045-2322
Identifiers:
Number
Type
10.1038/s41598-019-42863-x
DOI
Divisions: Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by: Jonathan Gallacher
Date Added: 18 Apr 2019 08:57
Last Modified: 29 Apr 2019 09:36
URI: https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/36328

Actions (login required)

Edit View Edit View

Statistics

Views

Views per month over past year

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year