Data_Sheet_1_Brain Energy Metabolism in Two States of Mind Measured by Phosphorous Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.PDF

Introduction: Various functional neuroimaging studies help to better understand the changes in brain activity during meditation. The purpose of this study was to investigate how brain energy metabolism changes during focused attention meditation (FAM) state, measured by phosphorous magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS).
Methods:31P-MRS imaging was carried out in 27 participants after 7 weeks of FAM training. Metabolite ratios and the absolute values of metabolites were assessed after meditation training in two MRI measurements, by comparing effects in a FAM state with those in a distinct focused attention awake state during a backwards counting task.
Results: The results showed decreased phosphocreatine/ATP (PCr/ATP), PCr/ inorganic phosphate (Pi), and intracellular pH values in the entire brain, but especially in basal ganglia, frontal lobes, and occipital lobes, and increased Pi/ATP ratio, cerebral Mg, and Pi absolute values were found in the same areas during FAM compared to the control focused attention awake state.
Conclusions: Changes in the temporal areas and basal ganglia may be interpreted as a higher energetic state induced by meditation, whereas the frontal and occipital areas showed changes that may be related to a down-regulation in ATP turnover, energy state, and oxidative capacity.

引言：多项功能神经影像学（functional neuroimaging）研究有助于更深入地理解冥想过程中脑活动的变化。本研究旨在通过磷磁共振波谱（phosphorous magnetic resonance spectroscopy, 31P-MRS）技术，探究专注注意力冥想（focused attention meditation, FAM）状态下的脑能量代谢变化情况。
方法：本研究对27名接受7周FAM训练的受试者开展了31P-MRS成像检测。在两次磁共振成像检测中，研究人员通过对比受试者处于FAM状态与反向计数任务下的清醒专注注意力状态时的检测结果，评估了代谢物比值及代谢物绝对含量。
结果：与对照组清醒专注注意力状态相比，FAM状态下全脑范围内的磷酸肌酸/三磷酸腺苷（PCr/ATP）、磷酸肌酸/无机磷酸（PCr/Pi）及细胞内pH值均出现下降，其中以基底神经节、额叶及枕叶尤为显著；同时上述脑区的Pi/ATP比值、脑内镁离子含量及Pi绝对含量均有所升高。
结论：颞叶与基底神经节的代谢变化可被解读为冥想诱导的高能量状态；而额叶与枕叶的代谢变化则可能与ATP转换率、能量状态及氧化能力的下调相关。