Figure 7.

The relationship between group-manipulation-induced changes in pain ratings and brain activation during noxious stimulation. A, Top, Mindfulness meditation (meditation + heat) produced greater activation in the bilateral anterior insula, bilateral inferior (I) frontal gyrus, and the nose representation of the right SI and primary motor cortex (MI). Mindfulness meditation produced deactivation of the mPFC and PCC compared with pre-manipulation. Mindfulness-meditation-related decreases in pain intensity ratings were associated with greater activation in the bilateral OFC, subgenual ACC, right anterior insula, and putamen. Greater deactivation of the left inferior parietal lobe was associated with greater pain intensity reductions. Meditation-induced reductions in pain unpleasantness ratings were associated with greater activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus and frontal operculum. B, Bottom left, Placebo (placebo + heat) reduced pain-related activation in the bilateral frontal operculum, SII, posterior insula, and right inferior frontal gyrus. Placebo activated the ACC and DLPFC. Placebo-induced pain intensity reductions were associated with greater deactivation in the contralateral SII/parietal operculum. C, Bottom right, Sham mindfulness meditation (sham meditation + heat) produced deactivation of the ACC. Compared with pre-manipulation, there was greater sham mindfulness-meditation-related activation in the thalamus, SMA, right SI, and putamen.