Mood repair in long-term meditators is predicted by rsfMRI functional connectivity of the insula and correlates with FA of the uncinate fasciculus

We used rsfMRI and diffusion imaging to study functional and structural brain changes underlying the psychological trait mood repair in long-term meditators. Results of connectome-based predictive modeling showed that measured “mood repair†scores in meditators could be successfully predicted from rsfMRI data during meditation. The highest degree node in the underlying network was in the anterior ventral insula. Diffusion imaging data further revealed a role of the uncinate fasciculus in the mood repair trait in meditators. The uncinate fasciculus is part of the limbic network, connecting anterior temporal lobe with the inferior prefrontal cortex.