Use of EEG to investigate the functional connectivity of meditation practitioners

• Grant number: 23/00983-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2023
• End date: April 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Gabriela Castellano
• Grantee: Amanda Ricciotti Vasconcelos Nunes
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin (IFGW). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07559-3 - BRAINN - The Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, AP.CEPID

Abstract

Electroencephalography (EEG) is one of the oldest techniques used to study brain dynamics. Given its characteristics, such as high temporal resolution and relatively low cost, in addition to the absence of noise (compared to an MRI scanner), it has been used to study the neural correlates of meditation, a practice that has been attracting interest for clinical and psychotherapeutic use. However, works that used EEG in this context have been based on the individual analysis of brain signals from different regions. The objective of the present project is to use measures of functional connectivity, obtained from EEG data, to try to evaluate possible differences between the brain activity of meditators and non-practitioners, and also to investigate whether different types of meditation practices can be distinguished using these measures. For this, a functional connectivity method called motifs' synchronization will be used, applied to a database available in the OpenNeuro repository. This project will be executed within the scope of CEPID BRAINN (Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology) of FAPESP, whose objective is to carry out basic and clinical research in neuroscience, and to develop technologies that can help in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of neurological diseases.