SynthesisBrain and behavior2025
Loving-Kindness Meditation: Systematic Review of Neuroimaging Correlates in Long-Term Practitioners and Clinical Implications.
Synthesis in Brain and behavior, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Frequent loving kindness meditation relates to lower anxiety in long term practitioners through higher self compassion and cognitive flexibility.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Therapeutic modulation of empathy: pharmacological, neurostimulation, and behavioral approaches.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionLoving-kindness meditation (LKM), a meditation type focused on nurturing love and compassion for oneself and others, has been shown to provide mental health benefits, and LKM interventions are being investigated for mental disorders. The benefits of long-term practice, such as increased self-compassion, greater cognitive and affective empathy, and prosocial behavior, are proposed to be due to neuroplastic changes that support well-being. This systematic review aims to summarize the differences in brain structure and function in long-term practitioners (LTPs) of LKM versus controls to identify possible underlying mechanisms that support mental health and drive treatment effect.
methodsThe literature search included Google Scholar, PubMed, and APA PsycINFO from inception through November 13, 2023.
resultsAfter review, five studies (64 LTPs and 67 controls total) were included. Brain regions with between-group differences reported in at least two studies include the superior parietal lobe, inferior frontal gyrus, medial frontal lobe, and insular cortex.
conclusionThese areas are responsible for self-compassion, cognitive and affective empathy, and prosociality-personal qualities believed to be fostered through LKM practice. Longitudinal neuroimaging and neurophysiological studies incorporating LKM interventions for specific mental disorders are needed to further inform the biological basis of these treatments and may provide surrogate outcome measures for future clinical trials to refine this promising treatment modality.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.