How the "Reward System" in the Brain Quietly Affects Us and What Mindfulness Can Do

Imagine you're playing a video game, intensely racing to the next level. But you're not just focused on the game; you're also thinking about the snack you're going to have next or reflecting on what happened earlier in the morning. Your brain is all over the place, right? Now, imagine mindfulness as pressing the "pause" button, removing the noise of those thoughts. It helps you focus better, fully immerse yourself in the game, and avoid distractions.

Scientists are now uncovering how this mindfulness button impacts the "reward system" in our brain—this part of the brain that creates pleasure when experiencing enjoyment, like when eating chocolate or receiving compliments. This process influences our ability to focus and control our thoughts.

Today's article highlights a key research study: "Short-term mindfulness practice attenuates reward prediction error signals in the brain" by Kirk and Pagnoni (2018).

First, let's take a look at how the reward system works in the brain. Imagine there's a special area in your brain that loves feeling good. It's like a little happiness center, and it gets excited whenever you do something that makes you happy. This area is called the reward system.

Whenever you do something pleasurable, like eating delicious food, spending time with friends, or achieving a goal, your brain releases a special chemical called dopamine. Dopamine is like a signal that says, "This feels good, do it again!" It makes you want to repeat those pleasurable activities because they make you feel happy. The reward system works like your brain's internal motivator. It encourages you to do things that are beneficial, like learning new things, exercising, and connecting with others. It also helps you learn by associating good feelings with certain actions, making it more likely that you'll do them again in the future.

It may sound simple, but the brain's reward system is complex. It motivates us to engage in behaviors that are essential for survival and well-being. This system plays a crucial role in shaping our actions, influencing our decisions, and driving our motivation.

Food Cravings

For most people, the balance between healthy eating and enjoyment is an ongoing struggle. Food cravings are intense desires for specific foods, usually those high in sugar, fat, or salt. Unlike regular hunger, which is a physiological need for energy, food cravings are driven by the brain's reward system.

When we eat delicious foods, our brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and motivation. This creates a sense of satisfaction and strengthens our desire to eat those foods again. Over time, these cravings can intensify, leading to a cycle of desire and consumption.

Addiction

Addiction is a complex brain disorder that disrupts the delicate balance of the brain's reward system, leading to compulsive behavior. When individuals engage in addictive substances or behaviors like drugs, gambling, or shopping, their brain releases a surge of dopamine. This initial dopamine rush creates a powerful feeling of euphoria and reinforces addictive behaviors.

However, as the brain adapts to this continuous flood of dopamine, it becomes less responsive to natural rewards, reducing the pleasure of everyday activities. This decreased sensitivity to natural rewards further intensifies dependence on addictive substances or behaviors, creating a vicious cycle. When deprived of the addictive substance or behavior, the brain experiences withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, irritability, and physical discomfort. These withdrawal symptoms further fuel cravings, making it incredibly difficult to break free from addiction. Addiction involves a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and environmental factors, and its impact on the reward system can lead to lasting changes in brain function.

Additionally, the brain's reward system, driven by the release of dopamine, plays a critical role in motivating us to achieve, succeed, learn, explore, and engage in positive social activities. It reinforces behaviors that lead to positive outcomes, making us feel satisfied and encouraging us to repeat those behaviors.

The Balance of the Reward System

Clearly, the reward system in our brain doesn't inherently distinguish between good and bad rewarding behaviors. The balance of this system is often disrupted by our own actions, leading to negative outcomes. We need to consciously train our reward system.

The researchers in this article found that mindfulness practice can reduce the brain's sensitivity to reward prediction errors, meaning mindfulness helps us interact with rewards and expectations in a more balanced and less excessive way, thus regulating our reward system and behavior.

Reward Prediction Errors

Suppose you're excited about a snack, but when it's presented, it doesn’t taste as good as you expected. You might feel disappointed. This is what’s known as a "reward prediction error." Your brain set high expectations, and when reality falls short, a feeling of disappointment arises.

In this study, the researchers discovered that mindfulness training reduces the brain's response to these disappointing moments—especially when rewards don't meet expectations. This was observed in both primary rewards (like juice) and secondary rewards (like money). So, let's say you expect your juice to taste very sweet, but it doesn't. Mindfulness training helps you care less about the imperfect outcome. This “regulation” response seems to be a key effect of mindfulness.

Additionally, mindfulness made our brain's response in the shell nucleus (a "reward processing center") more moderate. The shell nucleus lights up when something good happens (like receiving compliments or tasting something delicious). It's like the "gold star" system in the brain. In this study, mindfulness training calmed the shell nucleus's response to rewards. This means the brain's reaction to rewards becomes less intense or "overexcited," which may explain why mindfulness makes people feel more balanced, less fixated on rewards. For example, if you're eagerly anticipating a paycheck (secondary reward—money) or a glass of juice (primary reward), mindfulness helps people stay calm, enjoying the moment without being driven by the craving for a reward.

The Role of the Insula

Furthermore, the insula helps us focus on bodily sensations. It's the part of the brain involved in perceiving hunger, pain, or relaxation. If you're eating a meal, the insula helps you sense the satisfaction or enjoyment of food. The study found that in the mindfulness training group, the posterior insula became more active, especially when they experienced primary rewards (like juice). This increased activity was more pronounced compared to the control group. This means mindfulness helps participants pay more attention to the sensations of reward. When you're savoring your favorite juice, you're more aware of the taste, the feeling in your mouth, and the refreshing sensation.

Measuring Brain Changes

If you're curious about how they measured these changes, researchers used fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)—a high-tech scanning tool that shows the active regions of the brain when doing certain activities. These scans helped them observe how mindfulness training impacted the brain's response to juice (primary reward) and money (secondary reward). They also used the FFMQ (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire) to gather data on mindfulness levels. The mindfulness training group showed significantly higher FFMQ scores after training.

Specific Findings:

Increased MCC-PCC Connectivity: The midcingulate cortex (MCC) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) are part of different brain networks. MCC is part of the salience network (SN), helping us perceive important external stimuli, while PCC is part of the default mode network (DMN), which is active during rest. Mindfulness seems to increase the connectivity between these two regions, suggesting it helps connect inner awareness (about our body and mind) with external awareness (about the surrounding environment).

No Change in FPCN-DMN Connectivity: The fronto-parietal control network (FPCN) helps us make decisions and exert cognitive control. The study found no changes in the connectivity between FPCN and DMN, which might mean mindfulness doesn’t directly alter cognitive control systems. Instead, it may work through different networks, such as MCC and PCC.

Interaction Between DMN, SN, and FPCN: These three networks—DMN, SN, and FPCN—are believed to play a role in regulating stimulus-independent thoughts (SIT). DMN is associated with internal thoughts (like inner dialogue), SN helps us detect significant external stimuli, and FPCN is responsible for cognitive control. Mindfulness may assist self-regulation by altering the interaction between these networks, helping us focus better and manage our thoughts and emotions.

Mindfulness and Meta-awareness: The increase in connectivity between MCC and PCC may support meta-awareness—the ability to observe our thought and emotional patterns without being overwhelmed by them. Mindfulness increases this connection, allowing us to become an observer of our thought processes rather than being controlled by them.

Implications for Addiction:

These findings offer important insights into food addiction and more severe addictions. Addiction is often linked to heightened sensitivity to reward prediction errors, which drives compulsive drug-seeking behavior. By reducing these prediction errors, mindfulness training may weaken the connection between expected rewards and drug use, reducing cravings and the likelihood of relapse.

In conclusion, this research suggests that mindfulness helps maintain balance in the brain, focusing on the present moment without overreliance on outcomes. Researchers believe mindfulness may reduce unrealistic expectations of rewards, helping us enjoy things more. It also emphasizes how mindfulness can make us more attuned to bodily sensations, allowing us to experience rewards more deeply. So, the next time you savor your favorite snack, pause to appreciate the flavor, and notice how mindfulness can provide a whole new level of enjoyment.

Mindfulness is not just a "nice-to-have" tool—it's a brain training superpower that helps you stay in the moment, balance your expectations, and fully enjoy the small rewards life offers. This study also impacts our understanding of addiction, as it can help reduce cravings for rewards and encourage healthier ways of rewarding oneself.

So, take a moment to pause and appreciate what's in front of you—your brain will thank you for it!