Increases in Theta Oscillatory Activity During Episodic Memory Retrieval Following Mindfulness Meditation Training
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience September 4, 2019 E. Nyhus, W. Engel, Tomas Donatelli Pitfield et al.
Four weeks of mindfulness meditation training improved the ability to remember the context in which information was learned (source memory) and increased theta brainwave activity in frontal and parietal regions. Participants who practiced mindfulness meditation showed greater improvements on a memory task and reported higher mindfulness scores after training compared to a waitlist group. Theta oscillations, which are linked to memory retrieval, increased in right frontal and left parietal channels, and changes in mindfulness scores correlated with changes in theta activity in right frontal channels. The findings suggest mindfulness meditation enhances episodic memory retrieval and associated neural oscillations.