Mindfulness and dynamic functional neural connectivity in children and adolescents.
Behavioural Brain Research January 15, 2018 Hilary A Marusak, Farrah Elrahal, Craig A Peters et al.
In children and adolescents aged 6-17, trait mindfulness is linked to dynamic, time-varying patterns of brain connectivity rather than to static connectivity. More mindful youth transitioned more frequently between different brain states, spent less time in a particular connectivity state, and showed reduced connectivity between salience/emotion and central executive networks in one state. The number of state transitions mediated the link between higher mindfulness and lower anxiety, suggesting a neural mechanism for mindfulness benefits on psychological health in youth.