Respond, don't react: The influence of mindfulness training on performance monitoring in older adults.
Cognitive, affective & behavioral neuroscience December 1, 2017 Colette M Smart, Sidney J Segalowitz
A randomized controlled trial tested whether mindfulness training improves performance monitoring in healthy older adults, a cognitive function that typically declines with age. Using event-related potentials, the study found that mindfulness participants showed an increased error-related negativity (ERN) response compared to an active control group, but no change in error positivity (Pe). Both groups reported reduced anxiety and less self-judgment of their mental functioning, suggesting subjective benefits from both interventions. The findings support the idea that mindfulness enhances self-regulatory processes, such as learning to respond rather than react, and demonstrate that such effects can be achieved in older adults.