Visual signals suppress Alpha Power Increases & Frequency Decreases before and after a Mindfulness Meditation Intervention for Problem Gambling
bioRxiv June 29, 2018 Kaili-Larissa Martin, Farah Jindani, N. Turner et al. preprint
Mindfulness meditation has been used effectively for over five years to treat problem gambling, but the neural mechanisms behind the improvements were unknown. Using resting-state electroencephalography, researchers measured changes in alpha oscillations before and after an eight-week mindfulness meditation intervention and a pre/post five-minute mindfulness meditation body scan in people with problem gambling. After the eight-week intervention, alpha power increased and alpha peak frequency decreased, while the opposite occurred after the brief body scan. The largest alpha rhythm changes were in the frontal and temporal lobes, areas involved in reward and sensory processing. These changes may reflect improved attentional control.