Abstract Objectives Mindfulness meditation has been linked to differences in attention and executive function, which may be related to differences in neural activity patterns. To explore this, we used an electroencephalography (EEG)-based event-related potential (ERP) paradigm to examine brain responses associated with conflict monitoring and attention in experienced meditators, compared to...
Objective: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) show promise in managing chronic pain but often require substantial time commitments, leading to high attrition and concerns about acceptability. This meta-analysis evaluated attrition rates in MBIs for chronic pain and examined moderators contributing to participant withdrawal. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched relevant...
Across contemplative traditions, depper states of meditation are described as states of heightened clarity, vividness, and stillness of mind, yet what this clarity corresponds to in the brain has remained difficult to specify. The functional signal-to-noise ratio (f-SNR) framework frames mental clarity as a measurable property of neural signals: the degree to which brain activity tracks the...
Australia’s reclassification of psilocybin as a Schedule 8 substance for treatment-resistant depression represents a significant shift in psychiatric policy. While this regulatory change positions Australia as a global leader in psychedelic medicine, its implementation has revealed substantial challenges. This article critically examines the regulatory, ethical and operational complexities...
Ketamine has emerged as a rapid-acting intervention for treatment-resistant psychiatric disorders, generating both enthusiasm and unease. While evidence demonstrates robust antidepressant, anxiolytic and anti-suicidal effects, ketamine also carries risks, including dissociation, dependence and uncertain long-term safety. Its reputation as a recreational drug further complicates clinical...
Mindfulness meditation involves training attention, commonly toward sensory experiences, with nonjudgmental awareness. Theoretical perspectives propose that meditation increases the precision of sensory processing and reduces the generation/elaboration of top-down expectations. Research suggests forward traveling cortical alpha waves may reflect bottom-up inhibition to enhance signal-to-noise...
Abstract Objective Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) show promise in managing chronic pain but often require substantial time commitments, leading to high attrition rates and concerns about acceptability. This meta-analysis evaluated attrition rates in MBIs for chronic pain and explored factors contributing to participant withdrawal. Methods Following PRISMA guidelines, 44 studies (45...
medRxivMay 29, 2025Paul B. Fitzgerald, Sara Webb, Nigel Christopher Denning et al.2 citations
preprint
Abstract Objective Despite many decades of experimental studies and clinical trials involving a variety of psychedelic agents, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of the effects of these substances on psychological experiences. As such, we designed and conducted a study to comprehensively characterise the effects of both psilocybin and 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on a range...
Abstract Objective The dynamic impact of chronic pain on attention can lead to impairments in overall cognitive functioning. Mindfulness is a practice often adopted for pain management that includes elements of attention training. It is thought to improve the experiential acceptance of pain, thus reducing pain-sensitivity and pain-related attentional biases. The aim of this study was to examine...
Abstract Objectives Mindfulness meditation is associated with functional brain changes in regions subserving higher order cognitive processes such as attention. However, no research to date has probed these areas in meditators using combined transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalography (EEG). This study aimed to investigate whether cortical reactivity to TMS differs in a...
Introduction: Psilocybin, a classical psychedelic, has been rescheduled for use in psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression in Australia. While evidence for its use is promising, understanding the associated risks is crucial. Accordingly, this review aims to collate adverse event data from psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy clinical trials and evaluate its definition,...
Abstract Objectives Previous research has demonstrated that mindfulness meditation is associated with a variety of benefits, including improved mental health. Researchers have suggested these benefits may be underpinned by differences in neural oscillations. However, previous studies measuring neural oscillations have not controlled for non-oscillatory neural activity, the power spectrum of...
Previous research has examined resting electroencephalographic (EEG) data to explore brain activity related to meditation. However, previous research has mostly examined power in different frequency bands. The practical objective of this study was to comprehensively test whether other types of time-series analysis methods are better suited to characterize brain activity related to meditation....
AbstractRecently, the largest test of a school-based mindfulness programme to date, the My Resilience In Adolescence (MYRIAD) trial, found that participating in weekly mindfulness lessons did not improve students’ well-being compared to teaching as usual, with low uptake of recommended home mindfulness practice. One potential explanation for the null result and low uptake is that adolescents...
Abstract Objective Mindfulness meditation is associated with functional brain changes in regions subserving higher order cognitive processes such as attention. However, no research to date has causally probed these areas in meditators using combined transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalography (EEG). This study aimed to investigate whether cortical reactivity to TMS...
Objectives Mindfulness meditation is associated with better attention function. Performance monitoring and error-processing are important aspects of attention. We investigated whether experienced meditators showed different neural activity related to performance monitoring and error-processing. Previous research has produced inconsistent results. This study used more rigorous analyses and a...
Abstract Objectives Long-term meditation practice affects the brain’s ability to sustain attention. However, how this occurs is not well understood. Electroencephalography (EEG) studies have found that during dichotic oddball listening tasks, experienced meditators displayed altered attention-related neural markers including theta phase synchronisation (TPS) and event-related potentials (ERP;...
Mindfulness meditation may improve attention and self-regulation. One component of attention and self-regulation that may allow these improvements is performance monitoring. Neural correlates of performance monitoring can be objectively measured with electroencephalogram (EEG) via the error related negativity (ERN) and error positivity (Pe). Previous research assessing the ERN and Pe in...
Meditation and spiritual practices are conceptually similar, eliciting similar subjective experiences, and both appear to provide similar benefits to the practicing individuals. However, no research has examined whether the mechanism of action leading to the beneficial effects is similar in both practices. This review examines the neuroimaging research that has focused on groups of meditating...