Effects of web-based mindfulness training on psychological outcomes, attention, and neuroplasticity.
María Guadalupe Mora Álvarez, Britta Karen Hölzel, Benno Bremer, Maximilian Wilhelm, Elena Hell, Ebru Ecem Tavacioglu, Kathrin Koch, Alyssa Torske
Scientific Reports December 19, 2023 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48706-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 118 |
| Population | Healthy, meditation-naïve adults |
| Interventions | Mindfulness meditation training Health training |
| Duration | 31-day intervention |
| Topics | Meditation Neuroplasticity |
| Citations | 19 |
| Key findings | Web-based mindfulness meditation training reduced stress and anxiety, improved overall reaction time, increased flow experience, and induced neuroplastic changes in brain regions related to attention and emotion regulation. |
Abstract
Mindfulness meditation training (MMT) reliably reduces stress and anxiety while also improving attention. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between MMT, stress and anxiety reduction, and its impact upon improvements in attention on the behavioral and neuronal levels. As a second aim, we sought to explore any relationship between MMT, attention, and modified states of mind such as flow. 118 healthy, meditation-naïve, participants were either assigned to a 31-day, web-based, MMT or an active control, health training (HT). Participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing the attention network test (ANT) to assess functional and behavioural attentional changes, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to assess microstructural neuronal changes and completed relevant questionnaires to explore changes in psychological outcomes. Results confirmed a reduction in perceived stress and anxiety levels in the MMT group and significant improvements in the overall reaction time during the ANT, albeit no specific effects on the attentional components were observed. No statistically significant changes were found in the HT group. Interestingly, a significant group-by-time interaction was seen in flow experience. Functional data exhibited an increased activity in the superior frontal gyrus, posterior cingulate cortex, and right hippocampus during the alerting condition of the ANT after the MMT; decreased stress and trait anxiety were significantly correlated with the activation in the right hippocampus, and increased flow was also significantly correlated with all the aforementioned areas. DTI data showed increased fractional anisotropy values in the right uncinate fasciculus indicating white matter microarchitecture improvement between the right hippocampus and frontal areas of the brain. This study, therefore, demonstrates the effectiveness of web-based MMT on overall well-being and attentional performance, while also providing insight into the relationship between psychological outcomes, attention, and neuroplastic changes.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on neuroplasticity, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Increased global integration in the brain after psilocybin therapy for depression. Patients with treatment-resistant depression and patients with major depressive disorder | 2022 | Open-label trial and double-blind phase II randomized controlled trial | |
| Cognitive-Affective Neural Plasticity following Active-Controlled Mindfulness Intervention Healthy human subjects | 2012 | Randomized controlled trial | |
| LSD-induced entropic brain activity predicts subsequent personality change. Healthy adults | 2016 | Balanced-order, placebo-controlled study | n = 19 |
| Effective connectivity changes in LSD-induced altered states of consciousness in humans. Healthy participants | 2019 | Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study | n = 25 |
| Dynamical exploration of the repertoire of brain networks at rest is modulated by psilocybin. | 2019 | Observational study with placebo session |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- Neurobiological Changes Induced by Mindfulness and Meditation: A Systematic Review. Biomedicines November 15, 2024
- Loving-Kindness Meditation: Systematic Review of Neuroimaging Correlates in Long-Term Practitioners and Clinical Implications. Brain and Behavior March 1, 2025
- The Impact of Morning Meditation and Sleep Quality on Affective and Health Outcomes in Healthcare Workers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health April 9, 2025
- The moderating role of mindfulness in the relationship between loneliness and depressive symptoms. Scientific Reports December 28, 2024
- Rumination and alexithymia serially mediate the relationship between mindfulness and anxiety symptoms in Chinese university students. Scientific Reports July 16, 2025
and 4 more in the library
Cites 42
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 1, 2009
- Mindfulness Interventions Annual Review of Psychology September 30, 2016
- Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences October 11, 2007
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
and 37 more in the library