Effects of an online mindfulness-based intervention on brain haemodynamics: a pilot randomized controlled trial using functional near-infrared spectroscopy.
Cerebral Cortex August 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae321 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Cross-sectional Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 82 |
| Population | Healthy university students |
| Intervention | online mindfulness-based intervention |
| Duration | 12-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Hemodynamic response Oxygenated hemoglobin Prefrontal cortex Verbal fluency task |
| Key findings | A 12-week online mindfulness-based intervention significantly increased prefrontal cortex oxygenated hemoglobin signals during a verbal fluency task compared to a wait-list control, though effect sizes were small. |
Abstract
Although many neuroimaging studies have evaluated changes in the prefrontal cortex during mindfulness-based interventions, most of these studies were cross-sectional studies of skilled participants or involved pre-post comparisons before and after a single session. While functional near-infrared spectroscopy is a useful tool to capture changes in the hemodynamic response of the prefrontal cortex during continuous mindfulness-based intervention, its ability to detect the accumulated effects of continuous mindfulness-based intervention is currently unclear. We investigated whether a 12-wk online mindfulness-based intervention changed the hemodynamic response of the prefrontal cortex during a verbal fluency task. Eighty-two healthy university students were randomly allocated to a 12-wk online mindfulness-based intervention group or a wait-list control group. The integral values of oxygenated hemoglobin measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy before and after the intervention were compared to the values in the wait-list group. The intervention condition showed significantly greater functional near-infrared spectroscopy signal activation than the control condition; however, the effect sizes before and after the intervention were small. Thus, continuous mindfulness-based intervention could alter prefrontal cortex function, and functional near-infrared spectroscopy could be useful for measuring the accumulated effects of continuous mindfulness-based interventions. With a better understanding of the association between mindfulness and functional near-infrared spectroscopy signals, functional near-infrared spectroscopy can be used for biofeedback analyses.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Effectiveness of Neurofeedback-Assisted and Conventional 6-Week Web-Based Mindfulness Interventions on Mental Health of Chinese Nursing Students: Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research May 23, 2025
- Discussion on the Application of Mindfulness Therapy in the Treatment of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Narrative Review Psychology Research and Behavior Management August 1, 2025
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- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
and 20 more in the library