Using EEG to advance mindfulness science: A survey of emerging methods and approaches
Yanli Lin, Daniel Andrew Atad, Anthony P Zanesco
June 27, 2024 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/v3ny8_v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Electroencephalography Data science Cognitive psychology Psychotherapist |
| Key findings | EEG remains a uniquely valuable methodology for studying the neural mechanisms of mindfulness, especially when combined with modern analytic approaches. |
Abstract
Throughout the brief history of contemplative neuroscience, electroencephalography (EEG) has been a valuable and enduring methodology used to elucidate the neural correlates and mechanisms of mindfulness. Yet despite its longevity and demonstrated utility, EEG has been increasingly overlooked in favor of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and other newer neuroscience methods. In this review article, we provide a reminder that old does not equal obsolete, and that EEG continues to offer exceptional promise for addressing key questions and challenges that pervade the field today. Toward this end, we outline the unique advantages of EEG from a research strategy and experimental design perspective, before highlighting an array of new sophisticated data acquisition and analytic approaches. Along the way, we provide illustrative examples from our own work and the broader literature to showcase how these innovations can be leveraged to spark new insights and stimulate progress across both basic science and translational applications of mindfulness. Ultimately, we argue that EEG still has much to contribute to contemplative neuroscience, and hope to solicit the interest of other investigators to make full use of its capabilities in service of maximizing its potential within the field.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |