A preliminary neuroimaging investigation of the effects of mindfulness training on attention reorienting and amygdala reactivity to emotional faces in adolescent and adult females.
Iroise Dumontheil, Kristen E. Lyons, Tamara A Russell, Philip David Zelazo
Journal of adolescence 2023 DOI: 10.1002/jad.12107 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 43 |
| Population | Female adolescents (12-14 years) and female adults (23-33 years) in the United Kingdom |
| Interventions | Mindfulness meditation Relaxation training |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Cognitive control Development Emotional reactivity Neuroimaging |
| Key findings | Mindfulness training increased speed of reorienting attention across age groups and reduced left amygdala reactivity to emotional face distractors in adolescents only. |
Abstract
Adolescence is a time of increased emotional reactivity and improving cognitive control. Mindfulness meditation training may foster adolescents' cognitive control and emotional regulation skills; however little is known about the impact of mindfulness training in adolescents compared to adults. We examined the effect of mindfulness meditation versus a closely matched active control condition (relaxation training) on behavioral and neural measures of cognitive control and emotional reactivity in a small group of adolescents and adults. Structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected before and after 8 weeks of training in 26 adolescent (12-14 years) and 17 adult (23-33 years) female participants in the United Kingdom while they completed an n-back task with emotional face distractors and an attentional control task. Participants of each group chose a class date/time and the classes were then randomly allocated to mindfulness or relaxation conditions. Compared to relaxation training, mindfulness training led to an increase in the speed of reorienting attention across age groups. In addition, there was preliminary evidence for reduced amygdala response to emotional face distractors in adolescents after mindfulness training. An 8-week mindfulness program showed similar facilitative effects in adolescent and adult females on the reorienting of attention, a skill that is repeatedly practiced during mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness also reduced left amygdala reactivity to emotional face distractors in adolescents only. Mindfulness meditation practice can therefore have a facilitative effect on female adolescents' attentional control, and possibly attenuate their emotional reactivity.
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 5
- Strong Mind, Strong Body: The Promise of Mind-Body Interventions to Address Growing Mental Health Needs Among Youth. Mental health science June 1, 2023
- Examining Attention Control in Pre-service EFL Teachers: Effects of A Mindfulness-Based Intervention Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Education June 25, 2026
- The effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on non-suicidal self-injury in hospitalized adolescents with depressive disorders: a randomized controlled trial Psychological Medicine 2026
- Mindfulness training enhances face working memory: evidence from the drift-diffusion model npj Science of Learning December 9, 2025
- Dispositional mindfulness: Dissociable affective and cognitive processes. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review February 1, 2024
Cites 13
- A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation training: Effects on distress, positive states of mind, rumination, and distraction Annals of Behavioral Medicine February 1, 2007
- Mental Training Affects Distribution of Limited Brain Resources PLoS Biology May 4, 2007
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction for the treatment of adolescent psychiatric outpatients: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2009
- Minding one’s emotions: Mindfulness training alters the neural expression of sadness. Emotion February 1, 2010
- Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology Annual Review of Clinical Psychology December 11, 2018
and 8 more in the library