Focused attention meditation training modifies neural activity and attention: longitudinal EEG data in non-meditators.
Kazuki Yoshida, Kenta Takeda, Tetsuko Kasai, Shiika Makinae, Yui Murakami, Ai Hasegawa, Shinya Sakai
Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience May 1, 2020 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa020 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Longitudinal study Cross-sectional Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 37 |
| Population | Non-meditators |
| Duration | 8 weeks |
| Measures | P3 amplitude, reaction time (RT), theta band phase synchrony index (PSI) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Brain Humans Electroencephalography Longitudinal studies Cross-sectional studies Attention Reaction time Adult Female EEG Training Phase synchrony |
| Key findings | After 8 weeks of focused attention meditation training, non-meditators showed significantly higher P3 amplitude during an oddball task and shorter reaction times for target stimuli compared with controls. Theta band phase synchrony during meditation correlated with P3 amplitude in the training group but not controls, which the authors present as evidence linking meditation practice to attentional brain activity. |
Abstract
Focused attention meditation (FAM) is a basic meditation practice that cultivates attentional control and monitoring skills. Cross-sectional studies have highlighted high cognitive performance and discriminative neural activity in experienced meditators. However, a direct relationship between neural activity changes and improvement of attention caused by meditation training remains to be elucidated. To investigate this, we conducted a longitudinal study, which evaluated the results of electroencephalography (EEG) during three-stimulus oddball task, resting state and FAM before and after 8 weeks of FAM training in non-meditators. The FAM training group (n = 17) showed significantly higher P3 amplitude during the oddball task and shorter reaction time (RT) for target stimuli compared to that of the control group (n = 20). Furthermore, a significant negative correlation between F4-Oz theta band phase synchrony index (PSI) during FAM and P3 amplitude during the oddball task and a significant positive correlation between F4-Pz theta band PSI during FAM and P3 amplitude during the oddball task were observed. In contrast, these correlations were not observed in the control group. These findings provide direct evidence of the effectiveness of FAM training and contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning the effects of meditation on brain activity and cognitive performance.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cited by 32
- A scoping review for building a criticality-based conceptual framework of altered states of consciousness Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience May 25, 2023
- Focused-Attention Meditation Improves Flow, Communication Skills, and Safety Attitudes of Surgeons International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health April 27, 2022
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Literature Review. Brain Sciences September 30, 2024
- Be more mindful: Targeting addictive responses by integrating mindfulness with cognitive bias modification or cue exposure interventions Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews September 25, 2023
- Religious and spiritual experiences from a neuroscientific and complex systems perspective. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews October 1, 2025
and 27 more in the library
Cites 20
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- 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
- Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 28, 2007
and 15 more in the library