Quantitative EEG Changes in Youth With ASD Following Brief Mindfulness Meditation Exercise
Busra T. Susam, Nathan T Riek, Kelly B. Beck, Safaa Eldeeb, C. Hudac, P. Gable, Caitlin M Conner, Murat Akcakaya, S. White, Carla A. Mazefsky
IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering August 17, 2022 DOI: 10.1109/tnsre.2022.3199151 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Within-subjects experimental design with pre-post measurement Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 35 |
| Population | Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Duration | Brief mindfulness meditation exercise (duration not specified) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | A machine learning classifier using EEG features from frontal and temporal channels separated resting states before and after a mindfulness meditation exercise with 80.76% accuracy in youth with ASD. |
Abstract
Mindfulness has growing empirical support for improving emotion regulation in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Mindfulness is cultivated through meditation practices. Assessing the role of mindfulness in improving emotion regulation is challenging given the reliance on self-report tools. Electroencephalography (EEG) has successfully quantified neural responses to emotional arousal and meditation in other populations, making it ideal to objectively measure neural responses before and after mindfulness (MF) practice among individuals with ASD. We performed an EEG-based analysis during a resting state paradigm in 35 youth with ASD. Specifically, we developed a machine learning classifier and a feature and channel selection approach that separates resting states preceding (Pre-MF) and following (Post-MF) a mindfulness meditation exercise within participants. Across individuals, frontal and temporal channels were most informative. Total power in the beta band (16–30 Hz), Total power (4–30 Hz), relative power in alpha band (8–12 Hz) were the most informative EEG features. A classifier using a non-linear combination of selected EEG features from selected channel locations separated Pre-MF and Post-MF resting states with an average accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 80.76%, 78.24%, and 82.14% respectively. Finally, we validated that separation between Pre-MF and Post-MF is due to the MF prime rather than linear-temporal drift. This work underscores machine learning as a critical tool for separating distinct resting states within youth with ASD and will enable better classification of underlying neural responses following brief MF meditation.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Neurobehavioural Correlates of Breath Meditation in Novice Adolescents: Insights from Anapanasati-based Paradigm. Annals of Neurosciences April 2, 2025
- The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Therapy in Improving Well-Being: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Systematic Literature Review Jurnal Obsesi Jurnal Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini December 7, 2025
- Meditative State Classification Using Neuronal Multi-IMF Band Power and Complexity Features National Conference on Communications February 23, 2023
Cites 6
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- A systematic review of the neurophysiology of mindfulness on EEG oscillations Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 2015
- Quantitative change of EEG and respiration signals during mindfulness meditation Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation May 14, 2014
- Increases in Theta Oscillatory Activity During Episodic Memory Retrieval Following Mindfulness Meditation Training Frontiers in Human Neuroscience September 4, 2019
- Measuring Mindfulness: A Psychophysiological Approach. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2018
and 1 more in the library