Mindfulness meditators show altered distributions of early and late neural activity markers of attention in a response inhibition task
Neil Wayne Bailey, Gabrielle Freedman, Kavya Raj, Caley M. Sullivan, Nigel C Rogasch, Sung Wook Chung, Kate E. Hoy, Richard Chambers, Craig Stephen Hassed, Nicholas T. van Dam, Thomas Koenig, Paul Bernard Fitzgerald
PLoS One August 6, 2019 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203096 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational case-control study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 62 |
| Population | 34 mindfulness meditators and 28 age- and gender-matched controls |
| Measures | P3 event-related potential, pre-C1 window positivity |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 56 |
| Key findings | Meditators were more accurate than controls on Go and Nogo trials of a response inhibition task and showed a more frontally distributed P3 to both trial types, suggesting greater frontal involvement in sustained attention rather than response inhibition specifically. They also showed increased right parietal positivity in the pre-C1 window. Both patterns related to better accuracy, which the authors suggest may reflect an increased capacity to modulate neural processes to meet task demands. |
Abstract
Attention is vital for optimal behavioural performance in every-day life. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to enhance attention. However, the components of attention altered by meditation and the related neural activities are underexplored. In particular, the contributions of inhibitory processes and sustained attention are not well understood. To address these points, 34 meditators were compared to 28 age and gender matched controls during electroencephalography (EEG) recordings of neural activity during a Go/Nogo response inhibition task. This task generates a P3 event related potential, which is related to response inhibition processes in Nogo trials, and attention processes across both trial types. Compared with controls, meditators were more accurate at responding to Go and Nogo trials. Meditators showed a more frontally distributed P3 to both Go and Nogo trials, suggesting more frontal involvement in sustained attention rather than activity specific to response inhibition. Unexpectedly, meditators also showed increased positivity over the right parietal cortex prior to visual information reaching the occipital cortex (during the pre-C1 window). Both results were positively related to increased accuracy across both groups. The results suggest that meditators show altered engagement of neural regions related to attention, including both higher order processes generated by frontal regions, and sensory anticipation processes generated by poster regions. This activity may reflect an increased capacity to modulate a range of neural processes in order to meet task requirements. This increased capacity may underlie the improved attentional function observed in mindfulness meditators.
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 18
- Interpretability of Spatiotemporal Dynamics of the Brain Processes Followed by Mindfulness Intervention in a Brain-Inspired Spiking Neural Network Architecture Sensors December 21, 2020
- Neural changes in early visual processing after 6 months of mindfulness training in older adults Scientific Reports December 3, 2020
- Loving-kindness and walking meditation with a robot: Countering negative mood by stimulating creativity International Journal of Human-Computer Studies July 8, 2023
- Uncovering a stability signature of brain dynamics associated with meditation experience using massive time-series feature extraction. Neural Networks March 1, 2024
- The Mindful Brain at Rest: Neural Oscillations and Aperiodic Activity in Experienced Meditators Mindfulness October 1, 2024
and 13 more in the library
Cites 26
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- What defines mindfulness-based programs? The warp and the weft Psychological Medicine December 29, 2016
and 21 more in the library