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Closed-loop digital meditation for neurocognitive and behavioral development in adolescents with childhood neglect.

Jyoti Mishra, Rajesh Sagar, Sana Parveen, Senthil Kumaran, Kiran Modi, Vojislav Maric, David A Ziegler, Adam Gazzaley

Translational Psychiatry May 18, 2020 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0820-z (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Double-blind randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed
Population Adolescents with childhood neglect
Intervention closed-loop digital meditation
Duration 1-year follow-up
Topics Meditation
Key findings Closed-loop digital meditation strengthened dorsal anterior cingulate cortex functional connectivity in adolescents with childhood neglect and improved sustained attention, interference resolution, and academic performance while reducing hyperactivity at one-year follow-up; connectivity changes correlated with these improvements.

Abstract

Adverse childhood experiences are linked to poor attentive behaviors during adolescence, as well as increased risk for mental health disorders in adults. However, no study has yet tested targeted interventions to optimize neurocognitive processes in this population. Here, we investigated closed-loop digital interventions in a double-blind randomized controlled study in adolescents with childhood neglect, and evaluated the outcomes using multimodal assessments of neuroimaging, cognitive, behavioral, and academic evaluations. In the primary neuroimaging results, we demonstrate that a closed-loop digital meditation intervention can strengthen functional connectivity of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) in the cingulo-opercular network, which is critically developing during the adolescent period. Second, this intervention enhanced sustained attention and interference-resolution abilities, and also reduced behavioral hyperactivity at a 1-year follow-up. Superior academic performance was additionally observed in adolescents who underwent the digital meditation intervention. Finally, changes in dACC functional connectivity significantly correlated with improvements in sustained attention, hyperactivity, and academic performance. This first study demonstrates that closed-loop digital meditation practice can facilitate development of important aspects of neurocognition and real-life behaviors in adolescents with early childhood neglect.

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

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