No meditation-related changes in the auditory N1 during first-time meditation.
L J Barnes, G M McArthur, B A Biedermann, P De Lissa, V Polito, N A Badcock
International Journal of Psychophysiology March 6, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.03.003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | First-time meditators (and long-term meditators referenced from prior work) |
| Intervention | Meditation |
| Measures | N1 event-related potential (ERP) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Electroencephalography Acoustic stimulation Bayes theorem Negotiating Attention Evoked potentials Time factors Adolescent Middle aged Female Young adult Event-related potentials N100 |
| Key findings | The authors argue that the smaller N1 ERP during meditation versus non-meditation in first-time meditators is explained by the order of conditions rather than by meditation itself, and that extended exposure to the same tones may account for the N1 decrement. They conclude that meditation and non-meditation conditions should be counterbalanced in ERP meditation studies. |
Abstract
Recent studies link meditation expertise with enhanced low-level attention, measured through auditory event-related potentials (ERPs). In this study, we tested the reliability and validity of a recent finding that the N1 ERP in first-time meditators is smaller during meditation than non-meditation - an effect not present in long-term meditators. In the first experiment, we replicated the finding in first-time meditators. In two subsequent experiments, we discovered that this finding was not due to stimulus-related instructions, but was explained by an effect of the order of conditions. Extended exposure to the same tones has been linked with N1 decrement in other studies, and may explain N1 decrement across our two conditions. We give examples of existing meditation and ERP studies that may include similar condition order effects. The role of condition order among first-time meditators in this study indicates the importance of counterbalancing meditation and non-mediation conditions in meditation studies that use event-related potentials.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Investigating the effects of focused attention (mantra) meditation on mismatch negativity: Insights into sensory and cognitive processing using an intensity oddball paradigm. Neuroscience April 6, 2025
- Traditional Buddhist meditations reduce mismatch negativity in experienced monk- practitioners. International Journal of Psychophysiology November 1, 2022
- No effect of focused attention and open monitoring meditation on EEG auditory mismatch negativity in expert and novice practitioners. International Journal of Psychophysiology March 28, 2022
- A Critical Analysis on Characterizing the Meditation Experience Through the Electroencephalogram Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience August 7, 2020
Cites 15
- The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin May 14, 2012
- Intensive meditation training improves perceptual discrimination and sustained attention. Psychological Science June 1, 2010
- Meditation and attention: A comparison of the effects of concentrative and mindfulness meditation on sustained attention Mental Health, Religion & Culture May 1, 1999
- A mind you can count on: validating breath counting as a behavioral measure of mindfulness Frontiers in Psychology October 24, 2014
- Physiological Responses to Clicks during Zen, Yoga, and TM Meditation Psychophysiology November 1, 1981
and 10 more in the library