Mindfulness training for adolescents: A neurodevelopmental perspective on investigating modifications in attention and emotion regulation using event-related brain potentials.
Kevanne Louise Sanger, Dusana Dorjee
Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience September 1, 2015 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-015-0354-7 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Brain Humans Emotions Adolescent development Attention Evoked potentials Executive function |
| Key points | Argues that event-related brain potential markers, including the contingent negative variation, N200, error-related negativity and error positivity, P300, and late positive potential, could reveal developmentally salient neural plasticity changes induced by mindfulness practice in adolescents. Proposes that mindfulness practice may influence prefrontal development and strengthen attention control and emotion regulation, supporting self-regulation and coping. |
Abstract
Mindfulness training is increasingly being introduced in schools, yet studies examining its impact on the developing brain have been scarce. A neurodevelopmental perspective on mindfulness has been advocated as a powerful tool to enhance our understanding of underlying neurocognitive changes that have implications for developmental well-being research and the implementation of mindfulness in education. To stimulate more research in the developmental cognitive neuroscience of mindfulness, this article outlines possible indexes of mindfulness-based change in adolescence, with a focus on event-related brain potential (ERP) markers. We provide methodological recommendations for future studies and offer examples of research paradigms. We also discuss how mindfulness practice could impact on the development of prefrontal brain structures and enhance attention control and emotion regulation skills in adolescents, impacting in turn on their self-regulation and coping skills. We highlight advantages of the ERP methodology in neurodevelopmental research of mindfulness. It is proposed that research using established experimental tasks targeting ERP components such as the contingent negative variability, N200, error-related negativity and error positivity, P300, and late positive potential could elucidate developmentally salient shifts in the neural plasticity of the adolescent brain induced by mindfulness practice.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 17
- Students and Teachers Benefit from Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in a School-Embedded Pilot Study Frontiers in Psychology April 26, 2016
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on breast cancer symptoms: systematic review and meta-analysis Einstein 2018
- An EEG Investigation of the Attention-Related Impact of Mindfulness Training in Youth With ADHD: Outcomes and Methodological Considerations Journal of Attention Disorders July 27, 2017
- Interpretability of Spatiotemporal Dynamics of the Brain Processes Followed by Mindfulness Intervention in a Brain-Inspired Spiking Neural Network Architecture Sensors December 21, 2020
- Changing Minds: A Pilot Feasibility Study of Mindfulness Training for At-Risk Adolescents National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal September 1, 2021
and 12 more in the library
Cites 32
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects Psychological Inquiry October 19, 2007
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
and 27 more in the library