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Brown KW, Aliev F, Eley TC, Dick DM, Sawyers C. A multivariate twin study of the genetic association between present moment attention and subjective wellbeing. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17456. [PMID: 37838734 PMCID: PMC10576771 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42810-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Considerable evidence supports the role of present-moment attention, a central feature of mindfulness, in subjective wellbeing maintenance and enhancement. Yet it is not clear why such a relation exists. This study examined the genetic and environmental contributions of present-moment attention to subjective wellbeing. Consistent with the "generalist genes hypothesis" and prior evidence, we hypothesized that presence and subjective wellbeing would show a substantial genetic correlation and smaller environmental correlation. Using a large epidemiological sample of healthy 16-year-old twins in the United Kingdom (N = 1136 monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs), genetic overlap was found between presence and the cognitive component of subjective wellbeing (life satisfaction), and to a lesser extent, the affective component of subjective wellbeing (operationalized as happiness). The non-shared environmental overlap between these constructs was substantial. This study provides the first evidence known to us showing that present-centered attention, a primary component of mindfulness, has both genetic and environmental overlap with subjective wellbeing. The findings have implications for understanding mechanisms by which presence is associated with positive emotions and life satisfaction, and suggest, pending additional research, that mindfulness-based interventions to enhance wellbeing may be best suited to those with a genetic propensity toward mindful presence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirk Warren Brown
- Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA.
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA.
| | - Fazil Aliev
- Rutgers Addiction Research Center, Rutgers University, Piscataway, USA
| | | | - Danielle M Dick
- Rutgers Addiction Research Center, Rutgers University, Piscataway, USA
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2
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Khoury B, Manova V, Adel L, Dumas G, Lifshitz M, Vergara RC, Sekhon H, Rej S. Tri-process model of interpersonal mindfulness: theoretical framework and study protocol. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1130959. [PMID: 37179876 PMCID: PMC10170994 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1130959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, over 14% of the US population practice mindfulness meditation. The effects of mindfulness training on physical and mental health have been consistently documented, but its effects on interpersonal relationships are not yet fully understood or investigated. Interpersonal relationships play a crucial role in the wellbeing of individuals and society, and therefore, warrants further study. The aim of this paper is to present a tri-process theoretical model of interpersonal mindfulness and a study protocol to validate the proposed model. Specifically, according to the proposed model, mindfulness meditation training increases the self-awareness, self-regulation, and prosociality of those receiving the training, which ameliorates the quality of interpersonal interactions and the socioemotional support provided to other individuals. Finally, better socioemotional support increases the support receiver's ability to regulate their emotions. Using a multiphasic longitudinal design involving 640 participants randomized into 480 dyads, the proposed protocol aims to validate the tri-process model and to investigate its mechanisms of actions. The proposed study has important theoretical and social implications and will allow devising new and more effective interpersonal mindfulness programs with applications in multiple fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bassam Khoury
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Viktoriya Manova
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Lena Adel
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Guillaume Dumas
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Michael Lifshitz
- Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Lady Davis Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Rodrigo C. Vergara
- Departamento de Kinesiología, Facultad de Artes y Educación Física, Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación, Santiago, Chile
| | - Harmehr Sekhon
- Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Lady Davis Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- McLean Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Soham Rej
- Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Lady Davis Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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3
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Chen Z, Qin Y, Peng M, Zhao W, Shi X, Lai D, Yin E, Yan Y, Yao D, Liu T. Event-related potential patterns of selective attention modulated by perceptual load. Brain Behav 2023; 13:e2907. [PMID: 36786695 PMCID: PMC10013938 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A high perceptual load can effectively prevent attention from being drawn to irrelevant stimuli; however, the neural pattern underlying this process remains unclear. METHODS This study adopted a perceptual load paradigm to examine the temporal processes of attentional modulation by incorporating conditions of perceptual load, distractor-target compatibility, and eccentricity. RESULTS The behavioral results showed that a high perceptual load significantly reduced attentional distraction caused by peripheral distractors. The event-related potential results further revealed that shorter P2 latencies were observed for peripheral distractors than for central distractors under a high perceptual load and that a suppressed compatibility effect with increasing load was reflected by the P3 component. CONCLUSION These findings suggested that (1) P2 and P3 components effectively captured different sides of attentional processing modulated by load (i.e., the filter processing of the object and the overall attentional resource allocation) and (2) response patterns of selective attention modulated by perceptual load were influenced by eccentricity. Our electrophysiological evidence confirmed the behavioral findings, indicating the neural mechanisms of attentional modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Chen
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yun Qin
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.,Sichuan Institute for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Chengdu, China
| | - Maoqin Peng
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xuqian Shi
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Danwei Lai
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Erwei Yin
- The Defense Innovation Institute, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ye Yan
- The Defense Innovation Institute, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dezhong Yao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.,Sichuan Institute for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Chengdu, China
| | - Tiejun Liu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.,Sichuan Institute for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Chengdu, China
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4
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Trait mindfulness is related to attention bias toward threat and attention bias variability in social anxiety disorder. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-02817-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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5
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Nahal P, Hurd PL, Read S, Crespi B. Cognitive Empathy as Imagination: Evidence From Reading the Mind in the Eyes in Autism and Schizotypy. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:665721. [PMID: 33868063 PMCID: PMC8047060 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.665721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
How is cognitive empathy related to sociality, imagination, and other psychological constructs? How is it altered in disorders of human social cognition? We leveraged a large data set (1,168 students, 62% female) on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test (RMET), the Autism Quotient (AQ), and the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ-BR) to test the hypotheses that the RMET, as a metric of cognitive empathy, reflects mainly social abilities, imagination, or both. RMET showed the expected female bias in performance, though only for eyes that expressed emotions and not for neutral expressions. RMET performance was significantly, and more strongly, associated with the AQ and SPQ subscales that reflect aspects of imagination (AQ-Imagination and SPQ-Magical Ideation) than aspects of social abilities (AQ-Social, AQ-Communication, and SPQ-Interpersonal subscales). These results were confirmed with multiple regression analysis, which also implicated increased attention (AQ-Attention Switching and, marginally non-significantly, AQ-Attention to Detail) in RMET performance. The two imagination-related correlates of RMET performance also show the strongest sex biases for the AQ and SPQ: male biased in AQ-Imagination, and female biased in SPQ-Magical Ideation, with small to medium effect sizes. Taken together, these findings suggest that cognitive empathy, as quantified by the RMET, centrally involves imagination, which is underdeveloped (with a male bias) on the autism spectrum and overdeveloped (with a female bias) on the schizotypy spectrum, with optimal emotion-recognition performance intermediate between the two. The results, in conjunction with previous studies, implicate a combination of optimal imagination and focused attention in enhanced RMET performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya Nahal
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Peter L Hurd
- Centre for Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Silven Read
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Bernard Crespi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
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6
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Vilaverde RF, Correia AI, Lima CF. Higher trait mindfulness is associated with empathy but not with emotion recognition abilities. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:192077. [PMID: 32968498 PMCID: PMC7481693 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.192077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Mindfulness involves an intentional and non-judgemental attention or awareness of present-moment experiences. It can be cultivated by meditation practice or present as an inherent disposition or trait. Higher trait mindfulness has been associated with improved emotional skills, but evidence comes primarily from studies on emotion regulation. It remains unclear whether improvements extend to other aspects of emotional processing, namely the ability to recognize emotions in others. In the current study, 107 participants (M age = 25.48 years) completed a measure of trait mindfulness, the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, and two emotion recognition tasks. These tasks required participants to categorize emotions in facial expressions and in speech prosody (modulations of the tone of voice). They also completed an empathy questionnaire and attention tasks. We found that higher trait mindfulness was associated positively with cognitive empathy, but not with the ability to recognize emotions. In fact, Bayesian analyses provided substantial evidence for the null hypothesis, both for emotion recognition in faces and in speech. Moreover, no associations were observed between mindfulness and attention performance. These findings suggest that the positive effects of trait mindfulness on emotional processing do not extend to emotion recognition abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - César F. Lima
- Centro de Investigação e Intervenção Social (CIS-IUL), Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Lisboa, Avenida das Forças Armadas, 1649-026Portugal
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7
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Verdonk C, Trousselard M, Canini F, Vialatte F, Ramdani C. Toward a Refined Mindfulness Model Related to Consciousness and Based on Event-Related Potentials. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2020; 15:1095-1112. [DOI: 10.1177/1745691620906444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Neuroimaging, behavioral, and self-report evidence suggests that there are four main cognitive mechanisms that support mindfulness: (a) self-regulation of attention, (b) improved body awareness, (c) improved emotion regulation, and (d) change in perspective on the self. In this article, we discuss these mechanisms on the basis of the event-related potential (ERP). We reviewed the ERP literature related to mindfulness and examined a data set of 29 articles. Our findings show that the neural features of mindfulness are consistently associated with the self-regulation of attention and, in most cases, reduced reactivity to emotional stimuli and improved cognitive control. On the other hand, there appear to be no studies of body awareness. We link these electrophysiological findings to models of consciousness and introduce a unified, mechanistic mindfulness model. The main idea in this refined model is that mindfulness decreases the threshold of conscious access. We end with several working hypotheses that could direct future mindfulness research and clarify our results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Verdonk
- Neurophysiology of Stress Unit, Neurosciences and Cognitive Sciences Department, French Armed Forces Biomedical Research Institute, Brétigny-sur-Orge, France
- Plasticité du Cerveau, Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles (ESPCI) Paris, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL), CNRS
| | - Marion Trousselard
- Neurophysiology of Stress Unit, Neurosciences and Cognitive Sciences Department, French Armed Forces Biomedical Research Institute, Brétigny-sur-Orge, France
- French Military Health Service Academy, Paris, France
| | - Frédéric Canini
- Neurophysiology of Stress Unit, Neurosciences and Cognitive Sciences Department, French Armed Forces Biomedical Research Institute, Brétigny-sur-Orge, France
- French Military Health Service Academy, Paris, France
| | - Francois Vialatte
- Plasticité du Cerveau, Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles (ESPCI) Paris, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL), CNRS
| | - Céline Ramdani
- Neurophysiology of Stress Unit, Neurosciences and Cognitive Sciences Department, French Armed Forces Biomedical Research Institute, Brétigny-sur-Orge, France
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8
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Bailey NW, Freedman G, Raj K, Sullivan CM, Rogasch NC, Chung SW, Hoy KE, Chambers R, Hassed C, Van Dam NT, Koenig T, Fitzgerald PB. Mindfulness meditators show altered distributions of early and late neural activity markers of attention in a response inhibition task. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0203096. [PMID: 31386663 PMCID: PMC6684080 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil W Bailey
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Monash University Central Clinical School, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Epworth Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, Epworth Healthcare, The Epworth Clinic, Camberwell, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gabrielle Freedman
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Monash University Central Clinical School, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kavya Raj
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Monash University Central Clinical School, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Brain and Mental Health Research Hub, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, and Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Caley M Sullivan
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Monash University Central Clinical School, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nigel C Rogasch
- Brain and Mental Health Research Hub, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, and Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Sung W Chung
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Monash University Central Clinical School, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kate E Hoy
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Monash University Central Clinical School, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Richard Chambers
- Campus Community Division, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Craig Hassed
- Department of General Practice, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nicholas T Van Dam
- School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Thomas Koenig
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Paul B Fitzgerald
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Monash University Central Clinical School, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Epworth Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, Epworth Healthcare, The Epworth Clinic, Camberwell, Victoria, Australia
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9
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Lindsay EK, Creswell JD. Mindfulness, acceptance, and emotion regulation: perspectives from Monitor and Acceptance Theory (MAT). Curr Opin Psychol 2019; 28:120-125. [PMID: 30639835 PMCID: PMC6565510 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Revised: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Experiential acceptance-an orientation of receptivity and noninterference with present-moment experiences-is described as central to mindfulness interventions, yet little experimental work has tested acceptance as a mechanism for mindfulness intervention effects. Guided by Monitor and Acceptance Theory (MAT), this review situates acceptance as an emotion regulation mechanism and reviews self-report mindfulness literature showing that attention monitoring skills are only associated with beneficial mental and physical health outcomes when accompanied by acceptance skills. New experimental dismantling work shows that removing acceptance training from mindfulness interventions reduces their efficacy for improving stress, positive emotion, and social relationship outcomes. Overall, converging evidence demonstrates that acceptance is a critical emotion regulation mechanism of mindfulness interventions. This work advances basic research, has translational value, and offers opportunities for future research.
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10
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Schoenberg PLA, Vago DR. Mapping meditative states and stages with electrophysiology: concepts, classifications, and methods. Curr Opin Psychol 2019; 28:211-217. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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11
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Quaglia JT, Zeidan F, Grossenbacher PG, Freeman SP, Braun SE, Martelli A, Goodman RJ, Brown KW. Brief mindfulness training enhances cognitive control in socioemotional contexts: Behavioral and neural evidence. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0219862. [PMID: 31323050 PMCID: PMC6641506 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In social contexts, the dynamic nature of others' emotions places unique demands on attention and emotion regulation. Mindfulness, characterized by heightened and receptive moment-to-moment attending, may be well-suited to meet these demands. In particular, mindfulness may support more effective cognitive control in social situations via efficient deployment of top-down attention. To test this, a randomized controlled study examined effects of mindfulness training (MT) on behavioral and neural (event-related potentials [ERPs]) responses during an emotional go/no-go task that tested cognitive control in the context of emotional facial expressions that tend to elicit approach or avoidance behavior. Participants (N = 66) were randomly assigned to four brief (20 min) MT sessions or to structurally equivalent book learning control sessions. Relative to the control group, MT led to improved discrimination of facial expressions, as indexed by d-prime, as well as more efficient cognitive control, as indexed by response time and accuracy, and particularly for those evidencing poorer discrimination and cognitive control at baseline. MT also produced better conflict monitoring of behavioral goal-prepotent response tendencies, as indexed by larger No-Go N200 ERP amplitudes, and particularly so for those with smaller No-Go amplitude at baseline. Overall, findings are consistent with MT's potential to enhance deployment of early top-down attention to better meet the unique cognitive and emotional demands of socioemotional contexts, particularly for those with greater opportunity for change. Findings also suggest that early top-down attention deployment could be a cognitive mechanism correspondent to the present-oriented attention commonly used to explain regulatory benefits of mindfulness more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan T. Quaglia
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
- Department of Contemplative Psychology, Naropa University, Boulder, CO, United States of America
| | - Fadel Zeidan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Mindfulness, University of California San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Peter G. Grossenbacher
- Department of Contemplative Psychology, Naropa University, Boulder, CO, United States of America
| | - Sara P. Freeman
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Sarah E. Braun
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Alexandra Martelli
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Robert J. Goodman
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America
| | - Kirk Warren Brown
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
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12
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Neurocognitive Enhancement Effects of Combined Mindfulness-Neurofeedback Training in Sport. Neuroscience 2019; 412:83-93. [PMID: 31195055 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.05.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
To foster performance across all levels of sports practice, physical training has been integrated with various mental training practices. Recently, an integrative approach to neurocognitive enhancement tried to combine the strengths of mental practices (i.e. mindfulness) and of training with neurofeedback devices. Based on previous validation studies showing the effect of a combined mindfulness-neurofeedback program on neurocognitive efficiency and stress/anxiety levels, we aimed at testing the feasibility and potential of that intensive combined program for improving psychological well-being and attention regulation in sport contexts. 50 participants (sportspeople and volunteers not regularly involved in sports) were divided into groups undergoing experimental and active control training programs. The experimental one was based on breathing-awareness practices supported by a wearable neurofeedback, while the active control one included only breathing practices. Before and after training participants underwent standardized neuropsychological and electrophysiological assessment. Data analysis highlighted a significant reduction of response times and false alarms at computerized cognitive tasks in sportspeople who completed the training, as well as a consistent improvement of the N2 event-related potential - a marker of attention regulation processes. We have also observed a general reduction of perceived stress and increased ability to keep a non-evaluative stance. Findings extend available observations on cognitive and neural effects of combined mindfulness-neurofeedback practice by showing that it is possible to observe training effects even after a limited period of practice among sportspeople. Such early training effects might mirror optimized implicit learning curves due to peculiar sensitivity to bodily signals and awareness.
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13
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Parkinson TD, Kornelsen J, Smith SD. Trait Mindfulness and Functional Connectivity in Cognitive and Attentional Resting State Networks. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:112. [PMID: 31031607 PMCID: PMC6473082 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Mindfulness has been described as an orienting of attention to the present moment, with openness and compassion. Individuals displaying high trait mindfulness exhibit this tendency as a more permanent personality attribute. Given the numerous physical and mental health benefits associated with mindfulness, there is a great interest in understanding the neural substrates of this trait. The purpose of the current research was to examine how individual differences in trait mindfulness associated with functional connectivity in five resting-state networks related to cognition and attention: the default mode network (DMN), the salience network (SN), the central executive network (CEN), and the dorsal and ventral attention networks (DAN and VAN). Twenty-eight undergraduate participants completed the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), a self-report measure of trait mindfulness which also provides scores on five of its sub-categories (Observing, Describing, Acting with Awareness, Non-judging of Inner Experience, and Non-reactivity to Inner Experience). Participants then underwent a structural MRI scan and a 7-min resting state functional MRI scan. Resting-state data were analyzed using independent-component analyses. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed to determine the relationship between each resting state network and each FFMQ score. These analyses indicated that: (1) trait mindfulness and its facets showed increased functional connectivity with neural regions related to attentional control, interoception, and executive function; and (2) trait mindfulness and its facets showed decreased functional connectivity with neural regions related to self-referential processing and mind wandering. These patterns of functional connectivity are consistent with some of the benefits of mindfulness-enhanced attention, self-regulation, and focus on present experience. This study provides support for the notion that non-judgmental attention to the present moment facilitates the integration of regions in neural networks that are related to cognition, attention, and sensation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stephen D Smith
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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14
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Spiritual Perspective, Mindfulness, and Spiritual Care Practice of Hospice and Palliative Nurses. J Hosp Palliat Nurs 2018; 20:172-179. [DOI: 10.1097/njh.0000000000000426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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15
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Cheng KS, Chang YF, Han RPS, Lee PF. Enhanced conflict monitoring via a short-duration, video-assisted deep breathing in healthy young adults: an event-related potential approach through the Go/NoGo paradigm. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3857. [PMID: 29018605 PMCID: PMC5633029 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Practitioners of mindfulness are reported to have greater cognitive control especially in conflict monitoring, response inhibition and sustained attention. However, due to the various existing methods in each mindfulness practices and also, the high commitment factor, a barrier still exists for an individual to pick up the practices. Therefore, the effect of short duration deep breathing on the cognitive control is investigated here. Methods Short duration guided deep breathing videos consisting of 5, 7 and 9 min respectively were created and used on subjects training. The effect on cognitive control was assessed using a Go/NoGo task along with event-related potential (ERP) measurements at Fz, Cz, and Pz. Results From the study, the significant outcome showed at the follow-up session in which participants engaged for 5 min deep breathing group showed a profound NoGo N2 amplitude increment as compared to the control group, indicating an enhanced conflict monitoring ability. An inverse relationship between the NoGo N2 amplitude and the breathing duration is observed as well at the follow-up session. Conclusion These results indicated the possibility of performing short duration deep breathing guided by a video to achieve an enhanced conflict monitoring as an alternative to other mindfulness practices and 5 min is found to be the optimum practice duration. Significant This study is the first to establish a relationship between deep breathing and conflict monitoring through ERP. The study population of young adults taken from the same environment reduces the variance in ERP results due to age and environment. Limitation A larger sample size would provide a greater statistical power. A longer duration of deep breathing should be investigated to further clarify the relationship between the practice duration and the NoGo N2 amplitude. The result can be split by gender and analyzed separately due to the different brain structure of males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kok Suen Cheng
- Department of Mechatronics & Biomedical Engineering, University Tunku Abdul Rahman, Bandar Sungai Long, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Yun Fah Chang
- Department of Mathematical & Actuarial Sciences, University Tunku Abdul Rahman, Bandar Sungai Long, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ray P S Han
- College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Poh Foong Lee
- Department of Mechatronics & Biomedical Engineering, University Tunku Abdul Rahman, Bandar Sungai Long, Selangor, Malaysia
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