Mindful Reading: Mindfulness Meditation Helps Keep Readers with Dyslexia and ADHD on the Lexical Track

Are children with early literacy difficulties at risk for anxiety disorders in late childhood?

The present study examined whether literacy difficulties in both grades 2 and 3 are associated with social and generalized anxiety within the school environment in grade 5 and if children with different literacy difficulties differ in anxiety levels compared to typically developing children in grade 5 after controlling for inattention. Sixty-nine Greek children with literacy difficulties and fifty-two children with typical literacy development were assessed at the beginning of grade 2 and at the end of grade 3 on standardized literacy measures (reading accuracy, text-reading fluency, reading comprehension, and spelling). In grade 5, teachers were asked to rate their children's social and generalized anxiety levels and inattentive behavior in the school context. Results of one-way ANCOVAs showed that children with literacy difficulties were experiencing more social anxiety than typically developing children. Furthermore, children with both reading and spelling difficulties, but not those with single reading or spelling difficulties, had more social anxiety. These findings suggest that there is a close connection between early literacy difficulties and social anxiety in upper elementary grades and particularly among children with both reading and spelling difficulties. Implications for both teachers and other professionals who support children's socioemotional development will be discussed.

Characterizing different types of developmental dyslexias in French: The Malabi screener

Reading is a complex process involving multiple stages. An impairment in any of these stages may cause distinct types of reading deficits- distinct types of dyslexia. We describe the Malabi, a screener to identify deficits in various orthographic, lexical, and sublexical components of the reading process in French. The Malabi utilizes stimuli that are sensitive to different forms of dyslexia, including "attentional dyslexia", as it is traditionally refered to, characterized by letter-to-word binding impairments leading to letter migrations between words (e.g., "bar cat" misread as "bat car"), and "letter-position dyslexia", resulting in letter transpositions within words (e.g., "destiny" misread as "density"). After collecting reading error norms from 138 French middle-school students, we analyzed error types of 16 students with developmental dyslexia. We identified three selective cases of attentional dyslexia and one case of letter-position dyslexia. Further tests confirmed our diagnosis and demonstrate, for the first time, how these dyslexias are manifested in French. These results underscore the significance of recognizing and discussing the existence of multiple dyslexias, both in research contexts when selecting participants for dyslexia studies, and in practical settings where educators and practitioners work with students to develop personalized support. The test and supporting materials are available on Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/3pgzb/).

Near and Far Transfer Effects of Computerized Progressive Attention Training (CPAT) Versus Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Practice Among Adults With ADHD

OBJECTIVE

The present study evaluated the near (attention) and far (reading, ADHD symptoms, learning, and quality of life) transfer effects of a Computerized Progressive Attention Training (CPAT) versus Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) practice among adults with ADHD compared to a passive group.

METHOD

Fifty-four adults participated in a non-fully randomized controlled trial. Participants in the intervention groups completed eight 2-hr weekly training sessions. Outcomes were assessed before, immediately after, and 4 months post-intervention, using objective tools: attention tests, eye-tracker, and subjective questionnaires.

RESULTS

Both interventions showed near-transfer to various attention functions. The CPAT produced far-transfer effects to reading, ADHD symptoms, and learning while the MBSR improved the self-perceived quality of life. At follow-up, all improvements except for ADHD symptoms were preserved in the CPAT group. The MBSR group showed mixed preservations.

CONCLUSION

Both interventions have beneficial effects, however only the CPAT group exhibited improvements compared to the passive group.

The efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder beyond core symptoms: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression

BACKGROUND

Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) have been increasingly proposed as treatment in patients with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), showing promising results on different proposed outcomes, in both children and adults.

OBJECTIVES

To systematically review and meta-analyse studies concerning the effects of MBIs on either ADHD and associated features, associated clinical conditions, neurocognitive impairments, mindfulness skills, global functioning and quality of life.

METHODS

Searches were conducted on five databases, including controlled and observational studies on both adults and children populations. The review process was compliant to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). Meta-analyses and meta-regression models were conducted.

RESULTS

Thirty-one full-texts were included. In both adults and children, MBIs showed to be more effective than waiting lists in improving ADHD symptoms and some other outcomes. In adults, a medium pooled effect size was shown by meta-analysis for ADHD symptoms but in some cases a publication bias was detected. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression confirmed the gap detected by our systematic review between the medium/large effect size of inactive-controlled studies and the low/negligible one of active-controlled studies. In children, no active-controlled studies have been conducted. Mindfulness Awareness Practice (MAP) and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) were the most used protocols in adult studies, whereas a combination of MBCT and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) was more preferred for children and adolescent patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Even if further studies with a better methodology are needed, we can suggest the MBIs may be useful as complementation and not as replacement of other active interventions.

Meditation affects word recognition of meditation novices

This work represents one of the first attempts to examine the effects of meditation on the processing of written single words. In the present longitudinal study, participants conducted a lexical decision task and rated the affective valence of nouns before and after a 7-week class in mindfulness meditation, loving-kindness meditation, or a control intervention. Both meditation groups rated the emotional valence of nouns more neutral after the interventions, suggesting a general down-regulation of emotions. In the loving-kindness group, positive words were rated more positively after the intervention, suggesting a specific intensification of positive feelings. After both meditation interventions, response times in the lexical decision task accelerated significantly, with the largest facilitation occurring in the loving-kindness group. We assume that meditation might have led to increased attention, better visual discrimination, a broadened attentional focus, and reduced mind-wandering, which in turn enabled accelerated word recognition. These results extend findings from a previous study with expert Zen meditators, in which we found that one session of advanced meditation can affect word recognition in a very similar way.

Computational modeling of interventions for developmental disorders

We evaluate the potential of connectionist models of developmental disorders to offer insights into the efficacy of interventions. Based on a range of computational simulation results, we assess factors that influence the effectiveness of interventions for reading, language, and other cognitive developmental disorders. The analysis provides a level of mechanistic detail that is generally lacking in behavioral approaches to intervention. We review an extended program of modeling work in four sections. In the first, we consider long-term outcomes and the possibility of compensated outcomes and resolution of early delays. In the second section, we address methods to remediate atypical development in a single network. In the third section, we address interventions to encourage compensation via alternative pathways. In the final section, we consider the key issue of individual differences in response to intervention. Together with advances in understanding the neural basis of developmental disorders and neural responses to training, formal computational approaches can spur theoretical progress to narrow the gap between the theory and practice of intervention.

The Effect of Mindfulness Training on Proactive and Reactive Cognitive Control

Previous studies have demonstrated that mindfulness practice can improve general cognitive control. However, little research has examined whether mindfulness practices affect different cognitive control strategies. According to the dual mechanisms of control (DMC) model, different cognitive control strategies may play distinct roles in individuals' lives. Proactive control allows people to maintain and prepare for goals, whereas reactive control allows them to respond flexibly to a changing environment. Thus, this study investigates the influences of mindfulness training on proactive and reactive control measured by the AX version of the Continuous Performance Test (AX-CPT). Thirty participants completed AX-CPT and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) before and after random assignment to either an 8-week mindfulness training group or a control group. The results showed no interaction between group and test time for AY or BX trial type, but the training group had fewer post-test errors on the BX trial and a higher Behavior Shift Index (BSI) of reaction time (RT) compared with the control group. This finding indicates enhanced trend of proactive control with mindfulness training. A positive correlation between the BSI of RT and observing scores on the FFMQ confirmed the connection between attentional components in mindfulness and proactive control. Errors on the AY trial in the post-test decreased in both groups, reflecting reactive control that did not differ between groups. The 8-week mindfulness training demonstrates a potential improvement effect on proactive control and could be helpful in overcoming interference.

Recognizing Psychiatric Comorbidity With Reading Disorders

Reading disorder (RD), a specific learning disorder (SLD) of reading that includes impairment in word reading, reading fluency, and/or reading comprehension, is common in the general population but often is not comprehensively understood or assessed in mental health settings. In education settings, comorbid mental and associated disorders may be inadequately integrated into intervention plans. Assessment and intervention for RD may be delayed or absent in children with frequently co-occurring mental disorders not fully responding to treatment in both school and mental health settings. To address this oversight, this review summarizes current knowledge regarding RDs and common comorbid or co-occurring disorders that are important for mental health and school settings. We chose to highlight RD because it is the most common SLD, and connections to other often comorbid disorders have been more thoroughly described in the literature. Much of the literature we describe is on decoding-based RD (or developmental dyslexia) as it is the most common form of RD. In addition to risk for academic struggle and social, emotional, and behavioral problems, those with RD often show early evidence of combined or intertwined Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition childhood disorders. These include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and other SLDs. The present review highlights issues and areas of controversy within these comorbidities, as well as directions for future research. An interdisciplinary, integrated approach between mental health professionals and educators can lead to comprehensive and targeted treatments encompassing both academic and mental health interventions. Such targeted treatments may contribute to improved educational and health-related outcomes in vulnerable youth. While there is a growing research literature on this association, more studies are needed of when to intervene and of the early and long-term benefits of comprehensive intervention.