Cognitive-Affective Neural Plasticity following Active-Controlled Mindfulness Intervention

Abstract

Mindfulness meditation is a set of attention-based, regulatory and self-inquiry training regimes. Although the impact of mindfulness meditation training (MT) on self-regulation is well established, the neural mechanisms supporting such plasticity are poorly understood. MT is thought to act on attention through interoceptive salience and attentional control mechanisms, but until now conflicting evidence from behavioral and neural measures has made it difficult to distinguish the role of these mechanisms. To resolve this question we conducted a fully randomized 6-week longitudinal trial of MT, explicitly controlling for cognitive and treatment effects with an active control group. We measured behavioral metacognition and whole-brain Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) signals using functional MRI during an affective Stroop task before and after intervention. Although both groups improved significantly on a response-inhibition task, only the MT group showed reduced affective Stroop conflict. Moreover, the MT group displayed greater dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) responses during executive processing, consistent with increased recruitment of top-down mechanisms to resolve conflict. In contrast, we did not observe overall group by time interactions on negative affect-related RTs or BOLD responses. However, only participants with the greatest amount of MT practice showed improvements in response-inhibition and increased recruitment of dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and right anterior insula during negative valence processing. Collectively our findings highlight the importance of active control in MT research, and indicate unique neural mechanisms for progressive stages of mindfulness training.

Short-Form Mindfulness Training Protects Against Working Memory Degradation over High-Demand Intervals

“…In line with this prediction, several prior studies have demonstrated that MT can improve performance on measures of selective and sustained attention (e.g., Allen et al 2012;Jensen et al 2012;Jha et al 2007;MacLean et al 2010;Zanesco et al 2013), and WM (Chambers et al 2008;Jensen et al 2012;Mrazek et al 2013;Quach et al 2016;Van Vugt and Jha 2011;Zeidan et al 2010; but see Morrison et al 2014), and can reduce performance lapses associated with mind wandering Morrison et al 2014;Mrazek et al 2013).…”

A translational neuroscience perspective on mindfulness meditation as a prevention strategy

“…For example, in a cross-sectional study using Vipassana meditators versus controls, enhanced ACC activation during breath awareness (focused attention) meditation was found [21]. In a longitudinal mindfulness training versus active control, greater dorsolateral PFC activation during emotional Stroop executive processing was detected [22].…”

Cognitive Control as a Function of Trait Mindfulness

“…The most consistent findings in terms of showing effects of meditation training were amongst studies that examined conflict resolution amongst competing alternatives, such as the Stroop task (e.g. Allen et al 2012;Moore and Malinowski 2009;Teper and Inzlicht 2013). However, other studies examining conflict resolution and inhibitory control show little or no effect of mindfulness training on responses (Stroop: Anderson et al 2007;Moore et al 2012;Flanker: Larson et al 2013).…”

“…For example, Stroop trials present both words and colour on every trial and flanker trials present both central target and flanker distractors on every trial (e.g. Anderson et al 2007;Allen et al 2012;Moore et al 2012;Moore and Malinowski 2009;Teper and Inzlicht 2013). The identity of the bivalent stimulus determines whether the trial is congruent or incongruent.…”