Event-related potential correlates of mindfulness meditation competence

Abstract

Objective This cross-sectional study evaluated event-related potentials (ERPs) across three groups: naïve, novice, and experienced meditators as potential physiological markers of mindfulness meditation competence. Methods Electroencephalographic (EEG) data was collected during a target tone detection task and a Breath Counting task. The Breath Counting task served as the mindfulness meditation condition for the novice and experienced meditator groups. Participants were instructed to respond to target tones with a button press in the first task (Tones), and then ignore the primed tones while breath counting. The primary outcomes were ERP responses to target tones, namely the N2 and P3, as markers of stimulus discrimination and attention, respectively. Results As expected, P3 amplitudes elicited by target tones were attenuated within groups during the Breath Counting task in comparison to the Tones task (p < .001). There was a task by group interaction for P3 (p = .039). Both meditator groups displayed greater change in peak-to-trough P3 amplitudes, with higher amplitudes during the Tones condition and more pronounced reductions in P3 amplitudes during the Breath Counting meditation task in comparison to the naïve group. Conclusions Meditators had stronger P3 amplitude responses to target tones when instructed to attend to the tones, and a greater attenuation of P3 amplitudes when instructed to ignore the same tones during the Breath Counting task. This study introduces the idea of identifying ERP markers as a means of measuring mindfulness meditation competence, and results suggest this may be a valid approach. This information has the potential to improve mindfulness meditation interventions by allowing objective assessment of mindfulness meditation quality.

Experienced meditators exhibit no differences to demographically-matched controls in theta phase synchronisation, P200, or P300 during an auditory oddball task

“…Nonetheless, identifying broad attentionrelated neurophysiological trait changes is valuable, as they are likely to reflect stable changes and therefore are useful targets for research. Previous research has mainly focused on neural activity in very experienced meditators, or after an intensive meditation retreat (Atchley et al, 2016;Cahn & Polich, 2009;Cardeña et al, 2015;Delgado-Pastor, Perakakis, Subramanya, Telles, & Vila, 2013;Lutz et al, 2009). However, not all meditators engage in sustained, isolated practice, it is beneficial to observe a sample of meditators who live in the community but practice regularly.…”

Set shifting reaction-time improves following meditation or simple breathcounting in meditators and meditation-naïve participants: Data from naturalistic, ecological momentary-assessment devices

“…See Table 1 for more details on the participant sample. Participants in the control group had no experience with any form of meditation, while participants in the meditation groups had formal training, practiced at least 3 times a week, and had a lifetime practice minimum of either 1000 h (novices) or 5000 h (experienced) using the same rationale reported in Atchley et al (2016). Acceptable meditation practices for the study’s purpose included any styles with an attentional focus, including mind-body practices such as yoga.…”

“…Participants were recruited from the Portland, OR, USA metro area and meditator groups were pooled in these analyses using the same rationale as Atchley et al (2016).…”

A cognitive stressor for event-related potential studies: the Portland arithmetic stress task

“…As with EEG recordings, respiration rate was assessed in BrainVision Analyzer (Version 2.1.1.327, Professional Edition). Breaths were semiautomatically identified using a voltage trigger to label peaks, meaning that a new breath was labeled whenever the respiratory reading was positive and crossed zero voltage, as previously reported (Atchley et al, 2016). Blood pressure readings were collected using an OMRON manual inflation arm cuff and 7300IT automatic blood pressure monitor unit (OMRON, the Netherlands).…”