TY - JOUR
T1 - Mindfulness Training in High-Demand Cohorts Alters Resting-State Electroencephalography
T2 - An Exploratory Investigation of Individual Alpha Frequency, Aperiodic 1/f Activity, and Microstates
AU - Dziego, Chloe A.
AU - Zanesco, Anthony P.
AU - Bornkessel-Schlesewsky, Ina
AU - Schlesewsky, Matthias
AU - Stanley, Elizabeth A.
AU - Jha, Amishi P.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors
PY - 2024/11
Y1 - 2024/11
N2 - Background: Mindfulness training (MT) programs have demonstrated utility as cognitive training tools, but there is little consensus on the neurophysiological processes that may underlie its benefits. It has been posited that intrinsic brain activity recorded at rest reflects the functional connectivity of large-scale brain networks and may provide insight into neuroplastic changes that support MT. In the current study, we indexed changes in several resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) parameters to investigate the neurophysiological underpinnings of MT. Methods: Resting-state EEG data were collected from active-duty U.S. military personnel (N = 80) at 2 testing sessions: before (time [T] 1) and after (T2) engaging in an 8-week MT or active comparison intervention (positivity training). We examined longitudinal and/or groupwise differences in several EEG parameters through parameterization of power spectra (individual alpha frequency and 1/f activity) and microstate analysis. Results: While no significant group × time differences were observed in individual alpha frequency, significant group × time effects were observed in several EEG parameters from T1 to T2. Compared with MT, positivity training was associated with a steepening of the 1/f slope and higher 1/f intercepts together with decreased duration and increased global field power of microstates. Conclusions: Taken together, these results suggest that the effects of interventions may be differentiated in resting-state brain activity in a sample of military personnel. Such findings provide insight into the neural underpinnings of MT-related brain changes, but more research is required to elucidate how these may relate to task-related neural and performance changes with MT and whether results generalize to other mindfulness interventions in alternative cohorts and contexts.
AB - Background: Mindfulness training (MT) programs have demonstrated utility as cognitive training tools, but there is little consensus on the neurophysiological processes that may underlie its benefits. It has been posited that intrinsic brain activity recorded at rest reflects the functional connectivity of large-scale brain networks and may provide insight into neuroplastic changes that support MT. In the current study, we indexed changes in several resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) parameters to investigate the neurophysiological underpinnings of MT. Methods: Resting-state EEG data were collected from active-duty U.S. military personnel (N = 80) at 2 testing sessions: before (time [T] 1) and after (T2) engaging in an 8-week MT or active comparison intervention (positivity training). We examined longitudinal and/or groupwise differences in several EEG parameters through parameterization of power spectra (individual alpha frequency and 1/f activity) and microstate analysis. Results: While no significant group × time differences were observed in individual alpha frequency, significant group × time effects were observed in several EEG parameters from T1 to T2. Compared with MT, positivity training was associated with a steepening of the 1/f slope and higher 1/f intercepts together with decreased duration and increased global field power of microstates. Conclusions: Taken together, these results suggest that the effects of interventions may be differentiated in resting-state brain activity in a sample of military personnel. Such findings provide insight into the neural underpinnings of MT-related brain changes, but more research is required to elucidate how these may relate to task-related neural and performance changes with MT and whether results generalize to other mindfulness interventions in alternative cohorts and contexts.
KW - Aperiodic activity
KW - Cognitive training
KW - Individual alpha frequency
KW - Microstates
KW - Mindfulness
KW - Resting-state EEG
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U2 - 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100383
DO - 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100383
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85205303557
SN - 2667-1743
VL - 4
JO - Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science
JF - Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science
IS - 6
M1 - 100383
ER -
