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The effect of focused attention and open monitoring meditation on attention network function in healthy volunteers

The effect of focused attention and open monitoring meditation on attention network function in healthy volunteers
The effect of focused attention and open monitoring meditation on attention network function in healthy volunteers
Mindfulness meditation techniques are increasingly popular both as a life-style choice and therapeutic adjunct for a range of mental and physical health conditions. However, little is known about the mechanisms through which mindfulness meditation and its constituent practices might produce positive change in cognition and emotion. Our study directly compared the effects of Focused Attention (FA) and Open-Monitoring (OM) meditation on alerting, orienting and executive attention network function in healthy individuals. Participants were randomized to three intervention groups: open-focused meditation, focused attention, and relaxation control. Participants completed an emotional variant of the Attention Network Test (ANT) at baseline and post-intervention. OM and FA practice improved executive attention, with no change observed in the relaxation control group. Improvements in executive attention occurred in the absence of change in subjective/self-report mood and cognitive function. Baseline levels of dispositional/trait mindfulness were positively correlated with executive control in the ANT at baseline. Our results suggest that mindfulness meditation might usefully target deficits in executive attention that characterise mood and anxiety disorders.
1226-1231
Ainsworth, B.
b02d78c3-aa8b-462d-a534-31f1bf164f81
Eddershaw, R.
af5d3ee0-94bc-45e1-abe2-549e1f4458a2
Meron, D.
65e463bd-1283-445f-ac48-dbde36e85415
Baldwin, D.S.
1beaa192-0ef1-4914-897a-3a49fc2ed15e
Garner, M.
3221c5b3-b951-4fec-b456-ec449e4ce072
Ainsworth, B.
b02d78c3-aa8b-462d-a534-31f1bf164f81
Eddershaw, R.
af5d3ee0-94bc-45e1-abe2-549e1f4458a2
Meron, D.
65e463bd-1283-445f-ac48-dbde36e85415
Baldwin, D.S.
1beaa192-0ef1-4914-897a-3a49fc2ed15e
Garner, M.
3221c5b3-b951-4fec-b456-ec449e4ce072

Ainsworth, B., Eddershaw, R., Meron, D., Baldwin, D.S. and Garner, M. (2013) The effect of focused attention and open monitoring meditation on attention network function in healthy volunteers. Psychiatry Research, 210 (3), 1226-1231. (doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2013.09.002). (PMID:24135553)

Record type: Article

Abstract

Mindfulness meditation techniques are increasingly popular both as a life-style choice and therapeutic adjunct for a range of mental and physical health conditions. However, little is known about the mechanisms through which mindfulness meditation and its constituent practices might produce positive change in cognition and emotion. Our study directly compared the effects of Focused Attention (FA) and Open-Monitoring (OM) meditation on alerting, orienting and executive attention network function in healthy individuals. Participants were randomized to three intervention groups: open-focused meditation, focused attention, and relaxation control. Participants completed an emotional variant of the Attention Network Test (ANT) at baseline and post-intervention. OM and FA practice improved executive attention, with no change observed in the relaxation control group. Improvements in executive attention occurred in the absence of change in subjective/self-report mood and cognitive function. Baseline levels of dispositional/trait mindfulness were positively correlated with executive control in the ANT at baseline. Our results suggest that mindfulness meditation might usefully target deficits in executive attention that characterise mood and anxiety disorders.

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More information

Published date: 30 December 2013
Organisations: Clinical Neuroscience

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Local EPrints ID: 356491
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/356491
PURE UUID: 8bab8b18-6657-45e8-bd10-58eaa43a52d5
ORCID for B. Ainsworth: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-5098-1092
ORCID for D.S. Baldwin: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3343-0907
ORCID for M. Garner: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-9481-2226

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 26 Sep 2013 15:18
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:34

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Contributors

Author: B. Ainsworth ORCID iD
Author: R. Eddershaw
Author: D. Meron
Author: D.S. Baldwin ORCID iD
Author: M. Garner ORCID iD

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