RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Mindfulness meditators do not show differences in electrophysiological measures of error processing
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 438622
DO 10.1101/438622
A1 Neil W Bailey
A1 Kavya Raj
A1 Gabrielle Freedman
A1 Bernadette M Fitzgibbon
A1 Nigel C Rogasch
A1 Nicholas T Van Dam
A1 Paul B Fitzgerald
YR 2018
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/10/13/438622.abstract
AB Mindfulness meditation may improve attention and self-regulation. One component of attention and self-regulation that may allow these improvements is performance monitoring. Neural correlates of performance monitoring can be objectively measured with electroencephalogram (EEG) via the error related negativity (ERN) and error positivity (Pe). Previous research assessing the ERN and Pe in meditators has resulted in inconsistent findings; some have reported alteration in peak amplitudes from both very brief meditation practice and long-term meditation practice, while others have failed to provide evidence for differences in the ERN or Pe. However, recently developed EEG analysis techniques allow for more rigorous analyses than have been used in past investigations. The current study measured the ERN and Pe, as well as post-error alpha suppression, during a Go/Nogo task, and emotional and colour Stroop tasks. The measures were compared between 22 experienced meditators (mean of 8 years of practice) and 20 healthy controls. The results suggested no differences in the ERN, Pe, or post-error alpha suppression (all p > 0.05), even when varying multiple analysis parameters. The study showed equivalent statistical power to previous research, and > 85% power to detect medium effect sizes present in previous research. Bayes Factor analysis indicated the null hypotheses were > 3.5 more likely than any of the alternative hypotheses for the ERN or Pe. These results suggest that meditation may not alter neural activity related to error processing, despite prior research suggesting that it does.Author ContributionsNWB designed and oversaw the study, assisted with data collection, performed the data analysis, and wrote the paper. KR performed data collection, assisted with data analysis, and collaborated with writing of the study. GF performed data collection, assisted with data analysis, and collaborated with writing of the study. BMF assisted with study design and writing of the paper. NCR assisted with study design and writing of the paper. NTVD collaborated in the interpretation of results, writing and editing of the final manuscript. PBF assisted with study design and writing and editing of the final manuscript.AbbreviationsERNError Related NegativityPeError PositivityEEGElectroencephalographyMBSRMindfulness Based Stress ReductionMBCTMindfulness Based Cognitive TherapyFMIFreiburg Mindfulness InventoryFFMQFive Facet Mindfulness QuestionnaireACCAnterior Cingulate CorteDLPFCDorsolateral Prefrontal CortexADHDAttention-Deficit Hyperactivity DisorderBAIBeck Anxiety InventoryBDI-IIBeck Depression Inventory IIICAIndependent Component AnalysisAMICAAdaptive Mixture Independent Component AnalysisRAGURandomisation Graphical User InterfaceTCTTopographical Consistency TestTANOVATopographical Analysis of VarianceGFPGlobal Field PotentialRMSRoot Mean SquaredFFTFast Fourier Transform