Closed-loop digital meditation improves sustained attention in young adults

David A. Ziegler (), Alexander J. Simon, Courtney L. Gallen, Sasha Skinner, Jacqueline R. Janowich, Joshua J. Volponi, Camarin E. Rolle, Jyoti Mishra, Jack Kornfield, Joaquin A. Anguera and Adam Gazzaley ()
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David A. Ziegler: University of California San Francisco
Alexander J. Simon: University of California San Francisco
Courtney L. Gallen: University of California San Francisco
Sasha Skinner: University of California San Francisco
Jacqueline R. Janowich: University of New Mexico
Joshua J. Volponi: University of California San Francisco
Camarin E. Rolle: Stanford University School of Medicine
Jyoti Mishra: University of California San Diego
Jack Kornfield: Spirit Rock Meditation Center
Joaquin A. Anguera: University of California San Francisco
Adam Gazzaley: University of California San Francisco

Nature Human Behaviour, 2019, vol. 3, issue 7, 746-757

Abstract: Abstract Attention is a fundamental cognitive process that is critical for essentially all aspects of higher-order cognition and real-world activities. Younger generations have deeply embraced information technology and multitasking in their personal lives, school and the workplace, creating myriad challenges to their attention. While improving sustained attention in healthy young adults would be beneficial, enhancing this ability has proven notoriously difficult in this age group. Here we show that 6 weeks of engagement with a meditation-inspired, closed-loop software program (MediTrain) delivered on mobile devices led to gains in both sustained attention and working memory in healthy young adults. These improvements were associated with positive changes in key neural signatures of attentional control (frontal theta inter-trial coherence and parietal P3b latency), as measured by electroencephalography. Our findings suggest the utility of delivering aspects of the ancient practice of focused-attention meditation in a modern, technology-based approach and its benefits on enhancing sustained attention.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41562-019-0611-9

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