Differential Effect of Four Mindfulness Exercises
Condition: Well-being; Depression; Anxiety
MeSH terms: Depression
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Mindfulness can be considered as a family of complex attentional and emotional regulation
      strategies that promote the cultivation of well-being and emotional balance. The practice of
      mindfulness produces the development of a consciousness that unfolds moment to moment, open
      and unprejudiced in the present moment, here and now. Despite its extensive benefits, the
      practice of mindfulness requires a significant commitment in time and effort, which limits
      the potential for its dissemination. The studies to narrow the differential effects of the
      various exercises based on mindfulness, will further enhance their effectiveness and they can
      guide the practice sequence according to user needs. In this paper we will research
      mindfulness electroencephalographic correlates of as four different exercise programs
      included in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and stress reduction program based on
      mindfulness (MBSR) as well as its effect on several psychological variables.
    

Detailed description: 
      Mindfulness is a way of using attention intentionally, repeatedly reactivating the
      attentional focus, so that it enhances the ability of sustained attention. It involves a
      complex process of self-regulation and inhibition of internal and external stimuli
      interferences.

      Although the overall effects of meditation on brain bioelectrical signals are still being
      characterized, there is some consensus on the fact that meditation helps alter brain activity
      in both state and trait.

      The specific aim of this study is to assess the differential effect of four different
      practices of mindfulness in psychological well-being and their corresponding
      neurophysiological correlates.

      The hypothesis is that different exercises within the range of mindfulness practices exert
      different effects in terms of electroencephalographic activity, expecting different band
      increases in alpha (activity 7-to 2 Hz), beta (activity more than 13 Hz), theta (activity 4-6
      Hz) and delta (activity less than 3 Hz) respectively, as well as changes in the
      lateralization of the activity (left or right hemisphere). We also expect an improvement in
      the variables such as mindfulness, self-compassion, positive affect, anxiety, depression and
      sleep quality.
    

Intervention name(s): Control group relaxation techniques; Loving-kindness meditation; Body scan; Sitting practice
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Jacobson's progressive muscular relaxation, emotional imagining and Schultz's autogenic training.; Following Kristin Neff protocol; Body scan: Attention being directed with detailed awareness to every part of the body for a sustained period of time.; In the sitting exercise, participants are guided to pay attention to a certain range of still points, starting with attention to breathing. In this exercise attention is fully concentrated on a single object: the sensation attached to breathing. If the mind wanders or is distracted by an external stimulus, attention is gently returned to sensations derived from breathing.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Triple (Participant, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: mindfulness meditation; alpha rhythm; EEG; brain mapping; emotion; attention