Microdosing Mindfulness: Understanding the Effects of Brief Mindfulness Meditation in Children with ADHD
Abstract
Mindfulness Meditation (MM) is receiving increased empirical support as a method for addressing ADHD symptomology. Research shows that MM interventions lasting weeks or months promote key aspects of cognitive and psycho-emotional functioning in youth with ADHD. Using a pre-post within-subjects design, we sought to determine whether a single MM session supports neurocognitive and/or psycho-emotional functioning in youth with ADHD. Sixteen participants aged 10-14 completed measures of executive and psycho-emotional functioning before/after a 10-minute MM session and silent reading control. Functional neuroimaging assessed whether MM supported changes in prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation during cognitive tasks. We found that a single MM session supported inhibitory control and working memory. Improved inhibitory control also corresponded with a significant increase in PFC activity following MM. This study is the first to demonstrate improvements in key executive functions in youth with ADHD after a single MM session. Limitations, implications and future directions are discussed.