Abstract
While evidence supports the feasibility of online mindfulness training (MT), the effect of this approach on cognition remains unclear. The present study investigated changes in cognition following a newly developed 6-week videoconference-delivered MT program on cognitive function in two groups. The first group (n = 17) had two baseline assessments prior to MT [3 weeks after group two (n = 15)] to allow for evaluation of practice and learning effects. Four participants from each group were excluded from the final analysis due to missing data. Following MT, there was an improvement in switching of attention, working memory, executive function, and social cognition, but some of these effects were not easily accounted for by learning or practice effects. No significant changes were found on tasks measuring sustained attention, cognitive flexibility and inhibition, information processing, and sensory-motor function. Our findings suggest that domain-specific cognition might be enhanced by a brief videoconference-delivered MT, and larger, controlled studies to delineate the effects of online MT on subdomains of cognition are needed.
Highlights
Extensive evidence supports that mindfulness training (MT) improves both mental health and cognitive performance (Gu et al, 2015; Morrison and Jha, 2015)
Post hoc tests using a Wilcoxon signedrank test suggested some practice/learning effects were present prior to the MT as better performance was seen at the pre-MT in immediate recall (z = −2.71, p = 0.007), executive function (Maze error: z = −2.32, p = 0.02) and language (z = −3.07, p = 0.002) compared to baseline (Table 2)
Previous studies have found significant improved attention, executive function, and memory recall associated with MT (Chambers et al, 2008; Jha et al, 2010; Zeidan et al, 2010; Mrazek et al, 2013), suggesting the cognitive enhancement associated with MT
Summary
Extensive evidence supports that mindfulness training (MT) improves both mental health and cognitive performance (Gu et al, 2015; Morrison and Jha, 2015). Online MT is considered a more convenient and cost-effective strategy, compared to traditional face-to-face interventions (Jayawardene et al, 2017). The recent COVID-19 pandemic has caused a revolutionary uptake in the use of telehealth in mental health care delivery. This need for flexible healthcare delivery formats is projected to remain after the pandemic has ended (Pierce et al, 2021)
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