No sustained attention differences in a longitudinal randomized trial comparing mindfulness based stress reduction versus active control.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a secular form of meditation training. The vast majority of the extant literature investigating the health effects of mindfulness interventions relies on wait-list control comparisons. Previous studies have found that meditation training over several months is associated with improvements in cognitive control and attention.

Methodology/principal findings

We used a visual continuous performance task (CPT) to test the effects of eight weeks of mindfulness training on sustained attention by comparing MBSR to the Health Enhancement Program (HEP), a structurally equivalent, active control condition in a randomized, longitudinal design (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01301105) focusing on a non-clinical population typical of MBSR par

SUBMITTER: MacCoon DG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4067292 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature