Mindfulness-based training with transcranial direct current stimulation modulates neuronal resource allocation in working memory: A randomized pilot study with a nonequivalent control group
Mindfulness-based training (MBT) and transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) methods such as direct current stimulation (tDCS) have demonstrated promise for the augmentation of cognitive abilities. The current study investigated the potential compatibility of concurrent “electrical” MBT and tDCS (...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2018-07-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844017325677 |
| _version_ | 1830431773513744384 |
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| author | Michael A. Hunter Gregory Lieberman Brian A. Coffman Michael C. Trumbo Mikaela L. Armenta Charles S.H. Robinson Matthew A. Bezdek Anthony J. O'Sickey Aaron P. Jones Victoria Romero Seth Elkin-Frankston Sean Gaurino Leonard Eusebi Eric H. Schumacher Katie Witkiewitz Vincent P. Clark |
| author_facet | Michael A. Hunter Gregory Lieberman Brian A. Coffman Michael C. Trumbo Mikaela L. Armenta Charles S.H. Robinson Matthew A. Bezdek Anthony J. O'Sickey Aaron P. Jones Victoria Romero Seth Elkin-Frankston Sean Gaurino Leonard Eusebi Eric H. Schumacher Katie Witkiewitz Vincent P. Clark |
| author_sort | Michael A. Hunter |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mindfulness-based training (MBT) and transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) methods such as direct current stimulation (tDCS) have demonstrated promise for the augmentation of cognitive abilities. The current study investigated the potential compatibility of concurrent “electrical” MBT and tDCS (or eMBT) by testing its combined effects on behavioral and neurophysiological indices of working memory (WM) and attentional resource allocation. Thirty-four healthy participants were randomly assigned to either a MBT task with tDCS group (eMBT) or an active control training task with sham tDCS (Control) group. Training lasted 4-weeks, with up to twenty MBT sessions and with up to eight of those sessions that were eMBT sessions. Electroencephalography was acquired during varying WM load conditions using the n-back task (1-, 2-, 3-back), along with performance on complex WM span tasks (operation and symmetry span) and fluid intelligence measures (Ravens and Shipley) before and after training. Improved performance was observed only on the 3-back and spatial span tasks for eMBT but not the Control group. During 3-back performance in the eMBT group, an increase in P3 amplitude and theta power at electrode site Pz was also observed, along with a simultaneous decrease in frontal midline P3 amplitude and theta power compared to the Control group. These results are consistent with the neural efficiency hypothesis, where higher cognitive capacity was associated with more distributed brain activity (i.e., increase in parietal and decrease in frontal amplitudes). Future longitudinal studies are called upon to further examine the direct contributions of tDCS on MBT by assessing the differential effects of electrode montage, polarity, current strength and a direct contrast between the eMBT and MBT conditions on performance and neuroimaging outcome data. While preliminary, the current results provided evidence for the potential compatibility of using eMBT to modulate WM capacity through the allocation of attention and its neurophysiological correlates. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T02:12:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ffec6b37b5794c9f98e0e66c783e5d29 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T02:12:36Z |
| publishDate | 2018-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj.art-ffec6b37b5794c9f98e0e66c783e5d292022-12-21T19:19:19ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402018-07-0147e00685Mindfulness-based training with transcranial direct current stimulation modulates neuronal resource allocation in working memory: A randomized pilot study with a nonequivalent control groupMichael A. Hunter0Gregory Lieberman1Brian A. Coffman2Michael C. Trumbo3Mikaela L. Armenta4Charles S.H. Robinson5Matthew A. Bezdek6Anthony J. O'Sickey7Aaron P. Jones8Victoria Romero9Seth Elkin-Frankston10Sean Gaurino11Leonard Eusebi12Eric H. Schumacher13Katie Witkiewitz14Vincent P. Clark15Psychology Clinical Neuroscience Center, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA; The Mind Research Network and LBERI, Albuquerque, NM, USA; The Center for Brain Recovery and Repair, The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, NM, USA; Department of Neurosciences, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USAPsychology Clinical Neuroscience Center, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA; The Mind Research Network and LBERI, Albuquerque, NM, USA; U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA; Department of Bioengineering, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USAPsychology Clinical Neuroscience Center, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA; The Mind Research Network and LBERI, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Department of Psychiatry, The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USAPsychology Clinical Neuroscience Center, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USAPsychology Clinical Neuroscience Center, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USAPsychology Clinical Neuroscience Center, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USASchool of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USAPsychology Clinical Neuroscience Center, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USAPsychology Clinical Neuroscience Center, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USACharles River Analytics, Cambridge, MA, USACharles River Analytics, Cambridge, MA, USACharles River Analytics, Cambridge, MA, USACharles River Analytics, Cambridge, MA, USASchool of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USAPsychology Clinical Neuroscience Center, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USAPsychology Clinical Neuroscience Center, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA; The Mind Research Network and LBERI, Albuquerque, NM, USA; The Center for Brain Recovery and Repair, The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, NM, USA; Department of Neurosciences, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Corresponding author.Mindfulness-based training (MBT) and transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) methods such as direct current stimulation (tDCS) have demonstrated promise for the augmentation of cognitive abilities. The current study investigated the potential compatibility of concurrent “electrical” MBT and tDCS (or eMBT) by testing its combined effects on behavioral and neurophysiological indices of working memory (WM) and attentional resource allocation. Thirty-four healthy participants were randomly assigned to either a MBT task with tDCS group (eMBT) or an active control training task with sham tDCS (Control) group. Training lasted 4-weeks, with up to twenty MBT sessions and with up to eight of those sessions that were eMBT sessions. Electroencephalography was acquired during varying WM load conditions using the n-back task (1-, 2-, 3-back), along with performance on complex WM span tasks (operation and symmetry span) and fluid intelligence measures (Ravens and Shipley) before and after training. Improved performance was observed only on the 3-back and spatial span tasks for eMBT but not the Control group. During 3-back performance in the eMBT group, an increase in P3 amplitude and theta power at electrode site Pz was also observed, along with a simultaneous decrease in frontal midline P3 amplitude and theta power compared to the Control group. These results are consistent with the neural efficiency hypothesis, where higher cognitive capacity was associated with more distributed brain activity (i.e., increase in parietal and decrease in frontal amplitudes). Future longitudinal studies are called upon to further examine the direct contributions of tDCS on MBT by assessing the differential effects of electrode montage, polarity, current strength and a direct contrast between the eMBT and MBT conditions on performance and neuroimaging outcome data. While preliminary, the current results provided evidence for the potential compatibility of using eMBT to modulate WM capacity through the allocation of attention and its neurophysiological correlates.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844017325677PsychologyClinical psychologyNeuroscience |
| spellingShingle | Michael A. Hunter Gregory Lieberman Brian A. Coffman Michael C. Trumbo Mikaela L. Armenta Charles S.H. Robinson Matthew A. Bezdek Anthony J. O'Sickey Aaron P. Jones Victoria Romero Seth Elkin-Frankston Sean Gaurino Leonard Eusebi Eric H. Schumacher Katie Witkiewitz Vincent P. Clark Mindfulness-based training with transcranial direct current stimulation modulates neuronal resource allocation in working memory: A randomized pilot study with a nonequivalent control group Heliyon Psychology Clinical psychology Neuroscience |
| title | Mindfulness-based training with transcranial direct current stimulation modulates neuronal resource allocation in working memory: A randomized pilot study with a nonequivalent control group |
| title_full | Mindfulness-based training with transcranial direct current stimulation modulates neuronal resource allocation in working memory: A randomized pilot study with a nonequivalent control group |
| title_fullStr | Mindfulness-based training with transcranial direct current stimulation modulates neuronal resource allocation in working memory: A randomized pilot study with a nonequivalent control group |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mindfulness-based training with transcranial direct current stimulation modulates neuronal resource allocation in working memory: A randomized pilot study with a nonequivalent control group |
| title_short | Mindfulness-based training with transcranial direct current stimulation modulates neuronal resource allocation in working memory: A randomized pilot study with a nonequivalent control group |
| title_sort | mindfulness based training with transcranial direct current stimulation modulates neuronal resource allocation in working memory a randomized pilot study with a nonequivalent control group |
| topic | Psychology Clinical psychology Neuroscience |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844017325677 |
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