EEG Activation During a Mindfulness Session and Its Effects on Memory Encoding

Authors

  • Ruben Perez-Elvira NEPSA Rehabilitacion Neurologica https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9606-3791
  • César Rodríguez Ledo Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Andalucía
  • Alfonso Salgado Ruiz Pontifical University of Salamanca https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3534-2276
  • María Agudo Juan NEPSA Rehabilitación Neurológica
  • Pilar Quiroga Méndez Pontifical University of Salamanca
  • Andrei Dragomir The N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore
  • Raluca Costea “Dr. Gheorghe Preda” Psychiatric Hospital of Sibiu
  • Bogdan Neamtu Research Department, Sibiu Pediatric Hospital

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15540/nr.11.2.112

Keywords:

mindfulness, explicit mnesic enhancement, quantitative EEG (QEEG)

Abstract

This paper investigates the potential impact of a single mindfulness session on explicit memory recall, employing quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) to compare a study group to a control group. Phase synchronization in alpha, theta, and gamma frequency bands across various brain regions involved in memory processes was analyzed. Twenty-eight adults, balanced in gender and age, participated in both groups. Memory encoding and retrieval were assessed using word lists presented over four successive sections, with EEG recordings taken before, during, and after mindfulness sessions. Results revealed increased theta and decreased gamma band activation in the right hemisphere during mindfulness, with synchronization between temporal and parietal cortices and frontal cortex during encoding. Higher gamma activation in specific brain regions correlated with better recall. While the study group showed no significant decline in posttest scores compared to controls, suggesting mindfulness may serve as a protective factor in free recall, further research with larger datasets is needed for validation.

Author Biographies

Ruben Perez-Elvira, NEPSA Rehabilitacion Neurologica

Lab. of Neuropsychophysiology

NEPSA Rehabilitación Neurológica

Professor at Pontifical University of Salamanca

María Agudo Juan, NEPSA Rehabilitación Neurológica

Lab. of Neuropsychophysiology

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Published

2024-06-27

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Vol. 11 No. 2 (2024)

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Research Papers

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Copyright (c) 2024 Ruben Perez-Elvira, César Rodríguez Ledo, Alfonso Salgado Ruiz, María Agudo Juan, Pilar Quiroga Méndez, Andrei Dragomir, Raluca Costea, Bogdan Neamtu

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