Mindfulness practice with a brain‐sensing device improved cognitive functioning of elementary school children:An exploratory pilot study

This is the first pilot study with children that has assessed the effects of a brain–computer interface-assisted mindfulness program on neural mechanisms and associated cognitive performance. The participants were 31 children aged 9–10 years who were randomly assigned to either an eight-session mindfulness training with EEG-feedback or a passive control group. Mindfulness-related brain activity was measured during the training, while cognitive tests and resting-state brain activity were measured pre- and post-test. The within-group measurement of calm/focused brain states and mind-wandering revealed a significant linear change. Significant positive changes were detected in children’s inhibition, information processing, and resting-state brain activity (alpha, theta) compared to the control group. Elevated baseline alpha activity was associated with less reactivity in reaction time on a cognitive test. Our exploratory findings show some preliminary support for a potential executive function-enhancing effect of mindfulness supplemented with EEG-feedback, which may have some important implications for children’s self-regulated learning and academic achievement

A cross-temporal meta-analysis of changes in screen time among children over the past decades

This cross-temporal meta-analysis explores how children's screen time have changed over the past decades, and reveal any time trend changes that differ by characteristics of screen time (e.g., type of screen activity) or the characteristics of children (e.g., age, gender)

The moderating effect of temperament in mindfulness-based interventions on children’s cognitive skills and mental health

We are utilizing data from four previous, small-scale pilot RCTs of various mindfulness-based programs for children. All of these studies assessed executive function skills and two of the studies applied baseline cortisol assessment as well. Additionally, these studies applied a measure of children’s temperament (emotionality, activity, shyness, and sociability) and behavior problems (based on parents’ reports) at baseline. These will be tested as potential moderators of intervention efficacy. At the end we use a meta analytic analysis on the four small-scale pilot RCTs

The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Children’s Executive Functions: A Meta-Analysis

Executive functions (EFs) develop throughout childhood and is critical for children's cognitive performance, behaviour, emotion, and social interaction (Roufael et al., 2012; Anderson, 2002). Numerous educational interventions, including mindfulness training, aim to assist students in improving their EFs (Diamond & Lee, 2011; Takacs & Kassai, 2019). As mindfulness training for children has become popular in recent decades, more evidence is available since the meta-analysis of Takacs and Kassai (2019) which included studies up until 2016. The present meta-analysis will update the previous meta-analysis and synthesize the evidence regarding the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions for children’s (up to 12 years of age) EF skills