Meditators Probably Show Increased Behaviour-Monitoring Related Neural Activity

Abstract

Objectives Mindfulness meditation is associated with better attention function. Performance monitoring and error-processing are important aspects of attention. We investigated whether experienced meditators showed different neural activity related to performance monitoring and error-processing. Previous research has produced inconsistent results. This study used more rigorous analyses and a larger sample to resolve the inconsistencies.

Method We used electroencephalography (EEG) to measure the error-related negativity (ERN) and error positivity (Pe) following correct and incorrect responses to a Go/Nogo task from 27 experienced meditators and 27 non-meditators.

Results No differences were found in the ERN (all p > 0.05). Meditators showed larger global field potentials (GFP) in the Pe after correct responses and errors, indicating stronger neural responses (p = 0.019, FDR-p = 0.152, np2 = 0.095, BFincl = 2.691). This effect did not pass multiple comparison controls. However, single-electrode analysis of the Pe did pass multiple comparison controls (p = 0.002, FDR-p = 0.016, np2 = 0.133, BFincl = 220.659). Meditators also showed a significantly larger Pe GFP for errors, which would have passed multiple comparison controls, but was not a primary analysis (p = 0.003, np2 = 0.149, BF10 = 9.999).

Conclusions Meditation may strengthen neural responses related to performance monitoring. However, these strengthened neural responses were not specific to error monitoring (although the error-related Pe may be more sensitive to group differences than the correct response Pe). These conclusions remain tentative, because the single-electrode analysis passed multiple comparison controls, but the analysis including all electrodes did not.

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