Mindfulness video game improves connectivity of the fronto-parietal attentional network in adolescents: A multi-modal imaging study

Elena G Patsenko, Nagesh Adluru, Rasmus M Birn, Diane E Stodola, Tammi R A Kral, Reza Farajian, Lisa Flook, Cory A Burghy, Constance Steinkuehler, Richard J Davidson, Elena G Patsenko, Nagesh Adluru, Rasmus M Birn, Diane E Stodola, Tammi R A Kral, Reza Farajian, Lisa Flook, Cory A Burghy, Constance Steinkuehler, Richard J Davidson

Abstract

Mindfulness training has been shown to improve attention and change the underlying brain substrates in adults. Most mindfulness training programs involve a myriad of techniques, and it is difficult to attribute changes to any particular aspect of the program. Here, we created a video game, Tenacity, which models a specific mindfulness technique - focused attention on one's breathing - and assessed its potential to train an attentional network in adolescents. A combined analysis of resting state functional connectivity (rs-FC) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) yielded convergent results - change in communication within the left fronto-parietal network after two weeks of playing Tenacity compared to a control game. Rs-FC analysis showed greater connectivity between left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and left inferior parietal cortex (IPC) in the Tenacity group. Importantly, changes in left dlPFC - IPC rs-FC and changes in structural connectivity of the white matter tract that connects these regions -left superior longitudinal fasiculus (SLF) - were associated with changes in performance on an attention task. Finally, changes in left dlPFC - IPC rs-FC correlated with the change in left SLF structural connectivity as measured by fractional anisotropy (FA) in the Tenacity group only.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01886911.

Conflict of interest statement

Dr. Richard J. Davidson is the founder, president, and serves on the board of directors for the non-profit organization, Healthy Minds Innovations, Inc. No donors, either anonymous or identified, have participated in the design, conduct, or reporting of research results in this manuscript. The remaining authors declare no potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Example timeline for Tenacity game: Players must tap with one finger on the first four outbreath and with two fingers on the fifth outbreath. Here, the first five images demonstrate correct taps, and the last image demonstrates an incorrect tap: a tap with two fingers on the first outbreath of a new cycle.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Playing Tenacity for two weeks increased rs-FC between L dlPFC and L IPC (Fisher’s Z). (A) A cluster in L IPC showing a group effect in the change in L dlPFC-L IPC rs-FC (P < 0.05, whole brain corrected); the red circle represents an independent left IPC ROI [−50, −20, 21] from, chosen to examine relationship of rs-FC and behavior. (B) Tenacity group: increase in L dlPFC-L IPC rs-FC from Time1 to Time2 (P < 0.05, not corrected). (C) FruitNinja group: decrease in L dlPFC-L IPC rs-FC from Time1 to Time2 (P < 0.05, not corrected). (D) Correlation between change in L dlPFC - L IPC rs-FC and change in accuracy on incongruent trials in the ECT task (n = 61).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Increase in white matter integrity in L SLF after two weeks playing Tenacity is associated with improvement in accuracy on ECT task. (A) L SLF John Hopkins University Atlas (B) Group difference in correlation between the change in fractional anisotropy (FA) of L SLF and the change in accuracy on incongruent trials in the ECT task (n = 80). (C) marginally significant correlation between the change in FA of L SLF and the change in L dlPFC- IPC rs-FC in Tenacity group (n = 31).

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