Neural Correlates of Adolescent Mindfulness, Working Memory, and Internalizing Symptoms
Date
2020-08
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Abstract
The central aim of this thesis was to investigate behavioural and neural associations between dispositional mindfulness, working memory, and internalizing symptoms in adolescents. One hundred and thirty-one adolescents, aged 11-18 (M = 13.76, SD = 1.65), who had a parent with a history of mood or anxiety disorders completed measures of dispositional mindfulness, internalizing symptoms, and working memory, including a functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) N-Back task. Hierarchal regressions and correlation analyses were performed. The blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal was contrasted between 2-back versus 0-back conditions and a small volume correction was computed in the dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC, vlPFC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Controlling for neuroticism, sex, and mindfulness experience, higher adolescent dispositional mindfulness, including higher self-acceptance and the interaction between attention and awareness and nonreactivity, related to fewer internalizing symptoms. Endorsement of attention and awareness was associated with better 2-back efficiency, except when controlling for mindfulness experience. Internalizing symptoms related to slower reaction time, controlling for sex. Significantly less BOLD signal in the right vlPFC was observed in adolescents with higher attention and awareness scores when controlling for mindfulness experience. Self-acceptance and nonreactive observing (attention and awareness x nonreactivity) may be unique components of mindfulness that have implications for adolescent internalizing symptoms. Adolescents with higher attention and awareness may require less cognitive effort when performing working memory tasks. Learning to be mindful on a daily basis may be beneficial for adolescent cognition and emotional well-being.
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Keywords
Mindfulness, Internalizing Symptoms, Working Memory, Adolescents, fMRI
Citation
Stein, J. A. (2020). Neural correlates of adolescent mindfulness, working memory, and internalizing symptoms (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.