Neural Correlates of Adolescent Mindfulness, Working Memory, and Internalizing Symptoms

dc.contributor.advisorKopala-Sibley, Daniel C.
dc.contributor.advisorMacMaster, Frank P.
dc.contributor.authorStein, Jade Aurelie
dc.contributor.committeememberBray, Signe L.
dc.contributor.committeememberTomfohr-Madsen, Lianne
dc.date2020-11
dc.date.accessioned2020-08-20T20:26:13Z
dc.date.available2020-08-20T20:26:13Z
dc.date.issued2020-08
dc.description.abstractThe 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.en_US
dc.identifier.citationStein, 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.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/38102
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/112415
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisher.facultyCumming School of Medicineen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.en_US
dc.subjectMindfulnessen_US
dc.subjectInternalizing Symptomsen_US
dc.subjectWorking Memoryen_US
dc.subjectAdolescentsen_US
dc.subjectfMRIen_US
dc.subject.classificationNeuroscienceen_US
dc.subject.classificationPsychology--Cognitiveen_US
dc.titleNeural Correlates of Adolescent Mindfulness, Working Memory, and Internalizing Symptomsen_US
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineMedicine – Neuroscienceen_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgaryen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrueen_US
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