Enhancing attention network and neural efficiency through brief mindfulness meditation

The effects of brief mindfulness meditation (BMM) on attention networks remain unclear. Using Event-Related Potentials (ERPs), this study investigated how 18 days of Anapanasati meditation (JW2016 mental exercises, 15 min/day) modulates attentional functions in healthy adults. Behaviorally, BMM produced a selective enhancement of the executive control network, evidenced by significantly faster overall reaction times(mean ~631 → ~599 ms) and a robust reduction in conflict-related processing costs, without compromising task accuracy. Concurrent EEG analyses revealed that BMM reorganized temporal processing dynamics and promoted greater neural efficiency. Specifically, the intervention induced a strategic expansion of the P3N1 latency interval by 25.52 ms ( p < 0.05), characterized by accelerated early perceptual encoding (N1) coupled with prolonged, deliberate higher-order evaluation (P3). Furthermore, channel-level ANCOVA results showed frontal modulation of the P3N1 latency index, with significant effects at F3, Fp2, and Fz, and posterior modulation of the peak-to-peak P3N1 amplitude index, with significant effects at P4 and Oz, indicating more economical neural resource allocation. These findings demonstrate that brief daily mindfulness interventions can rapidly optimize executive control by promoting neural efficiency, driving a strategic neurocognitive shift toward more efficient information processing. Such neuroplastic adaptations hold significant potential for scalable cognitive training and educational applications.