Mindful young brains and minds: a systematic review of the neural correlates of mindfulness-based interventions in youth

Abstract

This systematic narrative review examines neuroimaging studies that investigated the neural correlates of mindfulness-based interventions in youth (ages 0–18). We extracted 13 studies with a total of 467 participants aged 5–18 years from the MEDLINE database on February 21st, 2024. These studies included both typically developing youth and those at risk of developing or recovering from neuropsychiatric disorders. Most studies (76.9%) utilized a pre-post intervention design, with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) being the most common imaging modality (46.1%), followed by task-based fMRI (38.4%), diffusion-weighted imaging (15.4%), and structural MRI (7.7%). Despite substantial heterogeneity across study designs and findings, several consistent patterns emerged. Resting-state fMRI studies generally reported increased functional connectivity within and between networks, notably involving the salience network, frontoparietal network, and default mode network. Studies using diffusion-weighted imaging indicated enhancements in white matter microstructural properties, supporting overall connectivity improvements. Several task-based fMRI studies identified decreased activation of the default mode network and heightened reactivity of the salience network during or after mindfulness practice, with real-time neurofeedback further amplifying these effects. While preliminary, the reviewed studies suggest that mindfulness interventions may alter both functional and structural connectivity and activity in youth, potentially bolstering self-regulation and cognitive control. Nonetheless, the variability in methodologies and small sample sizes restricts the generalizability of these results. Future research should prioritize larger and more diverse samples, and standardized mindfulness-based interventions to deepen our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying mindfulness-based interventions in youth and to optimize their efficacy.