Measuring Meditation Progress with a Consumer-Grade EEG Device: Caution from a Randomized Controlled Trial
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Measuring Meditation Progress with a Consumer-Grade EEG Device: Caution from a Randomized Controlled Trial Rebecca L. Acabchuk 1
&
Mareyna A. Simon 1 & Spencer Low 1 & Julie M. Brisson 1 & Blair T. Johnson 1
# Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Objectives Consumer-grade electroencephalogram (EEG) devices designed to assist people with meditation are gaining popularity. This study investigates EEG-based outcome measures provided by the Muse device and their relation to mindfulness scores and mental health in a meditation intervention. Methods Fifty-three novice meditators (university students taking part in the registered clinical trial NCT03402009) were asked to meditate 10 min per day for 1 month, randomly assigned to use (1) meditation app (“app group”) or (2) meditation app, plus Muse neurofeedback device (“Muse group”). Pre- and post-intervention measures include Muse EEG scores assessed in a 5-min meditation and self-report scales of mindfulness and distress. A satisfaction survey and brief interview were conducted postintervention. Results Baseline levels of mindfulness on MINDSENS were not correlated with “calm” scores on Muse. Following the 1-month meditation intervention, neither meditation group demonstrated improvements in EEG outcome measures according to the Muse app; in fact, the app group performed significantly worse at follow-up compared to baseline according to Muse’s user scores. Conversely, both groups showed significantly reduced distress and increased mindfulness scores following the intervention. Seventy-six percent of participants meditated at least three to four times per week, and both groups reported high levels of satisfaction with their meditation device (84% app group; 74% Muse group). Conclusions Users, researchers, and clinicians should use caution in interpreting EEG outcomes on consumer-grade neurofeedback devices. Results suggest EEG outcome scores are not a proxy for mindfulness score, meditation practice, mental health status, or improvement over time in young adult novice meditators. Trial Registration https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03402009 Keywords Mindfulness . RCT . EEG . Muse . Neurofeedback . Meditation
With the growing interest in mindfulness meditation and using technology for self-improvement (Swan 2013; Yetison 2018), consumer-grade electroencephalogram (EEG) devices designed to assist users in learning how to meditate are becoming more widely used in the general public, as well as in clinical and research settings. Mindfulness meditation, which focuses on training the mind to pay attention in a particular way to become aware of present moment experience with an
* Rebecca L. Acabchuk [email protected] 1
Department of Psychological Sciences, Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy, University of Connecticut, 2006 Hillside Road, Unit 1248, Storrs, CT 06269-1248, USA
attitude of curiosity and acceptance (Bishop et al. 2004), shows promise in both healthy and clinical
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