Background: Trait mindfulness-the tendency to attend to present-moment experiences without judgment-is negatively correlated with adolescent anxiety and depression. Understanding the neural mechanisms that underlie trait mindfulness may inform the neural basis of psychiatric disorders. However, few studies have identified brain connectivity states that are correlated with trait mindfulness in adolescence, and they have not assessed the reliability of such states.
Methods: To address this gap in knowledge, we rigorously assessed the reliability of brain states across 2 functional magnetic resonance imaging scans from 106 adolescents ages 12 to 15 (50% female). We performed both static and dynamic functional connectivity analyses and evaluated the test-retest reliability of how much time adolescents spent in each state. For the reliable states, we assessed associations with self-reported trait mindfulness.
Results: Higher trait mindfulness correlated with lower anxiety and depression symptoms. Static functional connectivity (intraclass correlation coefficients 0.31-0.53) was unrelated to trait mindfulness. Among the dynamic brains states that we identified, most were unreliable within individuals across scans. However, one state, a hyperconnected state of elevated positive connectivity between networks, showed good reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.65). We found that the amount of time that adolescents spent in this hyperconnected state positively correlated with trait mindfulness.
Conclusions: By applying dynamic functional connectivity analysis on over 100 resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans, we identified a highly reliable brain state that correlated with trait mindfulness. This brain state may reflect a state of mindfulness, or awareness and arousal more generally, which may be more pronounced in people who are higher in trait mindfulness.
Keywords: Adolescents; Brain states; Dynamics; Hyperconnectivity; Mindfulness; Trait mindfulness.
Self-reported mindfulness is negatively associated with adolescent mental illness. The neural bases of differences in self-reported mindfulness are poorly understood. Here, we systematically examined fMRI signatures of self-reported mindfulness in 100 adolescents, with a particular focus on time-varying brain states. After optimizing reliability, we found a state characterized by elevated brain network correlations, and it was positively associated with a specific mindfulness questionnaire that asks questions about emotional awareness and regulation. This state may reflect maintained arousal and awareness in more mindful adolescents.
© 2024 The Authors.