Mindful Minds: Acceptability and Feasibility of Mindfulness-Based Neurofeedback Training for Racial and Ethnic Minority Scholars
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 已完成
- 入组人数
- 39
- 试验地点
- 1
- 主要终点
- Total Correct Responses on the Verbal Mental Arithmetic Task - Final Session
研究概览
简要总结
The study examines the efficacy of a mindfulness-based neurofeedback protocol designed to improve academic performance and reduce performance anxiety in racial and ethnic minority college students. Using NeuroSky and BrainTrain technology, the intervention incorporates mindfulness principles to enhance participants' self-regulation skills. Continuous heart rate variability (HRV) data is collected to assess stress levels, sleep, and exercise. The research aims to explore the acceptability and feasibility of this approach, with the goal of addressing academic performance and anxiety in this population.
详细描述
The United States has witnessed a notable increase in the enrollment of racial and ethnic minority students (i.e., "The minority racial and ethnic groups defined by Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) are American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. The ethnicity used is Latino or Hispanic"). With the rise in college enrollment has also come concerns about the challenges racial and ethnic minority students are facing, such as "experiencing microaggressions, discrimination, imposter syndrome, and negative campus climate," which have been found to contribute to mental health problems for minority college students. Those who identify as more than one race had the highest rate of anxiety (39.8%), followed by American Indian/Alaskan Native (39.1%), Arab/Arab American (35.2%) and Latino (35.2%).6 However, the majority of research about college students' mental health status and treatment is focused on the general college student population, with extensive studies having only small subsets of racial and ethnic minority student representation. Given the ubiquity of mental health challenges in college students, the development of an easily utilized, readily available, inexpensive, with minimal side-effects intervention is needed. Neurofeedback and mindfulness have both been found to show significant improvements in performance enhancement, anxiety reduction, and improved focus/awareness. Through continuous neurofeedback interventions, individuals tend to improve interoceptive awareness and develop mechanisms to facilitate emotional control. Mindfulness meditation can help individuals gain control of their attention, which may, in turn, help to facilitate control of thoughts and emotions. Currently, there is little research on the benefits of neurofeedback using mindfulness-based interventions to improve academic performance in students from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds. This research program responds to the urgent need for targeted interventions to enhance academic success and improve mental health among racial and ethnic minority students in higher education. Using a randomized control trial, 36 participants will be randomly assigned to either the 4-week mindfulness-based neurofeedback intervention or business as usual. The investigators hypothesize that participants in the experimental group will significantly improve test performance and reduce academic anxiety compared to the control group. Focused on examining the acceptability and feasibility of a mindfulness-based neurofeedback intervention, the study aims to address performance anxiety and improve test performance as well as mental health by providing real-time feedback and objective analysis to overcome the limitations of traditional stress management programs. The research also aims to offer a more accessible and practical approach, contributing valuable insights to promote equitable outcomes for underrepresented students.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Randomized
- 干预模型
- Parallel
- 主要目的
- Other
- 盲法
- Single (Participant)
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 18 Years 至 30 Years（Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 是
入选标准
- •Aged between 18 and 30 years old
- •Currently enrolled in a 4-year university
- •Individuals from an ethnic or racial minority background (i.e., "The minority racial and ethnic groups defined by Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) are American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. The ethnicity used is Latino or Hispanic.")
排除标准
- •Severe depression (cut off score of 15 or higher on Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9))
- •Previously receiving biofeedback training.
- •Severe medical condition (e.g., pacemaker, cardiac arrhythmia, hypertension, diabetes).
- •Showing symptoms of psychosis
- •Having a neurological condition (e.g., Parkinson's disease) that would complicate the interpretation of physiological data.
- •Taking medications such as SSRIs, alpha/beta-blockers, or withdrawal or maintenance medications (e.g., Librium, methadone)
- •Using substances such as tobacco and illicit drugs, and 8)alcohol consumption as defined by National Institute of Health (NIH) as "more than 2 drinks (1 drink for women) in a day or drinking more than 5 drinks (4 for women) on the same occasion (i.e., at the same time or within a couple of hours of each other) on at least 1 day in the past month" are excluded due to their potential to affect the data.
研究组 & 干预措施
Mindfulness Neurofeedback
For the experimental group, participants will engage in a mindfulness-based neurofeedback training protocol designed to enhance academic performance and reduce performance anxiety. The intervention involves the use of NeuroSky and BrainTrain technology to provide real-time feedback on brain activity, helping participants develop better self-regulation skills. The training incorporates guided mindfulness exercises focused on promoting relaxation and sustained attention.
After the training with the researcher, the experimental group participants will go home and practice independently (10 -15 minutes of mindfulness-based neurofeedback training once daily) with weekly 10-minute virtual check-ins for 4 weeks. Participants will also be asked to record 5 minutes of heart rate variability (HRV) data using the OptimalHRV device twice a day to measure their HRV. At the end of the study, participants will return to the lab for one final mindfulness-meditation session.
干预措施: NeuroSky Mindfulness-Based Neurofeedback (Device)
Business as Usual
The control group participants will not engage in mindfulness-based neurofeedback training. Participants in the control group will continue their daily routines without meditation for 4 weeks. Heart rate variability (HRV) will be monitored using the OptimalHRV device to monitor HRV, but no intervention will be provided. Weekly 10-minute virtual check-ins with the research team will ensure compliance, address questions, and maintain engagement. Data collected from the OptimalHRV device will provide a baseline for comparison, helping to evaluate the effectiveness of the neurofeedback intervention in the experimental group.
结局指标
主要结局
Total Correct Responses on the Verbal Mental Arithmetic Task - Final Session
时间窗: Final session at 4 weeks
Trier Social Stress Test will be utilized to induce performance anxiety through a mock job interview and mental arithmetic task conducted in front of a non-responsive committee at baseline and the final session (after 4 weeks). This test uses a standardized protocol that not only facilitates a more robust evaluation of our intervention but also elevates the ecological validity of the study by assessing its effects in a real-life scenario. The social stress test not only facilitates a more robust evaluation of our intervention but also elevates the ecological validity of the study by assessing its effects in a real-life scenario.
Academic Anxiety at Final Session
时间窗: Final session at 4 weeks
The Academic Anxiety Scale (AAS) will be used to examine performance anxiety at baseline and final session (after 4 weeks). This 11-item questionnaire uses a 4-point Likert Scale (1 = not at all typical of me to 4 = very typical of me) and measures broader aspects of academic-based anxiety beyond cognitive factors. The AAS includes items designed to assess apprehension and anxiety in academic settings, with high reliability (split-half Guttman reliability of 0.91 and Cronbach's Alpha of 0.94).
Number of Participants Reporting Weekly Experience Themes During the Intervention
时间窗: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks
Semi-structured interviews will be conducted during the weekly check-ins to further our understanding of the intervention's acceptability utilizing qualitative techniques such as thematic analysis.
Academic Anxiety With Beck Anxiety Inventory at Final Session
时间窗: Final session at 4 weeks
The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) measured generalized anxiety at baseline and final session (after 4 weeks) using a 21-item Likert scale (0 to 3) to assess how distressing anxiety symptoms have been over the past week. Scores range from 0 to 63, with levels categorized as minimal (0-7), mild (8-15), moderate (16-25), and severe (30-63). The BAI has been widely used among racially diverse groups. The investigators hypothesize that BAI scores will vary significantly from pre- to post-intervention.
Number of Participants Reporting Technology-Related Feasibility Issues During Weekly Check-Ins
时间窗: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks
Semi-structured interviews will be conducted during the weekly check-ins to further our understanding of the intervention's feasibility utilizing qualitative techniques such as thematic analysis.
次要结局
- Attention With Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test(From enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks)
- Attention With Mental Stress Assessment(From enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks)
- Increased Alpha Activity(From enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks)
- Heart Rate Variability(From enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks)
研究者
Amelia Saul, PhD, CTRS, BCB
Assistant Teaching Professor
Florida International University