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At-Home use of App-Based Mindfulness for Children: A Randomized Active-Controlled Trial

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-023-02231-3

Treves, Isaac N. ; Olson, Halie A. ; Ozernov-Palchik, Ola ; Li, Cindy E. ; Wang, Kimberly L. ; Arechiga, Xochitl M. ; Goldberg, Simon B. ; Gabrieli, John D. E. ( October 2023 , Mindfulness)

Abstract Objectives
School-based mindfulness interventions in children have shown benefits to child well-being. Here, we investigated the effectiveness of a remote, app-based mindfulness intervention for promoting well-being in children.
Method
We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with two control groups to examine the effects of an 8-week mindfulness intervention in U.S. children ages 8–10. We compared pre-post effects between a mindfulness intervention using theInner Explorerapp, and two audiobook control interventions. The 279 children who participated in the interventions were assessed on self-report measures of anxiety and depression symptoms, perceived stress and trait mindfulness and we also collected parental reports.
Results
Over 80% of children completed the intervention in each condition. There was evidence for reduced self-perceived stress in children and reduced negative affect in children by parental reports using the mindfulness app, but no significant reduction for anxiety or depression symptoms. In general, between-group effect sizes were small (d < 0.45). Regular use, defined as at least 30 days of mindfulness practice within the study period, was associated with reduced child negative affect by parental reports, as well as reduced parental stress and child self-perceived stress.
Conclusions
These findings suggest that home use of a mindfulness app in young children can have a positive impact on children’s emotional well-being if the app is used regularly, specifically for at least 30 days in the 8-week study period. Strategies aimed at promoting regular use of the mindfulness app at home could lead to even better outcomes for children.
Preregistration
Preregistered on OSF athttps://osf.io/23vax

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The development of race effects in face processing from childhood through adulthood: Neural and behavioral evidence

https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13058

Golarai, Golijeh ; Ghahremani, Dara G. ; Greenwood, Anders C. ; Gabrieli, John D. E. ; Eberhardt, Jennifer L. ( December 2020 , Developmental Science)

Abstract
Most adults are better at recognizing recently encountered faces of their own race, relative to faces of other races. In adults, this race effect in face recognition is associated with differential neural representations of own‐ and other‐race faces in the fusiform face area (FFA), a high‐level visual region involved in face recognition. Previous research has linked these differential face representations in adults to viewers’ implicit racial associations. However, despite the fact that the FFA undergoes a gradual development which continues well into adulthood, little is known about the developmental time‐course of the race effect in FFA responses. Also unclear is how this race effect might relate to the development of face recognition or implicit associations with own‐ or other‐races during childhood and adolescence. To examine the developmental trajectory of these race effects, in a cross‐sectional study of European American (EA) children (ages 7–11), adolescents (ages 12–16) and adults (ages 18–35), we evaluated responses to adult African American (AA) and EA face stimuli, using functional magnetic resonance imaging and separate behavioral measures outside the scanner. We found that FFA responses to AA and EA faces differentiated during development from childhood into adulthood; meanwhile, the magnitudes of race effects increased in behavioral measures of face‐recognition and implicit racial associations. These three race effects were positively correlated, even after controlling for age. These findings suggest that social and perceptual experiences shape a protracted development of the race effect in face processing that continues well into adulthood.

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Neurocognitive mechanisms of co‐occurring math difficulties in dyslexia: Differences in executive function and visuospatial processing

https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13443

Marks, Rebecca A. ; Pollack, Courtney ; Meisler, Steven L. ; D'Mello, Anila M. ; Centanni, Tracy M. ; Romeo, Rachel R. ; Wade, Karolina ; Matejko, Anna A. ; Ansari, Daniel ; Gabrieli, John D. E. ; et al ( September 2023 , Developmental Science)

Abstract
Children with dyslexia frequently also struggle with math. However, studies of reading disability (RD) rarely assess math skill, and the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying co‐occurring reading and math disability (RD+MD) are not clear. The current study aimed to identify behavioral and neurocognitive factors associated with co‐occurring MD among 86 children with RD. Within this sample, 43% had co‐occurring RD+MD and 22% demonstrated a possible vulnerability in math, while 35% had no math difficulties (RD‐Only). We investigated whether RD‐Only and RD+MD students differed behaviorally in their phonological awareness, reading skills, or executive functions, as well as in the brain mechanisms underlying word reading and visuospatial working memory using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The RD+MD group did not differ from RD‐Only on behavioral or brain measures of phonological awareness related to speech or print. However, the RD+MD group demonstrated significantly worse working memory and processing speed performance than the RD‐Only group. The RD+MD group also exhibited reduced brain activations for visuospatial working memory relative to RD‐Only. Exploratory brain‐behavior correlations along a broad spectrum of math ability revealed that stronger math skills were associated with greater activation in bilateral visual cortex. These converging neuro‐behavioral findings suggest that poor executive functions in general, including differences in visuospatial working memory, are specifically associated with co‐occurring MD in the context of RD.
Research Highlights
Children with reading disabilities (RD) frequently have a co‐occurring math disability (MD), but the mechanisms behind this high comorbidity are not well understood.
We examined differences in phonological awareness, reading skills, and executive function between children with RD only versus co‐occurring RD+MD using behavioral and fMRI measures.
Children with RD only versus RD+MD did not differ in their phonological processing, either behaviorally or in the brain.
RD+MD was associated with additional behavioral difficulties in working memory, and reduced visual cortex activation during a visuospatial working memory task.

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