The effect of mindfulness-based intervention on neurobehavioural functioning and its association with white-matter microstructural changes in preterm young adolescents.

Very preterm (VPT) young adolescents are at high risk of executive, behavioural and socio-emotional difficulties. Previous research has shown significant evidence of the benefits of mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on these abilities. This study aims to assess the association between the effects of MBI on neurobehavioral functioning and changes in white-matter microstructure in VPT young adolescents who completed an 8-week MBI program. Neurobehavioural assessments (i.e., neuropsychological testing, parents- and self-reported questionnaires) and multi-shell diffusion MRI were performed before and after MBI in 32 VPT young adolescents. Combined diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) measures were extracted on well-defined white matter tracts (TractSeg). A multivariate data-driven approach (partial least squares correlation) was used to explore associations between MBI-related changes on neurobehavioural measures and microstructural changes. The results showed an enhancement of global executive functioning using parent-reported questionnaire after MBI that was associated with a general pattern of increase in fractional anisotropy (FA) and decrease in axonal dispersion (ODI) in white-matter tracts involved in executive processes. Young VPT adolescents with lower gestational age at birth showed the greatest gain in white-matter microstructural changes after MBI.

The effect of a mindfulness-based intervention on executive, behavioural and socio-emotional competencies in very preterm young adolescents.

Very preterm (VPT) children and adolescents show executive, behavioural and socio-emotional difficulties that persists into adulthood. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) in improving these competencies in VPT young adolescents using a randomised controlled trial design. 56 young adolescents aged 10-14 years, born before 32 gestational weeks, were randomly assigned to an "intervention" or a "waiting" group and completed an 8-week MBI in a cross-over design. Executive, behavioural and socio-emotional competencies were assessed at three different time points via parent and self-reported questionnaires, neuropsychological testing and computerised tasks. The data were analysed using an intention-to-treat approach with linear regression modelling. Our findings show a beneficial effect of MBI on executive, behavioural and socio-emotional competencies in VPT young adolescents measured by parent questionnaires. Increased executive competencies were also observed on computerised task with enhanced speed of processing after MBI. Two subgroups of participants were created based on measures of prematurity, which revealed increased long-term benefits in the moderate-risk that were not observed in the high-risk subgroups of VPT young adolescents. MBI seems a valuable tool for reducing detrimental consequences of prematurity in young adolescents, especially regarding executive, behavioural and socio-emotional difficulties.Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrials, NCT04638101. Registered 20 November 2020-Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT04638101 .

[Mindfulness based interventions for children and adolescents]. / Interventions basées sur la pleine conscience pour les enfants et les adolescents.

Mindfulness based interventions (MBI) are widely available to adults. Programs are also offered to children and adolescents. Interventions in school and clinical settings are increasingly being published in scientific literature. In the school context, the effects are promising on psychological health, such as stress, anxiety, depression or externalized behaviours, and on executive functions, attention, and socio-emotional skills. In the clinical context, MBI has a particular effect on stress/anxiety and depression as well as on the key symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. These results are very encouraging, but all meta-analyses and literature reviews nevertheless emphasize the need for studies with robust methodology before proposing MBI on a large scale for this population.

Les interventions basées sur la pleine conscience (MBI) sont de plus en plus proposées aux enfants et aux adolescents et font l'objet de nombreuses publications scientifiques. Dans le contexte scolaire, les effets sont prometteurs sur la santé psychologique, comme le stress, l'anxiété, la dépression ou les comportements externalisés et sur les fonctions exécutives, l'attention, et les compétences socioémotionnelles. Dans le contexte clinique, les MBI ont un effet en particulier sur le stress/l'anxiété et la dépression ainsi que sur les symptômes clés du trouble du déficit d'attention avec hyperactivité. Ces résultats sont très encourageants mais toutes les méta-analyses et les revues de la littérature soulignent néanmoins la nécessité de faire des études à la méthodologie robuste avant de proposer des MBI à large échelle.