Evaluating the feasibility of a consumer-grade wearable EEG headband to aid assessment of state and trait mindfulness

Objectives Measures from wearable devices could be a valuable supplement to mindfulness assessment and intervention. This observational study evaluated measures from a consumer-grade EEG headband (Muse, InteraXon, Inc.) as novel correlates of state mindfulness during focused attention meditation. Methods Adult participants (N = 68, M-age = 22.66, SDage = 7.35) completed a task-based measure of state mindfulness and thought probe measures of subjective mind wandering while meditating with the EEG headband. A subset completed 14 days of home practice (n = 29). Results Device measures were sensitive to attention lapses within-participants in the state mindfulness task (d = 0.56) and had large between-participants associations for the same task (r = -0.50). Mean device metrics from home practice together explained approximately 30% of variance in self-reported trait mindfulness, attentional control, nonattachment, and decentering. Conclusion EEG biomarkers show potential as correlates of mindfulness with distinct benefits over existing assessment methods.