Mindfulness and attention.

The objective of the current study is to investigate the effect of mindfulness training on attention shifting in a pain setting. This question will be tested in an experimental design. Measuring the modulating effects of attention on the processing of short electrocutaneous painful and non-painful stimuli by comparing the patterns in brain activity en subjective measurements during different conditions of attention. Outcomes of the study will be used to further investigate mindfulness training in chronic pain patients.

We expect that after a 8-week mindfulness course participants are better able to (re)orient their attention in a pain setting.

Participants engage in a 8-week mindfulness training and have to take part in two EEG sessions. Half of the participants will be measures right before the mindfulness training and right after the mindfulness training. The other half of the participants will be measures right after the mindfulness training and 8 weeks after the mindfulness training.

Half of the participants will first take part in the EEG experiments (group 1). Next all participants receive a mindfulness intervention for 8 weeks (group 1 and 2). Next, all participants will take part in the EEG experiments (group 1 and 2). Finally, after 8 weeks half of the participants will take part in the EEG experiments (group 2). This
design makes it possible to distinguish between the effect of mindfulness, the effect of practice and the effect of mindfulness after several weeks.



The intervention we use is an Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) training. MBSR is a group program that focuses upon the progressive
acquisition of mindful awareness, or mindfulness. MBSR comprises a series of exercises designed to give participants experiences of mindfulness (Kabat-Zinn, 1994). MBSR is a structured 8 week group program with usually groups between 10-40 participants. Single week sessions last 2.5 hours. Since mindfulness is predicated upon regular
and repeated practice, participants enter upon enrolling into a commitment to carry out daily 20-45-min homework assignments. The
training asks great discipline and commitment of participants. The formal exercises which will be presented are the body-scan, sitting mindfulness meditation, Hatha-yoga exercises and meditative walking (Hulsbergen, 2009). The formal exercises serve to become increasingly present in each moment in everyday life. Also informal exercises are included in the training, which serve to develop attentiveness in daily activities. At the start and at the end of the mindfulness-training participants are presented The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire Short Form(FFMQ-SF) to assess different aspects of mindfulness.