Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41136540›Full record

Trial reportScientific reports2025

Effects of mindfulness breathing meditation on stress and cognitive functions: a heart rate variability and eye-tracking study.

Ling Yut Hooi, Po Ling Chen, Kok Wei Tan, Marieke de Vries, Hoo Keat Wong

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Ling Yut HooiSchool of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia. moon.hooi.2299@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8687-788X
Po Ling ChenSchool of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia.
Kok Wei TanSchool of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading Malaysia, 79200, Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia.
Marieke de VriesFaculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584, Netherlands.
Hoo Keat WongSchool of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Mindfulness meditation has been suggested to protect mental health and enhance cognitive functions. However, the effectiveness of mindfulness breathing meditation for the general population in Malaysia has not been well documented. This study investigated the effects of mindfulness breathing meditation on perceived stress levels and cognitive functions (i.e., visual attention, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility) using heart rate variability (HRV) and eye-tracking methods. Fifty Malaysian adults aged between 18 and 34 years participated in this study. Participants were randomly allocated to either mindfulness breathing meditation or active control (music therapy) groups. Participants underwent a four-week intervention consisting of 30 min of online classes once a week and 10 min of daily meditation self-practice or music listening. The results showed significant improvement in cognitive flexibility and reduction in perceived stress levels after the intervention in the mindfulness breathing meditation group compared to the active control group. Participants in the mindfulness breathing meditation group self-reported this intervention as highly acceptable and effective in promoting stress reduction, emotional regulation, and attentional control. However, no significant improvement was found in attention, inhibitory control, and HRV after the intervention, suggesting that the mindfulness breathing meditation had no effect on these variables. While short-term engagement with mindfulness breathing meditation practice is achievable, the three-month follow-up using the Mindfulness Adherence Questionnaire showed that sustaining long-term adherence remains a challenge. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: The approved Stage 1 protocol can be found under "Files", named "SR_HLY_Manuscript_OSF", via this link: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/P67EG .

Indexed as

Breathing ExercisesCognitionHeart RateMeditationMindfulnessStress, PsychologicalAdolescentAdultAttentionEye-Tracking TechnologyFemaleHumansMalaysiaMaleYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID41136540
PMCPMC12552627

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.