TUESDAY, June 30, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Digital mindfulness with electroencephalogram (EEG) feedback — the FocusZen stress reduction system — reduces depression, anxiety and sleep symptoms among participants with late-life depression (LLD), according to an October 2026 study. Journal of Psychological Research.
Kemeng Zhu, of Capital Medical University in Beijing, and colleagues evaluated the FocusZen stress reduction system in mild to moderate LLD. A total of 54 participants with mild to moderate LLD were randomly assigned to a six-week intervention (daily FocusZen sessions) or a control group (general health information) (27 per group).
The researchers found that the intervention group had a reduction in symptoms of depression (Depression Rating Scale-17), anxiety (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale), and sleep disturbances (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), as well as improvements in cognition (Montreal Cognitive Assessment). The intervention group had higher response and remission rates. An increase in frontal theta and alpha activity was observed in the exploratory EEG analysis.
The authors write, “A digital mindfulness intervention based on the FocusZen relaxation system effectively improved symptoms of anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders in patients with mild-to-moderate LLD, and also led to cognitive improvements in gray matter.” “This intervention was accompanied by increased frontal theta and alpha spectral activity; however, the mechanistic significance of these EEG changes remains unclear and requires further investigation.”
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