Twenty-three studies (1,577 participants) were included in the review: seven randomised controlled trials, eight non-randomised controlled trials and eight case-control studies.
Attention: Two trials found benefits from mindfulness training on sustained attention and five trials did not. All three case-control studies found significantly higher performances from meditators in tasks involving sustained attention. One trial found benefits from mindfulness training on selective attention and three trials did not. All four case-control studies found that meditators had significantly higher levels of selective sustained attention. Two trials found benefits from mindfulness training on executive attention and three trials did not. Evidence from four case-control studies was mixed. None of the three trials that investigated attention switching found statistically significant improvements of mindfulness training over control groups. One case-control study found some improvements in attention switching.
Memory: Three trials showed mixed results for effects of mindfulness meditation on working memory. Three trials found a range of positive results in terms of memory specificity in healthy and depressed patients. Two studies found no significant benefits on general measures of memory.
Executive function: All three trials found some benefits from mindfulness training on executive function.
Further results were reported in full in the paper.