Controlled deep breathing technique intervention effects on resting EEG, subjective psychological distress, and executive function performance in young adults

Abstract

Controlled breathing techniques have been widely investigated for their role in emotional regulation; however, their effects on resting-state neural oscillatory activity and psychological distress remain insufficiently characterized. The present study examined whether a Controlled Deep Breathing Technique (CDBT) intervention modulates resting-state electroencephalographic (EEG) activity and subjective psychological distress in healthy adults. Forty healthy adults (ages 18 to 40 years) were randomly assigned to an experimental (CDBT) or control (natural breathing) intervention group for 20 min. Resting-state quantitative EEG (qEEG) was recorded before and after the intervention under eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. Behavioral measures included assessments of subjective psychological distress and executive functioning. qEEG analyses during resting-state focused on alpha/beta power ratios at frontal and parietal electrodes. Results showed a significant increase in alpha/beta ratios in the experimental group compared with the control group, particularly during the eyes-closed condition and at parietal electrodes. The experimental group also showed significant reductions in psychological distress scores and improvements in executive functioning measures, whereas no significant changes were observed in the control group. These findings suggest that CDBT may modulate frontoparietal oscillatory dynamics associated with relaxed mental states and improved executive functioning, providing preliminary evidence that CDBT may influence emotional regulation and cognitive control in healthy adults.