Reduced age-associated brain changes in expert meditators: a multimodal neuroimaging pilot study
Gaël Chételat, Florence Mezenge, Clémence Tomadesso, Brigitte Landeau, Eider M. Arenaza‐Urquijo, Géraldine Rauchs, Claire André, Robin de Florès, Stéphanie Egret, Julie Gonneaud, Géraldine Poisnel, Anne Chocat, Anne Quillard, Béatrice Desgranges, Jean-Gérard Bloch, Matthieu Ricard, Antoine Lutz
Scientific Reports August 25, 2017 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07764-x via OpenAlex
Summary
Aging typically shrinks brain volume and lowers glucose metabolism, with stress and poor sleep accelerating these changes. In a pilot study comparing 6 elderly expert meditators with 67 elderly controls, the meditators showed greater gray matter volume and/or FDG metabolism in several brain regions: the ventromedial prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex, insula, temporo-parietal junction, and posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus. These same regions were most affected by age in a larger control group of 186 people aged 20 to 87. The differences persisted after adjusting for lifestyle factors and education. The findings suggest that lifelong meditation might reduce age-related brain decline, but larger and longitudinal studies are needed.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Pilot study Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 73 |
| Population | Elderly expert meditators and elderly controls |
| Intervention | Meditation practice |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Precuneus Posterior cingulate Insula Neuroimaging |
| Citations | 67 |
| Key finding | Elderly expert meditators had greater gray matter volume and/or FDG metabolism in multiple brain regions compared to elderly controls, suggesting meditation may reduce age-related brain changes. |
Abstract
Aging is associated with progressive cerebral volume and glucose metabolism decreases. Conditions such as stress and sleep difficulties exacerbate these changes and are risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. Meditation practice, aiming towards stress reduction and emotion regulation, can downregulate these adverse factors. In this pilot study, we explored the possibility that lifelong meditation practice might reduce age-related brain changes by comparing structural MRI and FDG-PET data in 6 elderly expert meditators versus 67 elderly controls. We found increased gray matter volume and/or FDG metabolism in elderly expert meditators compared to controls in the bilateral ventromedial prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex, insula, temporo-parietal junction, and posterior cingulate cortex /precuneus. Most of these regions were also those exhibiting the strongest effects of age when assessed in a cohort of 186 controls aged 20 to 87 years. Moreover, complementary analyses showed that these changes were still observed when adjusting for lifestyle factors or using a smaller group of controls matched for education. Pending replication in a larger cohort of elderly expert meditators and longitudinal studies, these findings suggest that meditation practice could reduce age-associated structural and functional brain changes.