Reduced age-associated brain changes in expert meditators: a multimodal neuroimaging pilot study
Scientific Reports August 25, 2017 Gaël Chételat, Florence Mezenge, Clémence Tomadesso et al. 67 citations
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.