Reduced age-associated brain changes in expert meditators: a multimodal neuroimaging pilot study

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.

The impact of meditation on healthy ageing — the current state of knowledge and a roadmap to future directions

“…This beneficial effect of meditation on anxiety, depression and stress is confirmed by some preliminary studies in older adults [43][44][45]. In this context it is interesting to note that brain structures, such as medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex and insula, which are affected by depression and anxiety [46], were shown to be preserved in expert meditators [9]. This may offer an insight into the brain mechanisms through which meditation may protect against depression, anxiety, and consequently dementia.…”

“…First studies in this domain showed a preservation of cortical thickness and grey matter volumes in young and middle-age meditation experts [6], as well as reduced age-related atrophy of brain grey matter volume in meditators compared to non-meditators, particularly in hippocampus, frontal and temporal brain regions [7,8]. In a recent study, grey matter brain volumes and glucose metabolism from 6 older-adult expert meditators were compared with 67 age-matched controls [9]. As summarized in Figure 1, meditation experts had more preserved grey matter volume and/or more glucose metabolism at rest than non-meditators in brain regions sensitive to ageing, including ventromedial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, bilateral temporo-parietal junction, insula and posterior cingulate cortex [9].…”

“…In a recent study, grey matter brain volumes and glucose metabolism from 6 older-adult expert meditators were compared with 67 age-matched controls [9]. As summarized in Figure 1, meditation experts had more preserved grey matter volume and/or more glucose metabolism at rest than non-meditators in brain regions sensitive to ageing, including ventromedial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, bilateral temporo-parietal junction, insula and posterior cingulate cortex [9]. In another study a machine learning algorithm trained to identify anatomical correlates of age in the brain revealed that structural brain characteristics of expert meditators appeared 7.5 years younger than those of age-matched controls [10].…”

Repetitive Negative Thinking is associated with Subjective Cognitive Decline in older adults: a cross-sectional study

“…Risk factors included RNT and the personality trait neuroticism (25)(26)(27). Potentially protective factors included purpose in life (28)(29)(30), meditation practice (31)(32)(33), and the conscientiousness personality trait (34,35). We further included measures of rumination and worry to assess the role of timedependent negative thoughts (i.e., past-and future-directed), and the remaining dimensions of the big five personality framework (extraversion, agreeableness, and openness to experience).…”

Repetitive Negative Thinking is associated with Subjective Cognitive Decline in older adults: a cross-sectional study

“…Greater purpose in life has been related to higher perceived cognitive function, decreased cognitive decline, and reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease (33)(34)(35). A measure of meditation practice was included because recent theoretical frameworks (36,37) and preliminary neuroimaging data (38) highlight the potential positive impact of meditation on healthy ageing. Lastly, measures of rumination and worry, both components of RNT, were included to assess the role of time-dependent negative thoughts (i.e., past-and future-directed) in the hypothesised relationship between SCD and RNT.…”