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Meditation Shown to Increase Brain Size, Brain Activity, and Attention Span
Category: Conditions of the Brain , Fitness
The two studies, presented at the November 12-13, 2005 annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Washington, DC, examined the brain structure and brain activity of meditation practitioners in the U.S.
In the first study, researchers at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, analyzed MRI data taken from the brains of 20 western-style meditators and 15 people with no meditation experience. In the second study, researchers at the University of Wisconsin analyzed the brain activity of experienced meditation practitioners and nonmeditators (the controls) before, during, and after meditation. The nonmeditators were taught meditation prior to the study.
Researchers from the first study found that meditators had thicker brain regions associated with memory and attention, than the nonmeditators. Furthermore, older subjects had more pronounced thickness in the brain's outer layer or cortex, which is involved in cognitive and emotional processes. This suggests that meditation practice may decrease age-related thinning of the brain. "Our findings provide the first evidence that alterations in brain structure are associated with western-style meditation practice, possibly reflecting increased use of specific brain regions," says study researcher Sara Lazar, PhD.
Researchers from the second study found that the experienced meditators had a higher level of gamma band brain impulses before, during and after each period of meditation, than the nonmeditators. Gamma band rhythms are associated with higher mental activities such as attention and learning. "This suggests that long-term meditation practice changes the baseline state of the brain," says study researcher Richard J. Davidson, PhD.
Posted by Kristopher Foster on April 15, 2013 11:00 AM
