Neuropsychology Review
August 4, 2021
Tim Whitfield, Thorsten Barnhofer, Rebecca L. Acabchuk et al.
193 citations
Mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) show a small but significant benefit for cognitive performance, particularly for executive function and working memory, according to a meta-analysis of 56 randomized controlled trials involving 2,931 adults. The overall effect favoring MBPs over comparators was small (g = 0.15). Benefits were strongest for non-clinical samples and adults over 60, and when MBPs were compared to inactive controls rather than active ones. No significant effects were found for other cognitive domains. Most studies had unclear risk of bias, and some statistical results were unreliable. The findings partially support the idea that mindfulness practice can enhance certain cognitive abilities.
Alzheimer s Research & Therapy
June 22, 2018
Gaël Chételat, Antoine Lutz, Eider M. Arenaza‐Urquijo et al.
106 citations
Long-term meditation practice may help preserve brain structure and function from age-related decline. A pilot study found that six older adult expert meditators had higher gray matter volume and/or glucose metabolism in the prefrontal, anterior and posterior cingulate cortex, insula, and temporo-parietal junction compared to 67 age-matched controls. These preliminary findings suggest meditation could counteract adverse psycho-affective factors like stress, depression, anxiety, and neuroticism that affect sleep, cognition, and mental health in aging populations and increase Alzheimer's disease risk. The European Commission-funded Silver Santé Study will investigate further through two randomized controlled trials with 316 older adults, testing 2-month and 18-month meditation, English learning, or health education programs.
Alzheimer s & Dementia Translational Research & Clinical Interventions
January 1, 2018
Géraldine Poisnel, Eider M. Arenaza‐Urquijo, Fabienne Collette et al.
103 citations
The Age-Well clinical trial examines whether an 18-month meditation-based intervention can improve mental health and well-being in older adults by targeting attentional and emotional aspects of aging. The trial randomly assigns 137 cognitively unimpaired older adults to the meditation program, a foreign language training program matched for structure and duration, or a passive control group. The study measures cognitive, behavioral, biological, neuroimaging, and sleep outcomes to assess the intervention's impact and underlying mechanisms. This is the first long-term nonpharmacological trial to address both emotional and cognitive dimensions of aging with such comprehensive assessments.
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.
JAMA Neurology
October 10, 2022
Gaël Chételat, Antoine Lutz, Olga Klimecki et al.
45 citations
An 18-month randomized trial of meditation training versus non-native language training or no intervention in cognitively unimpaired adults aged 65 and older found no significant changes in brain volume or perfusion of the anterior cingulate cortex or insula from meditation. Meditation did produce superior improvements in a composite score of attention regulation, socioemotional capacities, and self-knowledge compared with language training. The findings confirm the feasibility of both meditation and language training in older adults, with high adherence and low dropout, but the positive behavioral effects of meditation were not accompanied by measurable changes in the targeted brain structures.
Alzheimer s & Dementia Translational Research & Clinical Interventions
January 1, 2018
Antoine Lutz, Olga Klimecki, Fabienne Collette et al.
18 citations
Long-term meditation expertise may protect against age-related decline. The Age-Well study compares 30 cognitively healthy older adults (65+) with at least 10,000 hours of mindfulness and compassion meditation to nonmeditator controls, using brain imaging, sleep, and biological measures sensitive to aging and Alzheimer's disease. Results are expected to clarify how meditation expertise affects aging and the mechanisms behind meditation-based interventions, informing future prevention trials for older populations.
Alzheimer s & Dementia
December 1, 2020
Tim Whitfield, Thorsten Barnhofer, Rebecca L. Acabchuk et al.
6 citations
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 46 studies examined whether mindfulness-based programs improve cognitive performance across the adult lifespan. When combining healthy and clinical studies of working-age adults (18–65 years), there was no significant effect of mindfulness training on cognitive performance compared to control conditions. However, a small but significant positive effect was observed for older adults (over 65), including those with subjective or objective cognitive impairment. The cognitive domains most frequently measured were executive function and attention. The findings suggest that mindfulness-based programs may confer cognitive benefits primarily for older adults, with no evidence of benefit for younger populations.
Sci Rep
November 27, 2024
Sacha Haudry, Anne-Laure Turpin, Brigitte Landeau et al.
3 citations
Expert meditators show preserved brain structure and better psycho-affective health compared to meditation-naive older adults, suggesting that long-term meditation practice may protect against age-related decline. The study examined older expert meditators and older meditation-naive participants, finding that the expert group had greater brain preservation and more favorable psycho-affective profiles. These results indicate that meditation could be a protective factor for brain and mental health in aging.
Scientific Reports
November 2, 2024
Marco Schlosser, Julie Gonneaud, Stefano Poletti et al.
2 citations
Older adults who spent more time practicing meditation perceived greater benefits from an 18-month meditation program. The study involved 90 healthy adults aged 65-84 years who were randomly assigned to either meditation training or a non-native language training. Higher levels of formal practice were associated with higher combined ratings of self- and teacher-perceived responsiveness across measures of connection, emotions, and meta-awareness during sessions and in daily life. Global responsiveness scores were not correlated with actual changes in well-being. The findings suggest that engagement, rather than baseline characteristics like personality or expectancy, predicts perceived response to meditation training.
Scientific Reports
May 15, 2025
Florence Requier, Hamed Mohammadi, Harriet Demnitz-King et al.
Expert meditators in older age reported less external distraction and performed better on memory tasks compared to non-meditators, while no differences were found in attention, executive function, or global cognitive scores. These cross-sectional findings from 135 non-meditators and 27 expert meditators suggest that prolonged meditation practice may help preserve memory and manage distractions, two cognitive capacities important for healthy aging.