Promising Links between Meditation and Reduced (Brain) Aging: An Attempt to Bridge Some Gaps between the Alleged Fountain of Youth and the Youth of the Field.
Frontiers in Psychology January 1, 2017 Florian Kurth, Nicolas Cherbuin, Eileen Luders
Meditation may protect the aging brain, but how it does so is not well understood. This review first examines normal brain aging, focusing on telomeres, inflammation, stress regulation, and macroscopic brain anatomy. It then summarizes evidence suggesting meditation has positive effects on brain aging, and discusses possible mechanisms mediating these effects. Critical questions remain unanswered, and existing research needs better integration.