Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science
2025
Perla Kaliman, María Jesús Álvarez-López, Asrar Lehodey et al.
Shorter telomeres are associated with increased risk of cognitive decline and age-related diseases. Developing interventions to promote healthy aging by preserving telomere integrity is of paramount importance. Here, we investigated the effect of an 18-month meditation intervention on telomere length (TL) measures in older people without cognitive impairment. A total of 137 adults age ≥65 years...
Brain Behavior and Immunity Integrative
September 1, 2023
Quinn A Conklin, Cavan E. Patterson, Brandon G King et al.
Background: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a modulatory neuroprotein implicated in learning, memory, and neuroplasticity. Studies have found increased peripheral BDNF in participants of meditation interventions, indicating that BDNF may play a role in the learning and habit formation that occurs with meditation training. In this study, we assessed changes in peripheral BDNF protein...
Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology
August 1, 2022
María Jesús Álvarez-López, Quinn A Conklin, Marta Cosín-Tomás et al.
Meditation retreats are characterized by intensive or concentrated periods of meditation practice, commonly undertaken in a residential setting. Although research indicates that meditation training can positively influence physical and mental health outcomes, the biological consequences of meditation retreat interventions are relatively understudied. In this study, we examined the influence of...
Brain, behavior, and immunity
May 1, 2018
Quinn A Conklin, Brandon G King, Anthony P Zanesco et al.
A growing body of evidence suggests that meditation training may have a range of salubrious effects, including improved telomere regulation. Telomeres and the enzyme telomerase interact with a variety of molecular components to regulate cell-cycle signaling cascades, and are implicated in pathways linking psychological stress to disease. We investigated the effects of intensive meditation...