Differences in brain connectivity of meditators during assessing neurocognition via gamified experimental logic task: A machine learning approach.
The neuroradiology journal June 1, 2023 Ashwini S Savanth, Vijaya Pa, Ajay K Nair et al.
Long-term meditation practice may produce neuroplastic changes that make cognitive processing more efficient. Using fMRI, researchers compared brain connectivity in long-term (average 13,596 hours) and short-term (average 1,095 hours) Rajayoga meditators from the Brahma Kumaris while they performed an engaging task with audio-visual distractions. A machine learning classifier (Gradient Boosted Tree) distinguished the two groups with 77% accuracy based on functional connectivity metrics. Connectivity was higher in long-term meditators in visual areas, cerebellum, left rostral prefrontal cortex, and middle frontal gyrus, suggesting that extensive meditation practice can lead to more effortless cognitive processing.