Brain Plasticity and Neurophysiological Correlates of Meditation in Long-Term Meditators: A 18Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography Study Based on an Innovative Methodology
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine December 1, 2019 Dipti Magan, R. Yadav, C. Bal et al.
Long-term meditation activates specific regions of the right hemisphere, including the right homolog of Broca's area and the right lentiform nucleus, as measured by changes in regional cerebral glucose metabolism. Using a novel approach with 18FDG PET/CT scans, 12 healthy, male, right-handed long-term meditators (practicing Preksha meditation for over 5 years) showed significantly activated fronto-parieto-temporal regions in the right versus left hemisphere during meditation. These findings suggest that long-term meditation may enhance explicit functions of the right hemisphere through neuroplastic changes.