Fluid intelligence declines slower in middle-aged yoga and meditation practitioners than in matched controls. Resting state functional brain networks of practitioners are more integrated and resilient to damage. Mindfulness correlates positively with fluid intelligence, network resilience, and global network efficiency. The findings suggest that mindfulness may play a mechanistic role in preserving cognitive and brain function during aging.
Yoga and meditation practitioners show stronger functional connectivity within basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuits than non-practitioners, with the right caudate emerging as a central node. Analyses using Network-Based Statistics revealed difference components for yoga practitioners versus controls and meditators versus controls, with significantly greater degree centrality in the caudate for both practitioner groups. This greater connectivity was not due to single connections but to broader connectivity between the caudate and numerous brain regions. The finding of greater caudate connectivity in meditators was replicated in an independent dataset. This enhanced connectivity may relate to reported effects of these practices on behavioral flexibility, mental health, and well-being, though its mechanistic role remains unestablished.