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Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness

Sara W. Lazar, Catherine E. Kerr, Rachel H. Wasserman, Jeremy R. Gray, Douglas N. Greve, Michael T. Treadway, Metta Mcgarvey, Brian T. Quinn, Jeffery A. Dusek, Herbert Benson, Scott L. Rauch, Christopher I. Moore, Bruce Fischl

Neuroreport November 7, 2005 DOI: 10.1097/01.wnr.0000186598.66243.19 (opens in new tab)

Relevant Not relevant

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational cohort Peer reviewed
Sample size 20
Population Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls
Intervention Insight meditation
Topics Default mode network Meditation Neuroplasticity
Keywords Insula Interoception Prefrontal cortex Neuroimaging Audiology Electroencephalography Cognition
Citations 1,707
Key findings Meditation practitioners had greater cortical thickness in the prefrontal cortex and right anterior insula compared to controls, with the prefrontal difference most pronounced in older participants, and thickness in two regions correlated with meditation experience.

Abstract

Previous research indicates that long-term meditation practice is associated with altered resting electroencephalogram patterns, suggestive of long lasting changes in brain activity. We hypothesized that meditation practice might also be associated with changes in the brain's physical structure. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to assess cortical thickness in 20 participants with extensive Insight meditation experience, which involves focused attention to internal experiences. Brain regions associated with attention, interoception and sensory processing were thicker in meditation participants than matched controls, including the prefrontal cortex and right anterior insula. Between-group differences in prefrontal cortical thickness were most pronounced in older participants, suggesting that meditation might offset age-related cortical thinning. Finally, the thickness of two regions correlated with meditation experience. These data provide the first structural evidence for experience-dependent cortical plasticity associated with meditation practice.

In the evidence

This study is part of the evidence base for 2 syntheses in the library. Here is how each one recorded it.

  • State of the evidence: Default mode network Supports

    Meditation practitioners had greater cortical thickness in prefrontal cortex and right anterior insula than controls, with thickness in two regions correlating with meditation experience.

    Synthesized

  • State of the evidence: Neuroplasticity Supports

    Meditation practitioners had greater cortical thickness in the prefrontal cortex and right anterior insula than controls, and thickness in two regions correlated with meditation experience.

    Synthesized

Comparable studies

Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students 2006 Observational cohort
Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia 1992 Observational cohort n = 22
Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls 2011 Observational cohort
Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls 2004 Observational cohort
Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference Novice participants and those having attended an 8 week course in mindfulness meditation 2007 Observational cohort

Citations in the library

Cited by 502

and 497 more in the library

Cites 2

Related reading

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Default mode network Meditation Neuroplasticity Addiction