Impact of meditation on brain age derived from multimodal neuroimaging in experts and older adults from a randomized trial
Sacha Haudry, Natacha Lambert, Christian Gaser, Bertrand Thirion, Brigitte Landeau, Julie Gonneaud, Géraldine Poisnel, Pierre Champetier, Asrar Lehodey, Natalie L. Marchant, Olga Klimecki, Fabienne Collette, Denis Vivien, Vincent de la Sayette, Antoine Lutz, Gaël Chételat
Scientific Reports October 28, 2025 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-21490-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 160 |
| Population | Older adults (25 expert meditators with >20 years practice and 135 cognitively unimpaired older adults) |
| Interventions | meditation training non-native language training |
| Duration | 18-month intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Randomized controlled trial Neuroimaging Brain aging Healthy aging Young adult Intervention counseling Clinical psychology Cognition Mental health |
| Key findings | Long-term meditation expertise is associated with a younger predicted brain age, but an 18-month meditation training intervention did not significantly affect brain age. |
Abstract
Meditation is thought to promote healthy aging by improving mental health, preserving brain integrity and reducing Alzheimer's disease risk. We examined the impact of long-term meditation expertise and an 18-month meditation training on brain aging in older adults using machine learning. We included 25 Older Expert Meditators (OldExpMed) with > 20 years of practice and 135 Cognitively Unimpaired Older Adults (CUOA) from the Age-Well randomized controlled trial. CUOA were randomized (1:1:1) into an 18-month meditation training, a non-native language training, and a no intervention group. Brain age was predicted using a machine learning model trained on gray and white matter volume and glucose metabolism data from ADNI and replicated with a second model. Brain Predicted Age Difference (BrainPAD) was computed as the gap between predicted and chronological age. We assessed meditation expertise effects on BrainPAD, its links with meditation hours, cognitive, and affective measures, and the impact of 18-month training. Compared to CUOA, OldExpMed exhibited significantly lower/more negative BrainPAD, linked to meditation hours, mental imagery, and prosocialness. No significant effect of 18-month training was observed. Results were consistent across the replication model. Long-term meditation is associated with younger brain age, but 18-month training has no effect, emphasizing the need for sustained practice to support healthy brain aging.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 36
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- Investigation of mindfulness meditation practitioners with voxel-based morphometry Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience December 3, 2007
- The Effect of Mindfulness-based Programs on Cognitive Function in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Neuropsychology Review August 4, 2021
- Why could meditation practice help promote mental health and well-being in aging? Alzheimer's Research & Therapy June 22, 2018
- The Age‐Well randomized controlled trial of the Medit‐Ageing European project: Effect of meditation or foreign language training on brain and mental health in older adults Alzheimer's & Dementia 2018
and 31 more in the library