Short‐term meditation training influences brain energy metabolism: A pilot study on 31 P MR spectroscopy

A short-term meditation training program (FAM) was associated with changes in brain energy metabolism and reduced state anxiety. After daily practice, participants showed increased PCr/ATP ratios in the right occipital lobe, decreased Pi/ATP bilaterally in the basal ganglia and right temporal lobe, and increased PCr/Pi in the occipital lobe, basal ganglia, and right temporal lobe. pH decreased in the left temporal and right frontal areas. These metabolic shifts suggest a higher energetic state in the temporal areas and basal ganglia, while frontal and occipital changes may indicate down-regulated ATP turnover and oxidative capacity. The findings indicate that even brief meditation training may alter brain energy management in region-specific ways.

Study at a glance

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Meditation is increasingly attracting interest among neuroimaging researchers for its relevance as a cognitive enhancement technique and several cross-sectional studies have indicated cerebral changes. This longitudinal study applied a distinct and standardized meditative technique with a group of volunteers in a short-term training program to analyze brain metabolic changes. METHODS: P-MR spectroscopy. Metabolite ratios were compared before (T1) and after training (T2). Additional questionnaire assessments were included. RESULTS: The participants performed FAM daily. Depression and anxiety scores revealed a lower level of state anxiety at T2 compared to T1. From T1 to T2, energy metabolism ratios showed the following differences: PCr/ATP increased right occipitally; Pi/ATP decreased bilaterally in the basal ganglia and temporal lobe on the right; PCr/Pi increased in occipital lobe bilaterally, in the basal ganglia and in the temporal lobe on the right side. The pH decreased temporal on the left side and frontal in the right side. The observed changes in the temporal areas and basal ganglia may be interpreted as a higher energetic state, whereas the frontal and occipital areas showed changes that may be related to a down-regulation in ATP turnover, energy state, and oxidative capacity. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the current study indicate for the first time in a longitudinal study that even short-term training in FAM may have considerable effects on brain energy state with different local energy management in specific brain regions. Especially higher energetic state in basal ganglia may represent altered function in their central role in complex cerebral distributed networks including frontal and temporal areas. Further studies including different forms of relaxation techniques should be performed for more specific and reliable insights.