Reduced Age-Related Gray Matter Loss in the Orbitofrontal Cortex in Long-Term Meditators
Florian Kurth, Sarah Strohmaier, Eileen Luders
Brain Sciences December 6, 2023 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13121677 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractOlder age is linked to smaller orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) volumes, but this age-related decline is less steep in long-term meditation practitioners than in non-practitioners. In a sample of 50 meditators and 50 matched controls, negative correlations between age and OFC volumes were found in both groups, yet meditators showed a diminished decline in several left and right subregions (Fo2, Fo3, Fo4, Fo7, left Fo5, and right Fo6). The OFC contributes to mental processes related to meditation, and different subregions support distinct brain functions. Further research is needed to understand the functional implications of these findings for meditation and the aging brain.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 100 |
| Population | 50 long-term meditators and 50 matched controls |
| Intervention | Meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Orbitofrontal cortex Context archaeology Audiology Developmental psychology |
| Citations | 7 |
| Key finding | Age-related decline in orbitofrontal cortex volume is less steep in long-term meditation practitioners compared to non-practitioners. |
Abstract
The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is a functionally heterogeneous brain region contributing to mental processes relating to meditation practices. The OFC has been reported to decline in volume with increasing age and differs in volume between meditation practitioners and non-practitioners. We hypothesized that the age-related decline of the OFC is diminished in meditation practitioners. We tested this hypothesis in a sample of 50 long-term meditators and 50 matched controls by correlating chronological age with regional gray matter volumes of the left and right OFC, as well as in seven left and right cytoarchitectonically defined subregions of the OFC (Fo1-Fo7). In both meditators and controls, we observed a negative relationship between age and OFC (sub)volumes, indicating that older participants have smaller OFC volumes. However, in meditators, the age-related decline was less steep compared to controls. These age-related differences reached significance for left and right Fo2, Fo3, Fo4, and Fo7, as well as left Fo5 and right Fo6. Since different subregions of the OFC are associated with distinct brain functions, further investigations are required to explore the functional implications of these findings in the context of meditation and the aging brain.