Three potential neurovascular pathways driving the benefits of mindfulness meditation for older adults.
Jessica Pommy, Colette M Smart, Andrew M Bryant, Yang Wang
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience 2023 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1207012 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Functional Mr FMRI Mindfulness meditation Neurovascular aging |
| Key findings | Three neurovascular mechanisms are proposed by which mindfulness meditation may benefit aging adults: direct cerebral blood flow increase, anti-neuroinflammatory effects via default mode network connectivity, and a top-down control mechanism. |
Abstract
Mindfulness meditation has been shown to be beneficial for a range of different health conditions, impacts brain function and structure relatively quickly, and has shown promise with aging samples. Functional magnetic resonance imaging metrics provide insight into neurovascular health which plays a key role in both normal and pathological aging processes. Experimental mindfulness meditation studies that included functional magnetic resonance metrics as an outcome measure may point to potential neurovascular mechanisms of action relevant for aging adults that have not yet been previously examined. We first review the resting-state magnetic resonance studies conducted in exclusively older adult age samples. Findings from older adult-only samples are then used to frame the findings of task magnetic resonance imaging studies conducted in both clinical and healthy adult samples. Based on the resting-state studies in older adults and the task magnetic resonance studies in adult samples, we propose three potential mechanisms by which mindfulness meditation may offer a neurovascular therapeutic benefit for older adults: (1) a direct neurovascular mechanism via increased resting-state cerebral blood flow; (2) an indirect anti-neuroinflammatory mechanism via increased functional connectivity within the default mode network, and (3) a top-down control mechanism that likely reflects both a direct and an indirect neurovascular pathway.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Brief mindfulness practice influences the self-reference effect by caring for others Scientific Reports December 3, 2025
- Effect of meditation on clinical symptoms and gray matter volume in chronic schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience May 19, 2026
- Effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction in managing fatigue, anxiety, and depression among non-small cell lung cancer patients receiving surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy: A randomized controlled trial. Medicine April 3, 2026
- The Journey of the Default Mode Network: Development, Function, and Impact on Mental Health Biology April 1, 2025
- On the Natural Intelligence and Consciousness of the Immune System and its Relationship with the Brain American Journal of Immunology 2024
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and 56 more in the library