Brain Plasticity and Neurophysiological Correlates of Meditation in Long-Term Meditators: A 18Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography Study Based on an Innovative Methodology
Dipti Magan, R. Yadav, C. Bal, R. Mathur, R. Pandey
The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine December 1, 2019 DOI: 10.1089/acm.2019.0167 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Nonrandomized, single-center open-label study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 12 |
| Population | Apparently healthy, male, right-handed long-term meditators practicing Preksha meditation |
| Intervention | Preksha meditation |
| Topics | Meditation Neuroplasticity |
| Key points | Long-term meditation activates specific right-hemisphere regions, including the right homolog of Broca's area and the right lentiform nucleus, suggesting neuroplastic changes. |
Abstract
Objective: Previous studies evaluating neurophysiological correlates of long-term meditation are constrained by some methodological limitations. The objective of this study was to measure changes in the regional cerebral glucose metabolism during meditation using a novel methodological approach.
Design: The present study was a part of a larger, nonrandomized, single-center open-label study. Setting/location: The study was conducted at the Department of Physiology and Department of Nuclear Medicine and Positron Emission Tomography. A dedicated place was set up as a yoga room, away from the positron emission tomography (PET) scanning room in the Department of Nuclear Medicine and Positron Emission Tomography, where meditators performed meditation in a peaceful environment in a sitting posture with eyes closed. The electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded to affirm the meditation objectively. Subjects: Twenty-four sets of PET scans were obtained at 2 different occasions (baseline and postmeditation within 40 min of 18FDG [18fluorodeoxyglucose] injection) from 12 apparently healthy, male, right-handed long-term meditators practicing Preksha meditation (since >5 years, at least 5 days a week) who were recruited from a well-established meditation center in Delhi. Outcome measures: Changes in the regional cerebral glucose metabolism during meditation versus baseline.
Results: Regional cluster analysis showed significantly activated well-defined areas of fronto-parieto-temporal regions of the right versus left hemisphere during meditation. Interestingly, right homolog of Broca's area and right lentiform nucleus were hyperactive during meditation in all the meditators.
Conclusions: Long-term meditation might potentially enhance the explicit functions of specific parts of the right hemisphere, possibly due to neuroplastic changes in the brain. Importantly, results of the current study are encouraging and show a novel methodological approach to acquire 18FDG PET/CT (computed tomography) images. The study was registered at Clinical Trial Registry India (CTRI), CTRI/2009/091/000727.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on neuroplasticity, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emotions and brain function are altered up to one month after a single high dose of psilocybin. Healthy volunteers (7 female, 5 male) | 2020 | Open-label pilot study | n = 12 |
| Psilocybin therapy increases cognitive and neural flexibility in patients with major depressive disorder. Patients with major depressive disorder | 2021 | Open-label study | n = 24 |
| Biological embedding of early trauma: the role of higher prefrontal synaptic strength Healthy controls and patients with PTSD (male and female) | 2023 | Pilot study | n = 34 |
| Neural correlates of reduction in self-judgment after mindful self-compassion training: A pilot study with resting state fMRI. Adult patients with anxiety or depressive disorders | 2025 | Single arm pilot study | n = 24 |
| Brain-targeted epigenetic effects of two emerging psychoplastogens: ketamine & MDMA Clinical trial participants | 2026 | Clinical trial | n = 36 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- Novel machine learning-driven comparative analysis of CSP, STFT, and CSP-STFT fusion for EEG data classification across multiple meditation and non-meditation sessions in BCI pipeline Brain Informatics February 8, 2025
- Metabolomic profiles impacted by brief mindfulness intervention with contributions to improved health. Scientific Reports July 25, 2025
- Mapping the scientific landscape of preksha dhyana: a bibliometric analysis Advances in Traditional Medicine March 18, 2026
- An easy and time-effective meditative approach for relaxation and rejuvenation of the body and mind Research Square August 16, 2023
- Psychoneuroimmunology of Meditation. Annals of Neurosciences April 2022
and 3 more in the library
Cites 13
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- Functional brain mapping of the relaxation response and meditation Neuroreport May 1, 2000
- The neuroscientific study of spiritual practices Frontiers in Psychology March 18, 2014
- Comparative Analysis of Depth of Meditation Between Long-Term and Short Term Meditators using Electroencephalography International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Physiology December 30, 2019
- Functional neuroanatomy of meditation: A review and meta-analysis of 78 functional neuroimaging investigations. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews March 21, 2016
and 8 more in the library