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Effects of meditation on brainstem auditory evoked potentials.

T M McEvoy, L R Frumkin, S W Harkins

International Journal of Neuroscience 1980 DOI: 10.3109/00207458009160494 (opens in new tab)

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AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational study with repeated measures and age-matched controls Peer reviewed
Sample size 5
Population Advanced practitioners of Transcendental Meditation, compared with age-matched controls
Intervention Transcendental Meditation
Measures Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs), peak latencies, interwave latencies, stimulus intensity-latency functions
Topics Meditation
Key findings No pre-postmeditation BAEP differences occurred at low stimulus intensities (0–35 dB). At moderate intensities (40–50 dB), wave V latency increased after meditation, but at higher intensities (55–70 dB) it slightly decreased. Comparison of stimulus intensity-latency function slopes and intercepts suggests a possible effect of meditation on brainstem activity.

Abstract

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) were measured in five advanced practitioners of Transcendental Meditation (TM) to determine whether such responses would reflect reported increases in perceptual acuity to auditory stimuli following meditation. The BAEP provides an objective physiological index of auditory function at a subcortical level. Repeated measures of the BAEPs of TM practitioners were taken before and after a period of meditation and were compared with those of age-matched controls. Peak latencies as well as interwave latencies between major BAEP components were evaluated. No pre-postmeditation differences for experimental subjects were observed at low stimulus intensities (0--35 dB). At moderate intensities (40--50 dB), latency of the inferior collicular wave (wave V) increased following meditation, but at higher stimulus intensities (55--70 dB), latency of this wave was slightly decreased. Comparison of slopes and intercepts of stimulus intensity-latency functions indicates a possible effect of meditation on brainstem activity.

Comparable studies

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Study Year Design Participants
Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students 2006 Observational cohort
Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia 1992 Observational cohort n = 22
Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls 2005 Observational cohort n = 20
Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls 2011 Observational cohort
Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls 2004 Observational cohort

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