The Effects of Meditation on Grey Matter Atrophy and Neurodegeneration: A Systematic Review.
Nicole Last, Emily Tufts, Leslie E Auger
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 2017 DOI: 10.3233/jad-160899 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Meditators and post-mindfulness-based intervention participants, including individuals with and without cognitive impairment |
| Interventions | meditation mindfulness-based intervention |
| Measures | MRI imaging to measure grey matter volume |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Alzheimer’s disease Parkinson’s disease Dementia Grey matter Neurodegenerative diseases Neuroprotection |
| Key findings | Across 13 eligible MRI studies, all reported significant grey matter volume increases in meditators or mindfulness-intervention participants compared with controls, though the regions involved varied. The authors suggest preliminary evidence indicates meditation may offset grey matter atrophy, while noting that research on the mechanisms linking meditation to disease-related neurodegeneration remains limited. |
Abstract
The present systematic review is based on the premise that a variety of neurodegenerative diseases are accompanied by grey matter atrophy in the brain and meditation may impact this. Given that age is a major risk factor for many of these progressive and neurodegenerative diseases and that the percentage of the population over the age of 65 is quickly increasing, there is an obvious need for prompt treatment and prevention advances in research. As there is currently no cure for Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, many are seeking non-pharmacological treatment options in attempts to offset the disease-related cognitive and functional declines. On the basis of a growing body of research suggesting that meditation is effective in increasing grey matter volume in healthy participants, this paper systematically reviewed the literature regarding the effects of meditation on restoring grey matter volume in healthy individuals and those affected by neurodegeneration. This review searched PubMed, CINAHL, and APA PsycNET to identify original studies that included MRI imaging to measure grey matter volume in meditators and post-mindfulness-based intervention participants compared to controls. Thirteen studies were considered eligible for review and involved a wide variety of meditation techniques and included participants with and without cognitive impairment. All studies reported significant increases in grey matter volume in the meditators/intervention group, albeit in assorted regions of the brain. Limited research exists on the mechanisms through which meditation affects disease-related neurodegeneration, but preliminary evidence suggests that it may offset grey matter atrophy.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- Future directions in meditation research: Recommendations for expanding the field of contemplative science PLoS One November 7, 2018
- Mindfulness or meditation therapy for Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. European Journal of Neurology August 1, 2023
- Studying the precuneus reveals structure-function-affect correlation in long-term meditators bioRxiv Preprint Server October 30, 2019
- Meditation for Human Mind and Brain: Findings from Functional Neuroimaging Investigations Annals of Advanced Biomedical Sciences 2023
- 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
and 4 more in the library
Cites 16
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- Increased gray matter volume in the right angular and posterior parahippocampal gyri in loving-kindness meditators Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience July 18, 2012
- Meditation effects within the hippocampal complex revealed by voxel-based morphometry and cytoarchitectonic probabilistic mapping Frontiers in Psychology 2013
- Reduced age-related degeneration of the hippocampal subiculum in long-term meditators. Psychiatry Research June 30, 2015
- Shifting brain asymmetry: the link between meditation and structural lateralization. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience 2015
and 11 more in the library