Larger hippocampal dimensions in meditation practitioners: differential effects in women and men.
Eileen Luders, Paul M Thompson, Florian Kurth
Frontiers in Psychology 2015 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00186 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational case-control study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 60 |
| Population | 30 long-term meditation practitioners (15 men, 15 women) and 30 sex- and age-matched control subjects (15 men, 15 women) |
| Intervention | Meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | MRI Brain Gender Hippocampus Meditating Sex |
| Key findings | Hippocampal dimensions were enlarged in both male and female meditators compared with sex- and age-matched controls, but meditation effects differed between men and women in magnitude, laterality, and location on the hippocampal surface. The authors suggest these sex-divergent findings may reflect innate or acquired differences between male and female brains and/or that male and female hippocampi are differently receptive to mindfulness practices. |
Abstract
On average, the human hippocampus shows structural differences between meditators and non-meditators as well as between men and women. However, there is a lack of research exploring possible sex effects on hippocampal anatomy in the framework of meditation. Thus, we obtained high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging data from 30 long-term meditation practitioners (15 men/15 women) and 30 well-matched control subjects (15 men/15 women) to assess if hippocampus-specific effects manifest differently in male and female brains. Hippocampal dimensions were enlarged both in male and in female meditators when compared to sex- and age-matched controls. However, meditation effects differed between men and women in magnitude, laterality, and location on the hippocampal surface. Such sex-divergent findings may be due to genetic (innate) or acquired differences between male and female brains in the areas involved in meditation and/or suggest that male and female hippocampi are differently receptive to mindfulness practices.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| 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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 16
- On Variation in Mindfulness Training: A Multimodal Study of Brief Open Monitoring Meditation on Error Monitoring Brain Sciences September 6, 2019
- Effects of web-based mindfulness training on psychological outcomes, attention, and neuroplasticity. Scientific Reports December 19, 2023
- An electrophysiological investigation on the emotion regulatory mechanisms of brief open monitoring meditation in novice non-meditators Scientific Reports August 28, 2020
- A Mini-Review of Work Stress and Mindfulness: A Neuropsychological Point of View Frontiers in Psychology April 15, 2022
- Brain Structure and Functional Connectivity Correlate with Psychosocial Development in Contemplative Practitioners and Controls Brain Science May 30, 2021
and 11 more in the library
Cites 12
- Investigation of mindfulness meditation practitioners with voxel-based morphometry Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience December 3, 2007
- 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
- Meditation as a Potential Therapy for Autism: A Review Autism Research and Treatment 2012
- Meditation and neurodegenerative diseases. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences January 2014
and 7 more in the library