Brain changes in long-term zen meditators using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and diffusion tensor imaging: a controlled study.
Nicolás Fayed, Yolanda López-del-hoyo, Eva Andres, Antoni Serrano-Blanco, Juan Bellón, Keyla Aguilar, Ausiàs Cebolla, Javier García-campayo
PLoS One 2013 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058476 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Controlled, cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Long-term Zen meditators recruited from a Zen Buddhist monastery and healthy non-meditator controls recruited from hospital staff |
| Measures | questionnaires on anxiety, depression, cognitive impairment and mindfulness; 1H-MRS; DWI; DTI (ADC, FA) |
| Topics | Buddhism |
| Key findings | Meditators differed from controls in brain metabolites and white-matter diffusion, and several measures correlated with years of meditation: myo-inositol in the posterior cingulate correlated positively (r = 0.518), while glutamate, NAA, NAA/Cr in the left thalamus and ADC in left posterior parietal white matter correlated negatively. The authors state the results are consistent with myo-inositol, glutamate, and NAA being the most altered metabolites and provide evidence of subtle neuronal-function abnormalities in meditators' white matter. |
Abstract
This work aimed to determine whether (1)H magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) are correlated with years of meditation and psychological variables in long-term Zen meditators compared to healthy non-meditator controls. Design. Controlled, cross-sectional study. Sample. Meditators were recruited from a Zen Buddhist monastery. The control group was recruited from hospital staff. Meditators were administered questionnaires on anxiety, depression, cognitive impairment and mindfulness. (1)H-MRS (1.5 T) of the brain was carried out by exploring four areas: both thalami, both hippocampi, the posterior superior parietal lobule (PSPL) and posterior cingulate gyrus. Predefined areas of the brain were measured for diffusivity (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) by MR-DTI. Myo-inositol (mI) was increased in the posterior cingulate gyrus and Glutamate (Glu), N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) and N-acetyl-aspartate/Creatine (NAA/Cr) was reduced in the left thalamus in meditators. We found a significant positive correlation between mI in the posterior cingulate and years of meditation (r = 0.518; p = .019). We also found significant negative correlations between Glu (r = -0.452; p = .045), NAA (r = -0.617; p = .003) and NAA/Cr (r = -0.448; P = .047) in the left thalamus and years of meditation. Meditators showed a lower Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) in the left posterior parietal white matter than did controls, and the ADC was negatively correlated with years of meditation (r = -0.4850, p = .0066). The results are consistent with the view that mI, Glu and NAA are the most important altered metabolites. This study provides evidence of subtle abnormalities in neuronal function in regions of the white matter in meditators.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression, Guilt, and Tibetan Buddhism 98 primarily Tibetan Buddhist meditation practitioners and 438 non-Buddhist,... | 2012 | Cross-sectional comparative study | n = 536 |
| The Mediating Role of Precepts and Meditation on Attachment and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents. Thai boarding-school students in 10th-12th grade from five schools (two Buddhist, three... | 2023 | Cross-sectional survey with parallel mediation analysis | n = 453 |
| Personality Traits and Future Anxiety in Buddhisms: a Study of Adult Tibetan Buddhist Practitioners from Uruguay Members of three Tibetan Buddhist groups in Uruguay, plus religious and non-religious... | 2022 | Cross-sectional comparison | n = 156 |
| The impact of Zen meditation on security and satisfaction in monogamous relationships Men and women aged 18 or older in monogamous relationships for one year or more | 2011 | Observational study (survey) | n = 405 |
| Synergistic effects of Buddhist five precepts and death contemplation on inner strengths and mental health in elderly Thai meditators. Elderly Thai Buddhist meditators aged 60 and above from temples and meditation centers... | 2025 | Cross-sectional study | n = 332 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 18
- Meditation-induced effects on whole-brain structural and effective connectivity Brain Structure and Function May 6, 2022
- Eight-month intensive meditation-based intervention improves refractory hallucinations and delusions and quality of life in male inpatients with schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences April 1, 2024
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention during pregnancy changes maternal brain. Scientific Reports July 1, 2025
- Toward an interdisciplinary mind science of advanced meditation. Trends in Cognitive Sciences September 9, 2026
- Distinct Neurochemical Signature of Mindfulness and Progressive Muscle Relaxation in limbic regions: a randomized controlled MR spectroscopy study Research Square November 13, 2025
and 13 more in the library
Cites 17
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience August 13, 2007
- Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2007
and 12 more in the library