A longitudinal study of the effect of short-term meditation training on functional network organization of the aging brain.

Author: Cotier FA1,2, Zhang R1,2, Lee TM3,4,5
Affiliation:
1Laboratory of Neuropsychology, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong.
2Laboratory of Cognitive Affective Neuroscience, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong.
3Laboratory of Neuropsychology, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong. tmclee@hku.hk.
4Laboratory of Cognitive Affective Neuroscience, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong. tmclee@hku.hk.
5The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong. tmclee@hku.hk.
Conference/Journal: Sci Rep.
Date published: 2017 Apr 4
Other: Volume ID: 7 , Issue ID: 1 , Pages: 598 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-00678-8. , Word Count: 203


The beneficial effects of meditation on preserving age-related changes in cognitive functioning are well established. Yet, the neural underpinnings of these positive effects have not been fully unveiled. This study employed a prospective longitudinal design, and graph-based analysis, to study how an eight-week meditation training vs. relaxation training shaped network configuration at global, intermediate, and local levels using graph theory in the elderly. At the intermediate level, meditation training lead to decreased intra-connectivity in the default mode network (DMN), salience network (SAN) and somatomotor network (SMN) modules post training. Also, there was decreased connectivity strength between the DMN and other modules. At a local level, meditation training lowered nodal strength in the left posterior cingulate gryus, bilateral paracentral lobule, and middle cingulate gyrus. According to previous literature, the direction of these changes is consistent with a movement towards a more self-detached viewpoint, as well as more efficient processing. Furthermore, our findings highlight the importance of considering brain network changes across organizational levels, as well as the pace at which these changes may occur. Overall, this study provides further support for short-term meditation as a potentially beneficial method of mental training for the elderly that warrants further investigation.

PMID: 28377606 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00678-8

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