A recent study, co-led by a researcher from UCL (University College London), has discovered that meditation can enhance attention and socio-emotional regulation in individuals aged 65 and over.
This improvement was observed after participants followed a meditation program for 18 months.
However, the researchers could not find any significant effects of meditation on the volume and functioning of the studied brain structures when compared to control groups, hence, its potential to prevent dementia remains uncertain.
Dr. Natalie Marchant, joint senior author from UCL Psychiatry, expressed that while their scans did not show any changes in brain structure or function, the findings were promising.
The team will continue to monitor the participants to investigate if some benefits take longer to emerge.
The European Medit-Aging research group conducted the study, which involved researchers from Inserm, Université de Caen Normandy, UCL, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University of Liège, and University of Geneva.
They aimed to explore the physiological, cognitive, and emotional benefits of meditation in older adults.
The study was part of the Age-Well clinical trial involving 136 participants aged 65 or older, who were healthy and did not have any known diseases.
The researchers measured the impact of an 18-month meditation intervention on the volume and perfusion (supply of nutrients and oxygen for metabolism) of the insula and anterior cingulate cortex—two brain regions involved in self-awareness and the regulation of attention, emotions, and empathy.
The team also assessed specific cognitive and socio-affective parameters.
The participants were divided into three groups: one practiced mindfulness meditation, another group underwent English-language training, and the third group did not follow any intervention.
After the 18-month intervention, the researchers did not find any significant changes in the volume or perfusion of the cingulate cortex or insula in the meditation group compared to the control groups.
Lead author Dr. Gaël Chételat explained that the lack of anatomical differences could indicate that while meditation can modify the volume of younger, more plastic brains, 18 months of meditation training may not be sufficient to alter the effects of aging.
Nonetheless, the results of the perfusion showed a trend in favor of meditation that could be worth exploring over a longer period or with a larger population sample.
In contrast, the researchers found significant improvements in attention and socio-emotional regulation in the participants of the meditation group compared to those who were learning English.
Joint first author Antoine Lutz highlighted that the practice of meditation showed its real benefit on the mental health of elderly people, with a substantial enhancement in parameters specific to well-being, fulfillment, attention, and socio-emotional capacities.
The research team will conduct a four-year follow-up of the participants to investigate potential long-term effects.
More specific measurements and analyses will be conducted within the Age-Well trial to improve the understanding of these mechanisms and to study the effects behind meditation.
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The study was published in JAMA Neurology.
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