Meditation
is known to cause changes in the brain, but the effects of those changes have
not been thoroughly studied. Researchers collected data from 14 individuals
ages 55-90 that had been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, a stage typically before progression to Alzheimer's disease. The
participants were randomly placed in two different groups: one that
participated in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and another that did
not. MBSR is a combination of meditation and yoga. The participants in the MBSR
group met for 2 hours each week to participate in the activity for eight weeks.
In
order to study the effects of meditation on the brain, researchers compared functional
MRI (fMRI) images from baseline and then after eight weeks for both groups. The
results of the fMRI images showed that the group that participated in MBSR had
significantly improved functional connectivity in the areas of the default mode
network. The default mode network is the part of the brain that is engaged when
remembering past events or envisioning the future, typically connectivity decreases in this part of the brain during the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease. They also found that both
groups experienced atrophy in the hippocampus, as expected, but those that had
practiced MBSR experienced less atrophy.
I like
this study because I feel like meditation or MBSR are manageable activities for
senior citizens. I think it could also be easy for assisted living or senior
centers to incorporate classes that enable seniors to participate in these activities. Additionally,
it is not a large time commitment. While the results of this study are
promising, I do think that more research is needed on this topic to further examine if MBSR has long term cognitive benefits for Alzheimer’s disease because the
researchers did not directly test cognitive function and this study only had a
small sample with 14 participants.
Sources:
Lawman, Kelly. "Stress Reduction through Meditation May
Aid in Slowing the Progression of Alzheimer's Disease." Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 19 Nov.
2013. Web. 27 Nov. 2013.
<http://www.bidmc.org/News/In-Research/2013/November/Wells-Meditation.aspx>.
This is definitely a really neat read, Raven! I have always been big on exercise, but have found it challenging to get into and enjoy yoga or meditation. I think that it will be key to pinpoint exactly what happens to the overall state of the brain during these activities... The preliminary findings in taking the MRI scans after several weeks of doing the activities definitely show very promising results... But in the future, I'll want to know the best state to work towards in my challenged attempts at meditation.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing to look into would be the most effective age to start these activities. It would be great if all of us could get into consistent yoga/meditation at a young age, but is that really probable? If we start it when we are senior citizens, can it remedy any sort of damage that may already be done? I would think that getting into it too late might not be effective.
The final thing that I would have a question about is what method of meditation is most effective? There are so many different types, and different ones probably work better for different people, but I wouldn't know where to begin. Have you (or anyone else in the course) had success in yoga or meditation? If so, what are your tips!
I thought this was really interesting as well because my dad was a practicing buddhist monk for 20+ years before he had me. If this study is true then good thing for my dad since he is still doing yoga and medication daily before work. I haven't seen any signs of Alzheimer's in him but I do know that he is really good at recalling history for historically and for his own. He is always telling me stories about his journeys through the different countries he has travelled to and all his trials as a monk. Overall, interesting read!
ReplyDeleteWow, I also found this fascinating! Like Carl said, I feel like it would be very easy for senior citizens to practice meditation. It doesn't really require them to do anything that would cause physical stress on their bodies. I also wonder if meditation helps decrease the risk of neurodegenerative diseases because the brain is being exercised by focusing on whatever is being meditated on. Or maybe the fact that the mind is intentionally being cleared out during meditation is what exercises the brain.
ReplyDeleteI think a really key part of this article was the finding that patients who particitated in MBSR had less atrophy of the hippocampus than those who did not participate. Somehow the meditation activates the hippocampus to keep that part of the brain running.
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to comment on the fact that maybe stress reduction from meditation is protective of AD by the relationship between stress and inflammation in the body/brain. Cortisol and other hormones play a part in regulating a inflammatory response and when chronic stress produce high constant levels of these hormones, over-inflammation problems can occur. Now, while this study did not look at this area of AD prevention, I still think it might be a possible area of research since inflammation is part of the progression of AD.
I definitely would agree with meditation being helpful for the brain. I think that anything that has to do with exercising whether it is physically or mentally, it only brings benefits to ones health. Makes sense that when you meditate you are practicing correct breathing and in that relaxing and decluttering the mind. As we all know, stress can cause problems to our health and so studies have shown that it has had many benefits in preventing some illnesses or slowing down the symptoms. I think that starting as early as one can with healthy habits like meditating is the best way to start preventing all kinds of diseases and illnesses. Makes me want to start taking some meditating classes. Interesting study, Raven.
ReplyDeleteThis article is interesting based on the data of those (14) who were at a much higher risk than the general population. It would certainly be more interesting however to conduct a semi-long-term study on participants who are at low, moderate and high risk for Alzheimer's disease. It seems rather obvious that a reduction of stress, an expected effect of meditation, would slow the disease process. It seems to me the obvious question many would likely ask is - when is the optimum time to begin? As Carl demonstrated above, many questions could arise from such a 'promising' study. I'm slightly skeptical, but an interesting read nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was younger two of my brothers joined a group who focused in meditation, yoga, hypnotism, and fields in this nature. I got a little more familiar with the idea of meditation and actually have tried it myself. When you meditate your mind is supposed to be cleared of all thoughts and this takes lots of practice. Meditation is one of the best ways of organizing thoughts and shutting off all subconscious murmurs of the brain! This automatically decreases the stress in the brain, which in my opinion is one of the main reasons for Alzheimer’s disease!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with you Raven. The topic is great. I really like the fact that meditation or MBSR are manageable activities for senior citizens to exercise their brain, and possibly elicit positive effect on cognitive function. However, I too think that more research is needed on this topic, and would like to see an increase in population size so that its statistic would be more convincing. Looking forward to future researches on this topic!
ReplyDeleteThis was a great read, and a great alternative to exercise to the elderly who aren't in condition to run marathons anymore. It would have been nice to see a separate group for meditation and one for yoga, and exercise. It would be interesting to see which of the three would have a greater neuroprotective effect.
ReplyDeleteFor the elderly, I believe that medication would be a great form of exercise but I do believe that it should be promoted at a younger age. Meditation requires a lot of patience and disciple which is why I would recommend starting young. Just like Parsa had stated, it allows for the brain to relax and de-stress; which would be better for their overall health.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting blog partly because I really enjoy practicing yoga. I always feel very relaxed and calm afterward. Raven your idea about having these activities at senior centers is great. This should definitely be taken into account since it has shown some success but maybe more research wouldn’t hurt since it was done on a small pool of patients.
ReplyDeleteHow interesting! I am a big fan of meditation, as I have been practicing martial arts since I was 8 years old and meditation is a huge part of the practice. In my experience, meditating is so rejuvenating, I end up feeling replenished and full of energy. I often meditate before studying for an exam because I have found that I grasp the information better. This post made me really interested in what exactly meditation is doing to the brain. So I found this article: http://io9.com/how-meditation-changes-your-brain-and-makes-you-feel-b-470030863 ...in the article, the author says that meditation strengthens the brain by reinforcing the connection between brain cells, and that it has been shown to increase gray matter, which ends up being neuro-protective in that it can reduce cognitive decline. I agree with you, Raven, in that meditation/yoga should be introduced into senior care homes. However, I also agree with Carl as to what methods work best with each person. Obviously martial arts wouldn't be the best method for a less motile senior citizen, whereas therapeutic yoga would be a better method, because it is less strenuous of a yoga practice. There are also different kinds of meditations, such as mindfulness, where the individual focuses their attention on one thought and one thought alone. There is also moving meditation, which many people participate (unknowingly) in already, such as knitting or sewing.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this article! I took PSIO 415 (which was mind-body PSIO) last semester and this relates really well with a lot of aspects presented in that class. There is some promising research about said "mindfulness" and mind body connections that I personally am very supportive of. Before I took 415 with Dr. Baldwin I had zero experience on meditation but I was always interested in the practice; after taking that class its really inspiring to see something more spiritual like mediation coincide with the scientific world. I think that looking into something like meditation which is known to alter other centers of the brain and body, for instance: experienced meditators have a better balance of sympathetic- parasympathetic activity then people who do not meditate- is a fresh way to observe the issue. Although we have such a long way to go, I believe that this a promising area of research for future generations.
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