Abstract
ObjectivesTo investigate regional differences in grey matter volume associated with the practice of Sahaja Yoga Meditation.DesignTwenty three experienced practitioners of Sahaja Yoga Meditation and twenty three non-meditators matched on age, gender and education level, were scanned using structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging and their grey matter volume were compared using Voxel-Based Morphometry.ResultsGrey matter volume was larger in meditators relative to non-meditators across the whole brain. In addition, grey matter volume was larger in several predominantly right hemispheric regions: in insula, ventromedial orbitofrontal cortex, inferior temporal and parietal cortices as well as in left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and left insula. No areas with larger grey matter volume were found in non-meditators relative to meditators.ConclusionsThe study shows that long-term practice of Sahaja Yoga Meditation is associated with larger grey matter volume overall, and with regional enlargement in several right hemispheric cortical and subcortical brain regions that are associated with sustained attention, self-control, compassion and interoceptive perception. The increased grey matter volume in these attention and self-control mediating regions suggests use-dependent enlargement with regular practice of this meditation.
Highlights
The distribution of Grey Matter Volume (GMV) in our brain has an important role, among others on our mental health, our behaviour and our cognitive functions
Grey matter volume was larger in meditators relative to non-meditators across the whole brain
No areas with larger grey matter volume were found in non-meditators relative to meditators
Summary
The distribution of Grey Matter Volume (GMV) in our brain has an important role, among others on our mental health, our behaviour and our cognitive functions. GMV and cortical thickness increase in childhood, peak in adolescence and decrease progressively with age across adulthood, due to a combination of progressive and regressive changes such as synaptic pruning, white matter development and neuronal loss in older age [1, 2]. Research of meditation has experienced an important growth over the last two decades, among other things due to evidence for beneficial effects on mental and physical health and for therapeutic benefits for a range of mental and psychosomatic disorders [8,9,10,11,12]
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