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Kurth F, Zsadanyi SE, Luders E. Reduced age-related gray matter loss in the subgenual cingulate cortex in long-term meditators. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 15:2824-2832. [PMID: 34686969 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-021-00578-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that meditation practices have positive effects on brain ageing overall. The cingulate is known to be recruited during meditation, but research into possible effects of meditation on the ageing of the cingulate is currently missing. Thus, the present study was designed to help close this knowledge gap, with particular focus on the subgenual cingulate, a region involved in emotional regulation and autonomic and endocrine functions, making it potentially relevant for meditation. Here, we investigated differences in age-related gray matter loss between 50 long-term meditation practitioners (28 male, 22 female), aged between 24 and 77, and 50 age- and sex-matched controls. Areas of interest were four subregions of the subgenual cingulate gyrus (areas 25, 33, s24, and s32) defined as per the Julich-Brain atlas. Our study revealed a significant age-related decline in all subregions in both meditators and controls, but with significantly lower rates of annual tissue loss in meditators, specifically in left and right area s32 and right area 25. These regions have been shown to play a role in mood regulation, autonomic processing, and the integration of emotion and cognitive processes, which are all involved in and impacted by meditation. Overall, the results add further evidence to the emerging notion that meditation may slow the effects of ageing on the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Kurth
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
| | - Sára E Zsadanyi
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Eileen Luders
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.,Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
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Wells RE, Kerr C, Dossett ML, Danhauer SC, Sohl SJ, Sachs BC, Feeley JW, Wolkin J, Wall R, Kaptchuk T, Press DZ, Phillips RS, Yeh GY. Can Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment Build Cognitive Reserve and Learn Mindfulness Meditation? Qualitative Theme Analyses from a Small Pilot Study. J Alzheimers Dis 2020; 70:825-842. [PMID: 31282418 DOI: 10.3233/jad-190191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE High levels of chronic stress negatively impact the hippocampus and are associated with increased incidence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease. While mindfulness meditation may mitigate the effects of chronic stress, it is uncertain if adults with MCI have the capacity to learn mindfulness meditation. METHODS 14 adults with MCI were randomized 2:1 to Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) or a wait-list control group. We conducted qualitative interviews with those who completed MBSR. Transcribed interviews were: a) coded using an emergent themes inductive approach informed by grounded theory; b) rated 0-10, with higher scores reflecting greater perceived benefit from, and understanding of, mindfulness meditation. Ratings were correlated with daily home practice times and baseline level of cognitive function. RESULTS Seven themes emerged from the interviews: positive perceptions of class; development of mindfulness skills, including meta-cognition; importance of the group experience; enhanced well-being; shift in MCI perspective; decreased stress reactivity and increased relaxation; improvement in interpersonal skills. Ratings of perceived benefit and understanding ranged from 2-10 (mean = 7) and of 0-9.5 (mean = 6), respectively. Many participants experienced substantial benefit/understanding, some had moderate, and a few had minimal benefit/understanding. Understanding the key concepts of mindfulness was highly positively correlated with ≥20 minutes/day of home practice (r = 0.90) but not with baseline cognitive function (r = 0.13). CONCLUSIONS Most adults with MCI were able to learn mindfulness meditation and had improved MCI acceptance, self-efficacy, and social engagement. Cognitive reserve may be enhanced through a mindfulness meditation program even in patients with MCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Erwin Wells
- Department of Neurology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Catherine Kerr
- Department of Family Medicine and Mindfulness-Wellness Program, Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Michelle L Dossett
- Department of Medicine and Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Suzanne C Danhauer
- Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, USA
| | - Stephanie J Sohl
- Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, USA
| | - Bonnie C Sachs
- Department of Neurology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Jacquelyn Walsh Feeley
- Graduate School of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | | | - Robert Wall
- Mclean Hospital Borden Cottage, Camden, ME, USA
| | - Ted Kaptchuk
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel Z Press
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Russell S Phillips
- Department of Medicine, Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gloria Y Yeh
- Department of Medicine, Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Laird KT, Krause B, Funes C, Lavretsky H. Psychobiological factors of resilience and depression in late life. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:88. [PMID: 30765686 PMCID: PMC6375932 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0424-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 12/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In contrast to traditional perspectives of resilience as a stable, trait-like characteristic, resilience is now recognized as a multidimentional, dynamic capacity influenced by life-long interactions between internal and environmental resources. We review psychosocial and neurobiological factors associated with resilience to late-life depression (LLD). Recent research has identified both psychosocial characteristics associated with elevated LLD risk (e.g., insecure attachment, neuroticism) and psychosocial processes that may be useful intervention targets (e.g., self-efficacy, sense of purpose, coping behaviors, social support). Psychobiological factors include a variety of endocrine, genetic, inflammatory, metabolic, neural, and cardiovascular processes that bidirectionally interact to affect risk for LLD onset and course of illness. Several resilience-enhancing intervention modalities show promise for the prevention and treatment of LLD, including cognitive/psychological or mind-body (positive psychology; psychotherapy; heart rate variability biofeedback; meditation), movement-based (aerobic exercise; yoga; tai chi), and biological approaches (pharmacotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy). Additional research is needed to further elucidate psychosocial and biological factors that affect risk and course of LLD. In addition, research to identify psychobiological factors predicting differential treatment response to various interventions will be essential to the development of more individualized and effective approaches to the prevention and treatment of LLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey T Laird
- Department of Psychiatry, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Beatrix Krause
- Department of Psychiatry, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Cynthia Funes
- Department of Psychiatry, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Helen Lavretsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Berk L, Warmenhoven F, van Os J, van Boxtel M. Mindfulness Training for People With Dementia and Their Caregivers: Rationale, Current Research, and Future Directions. Front Psychol 2018; 9:982. [PMID: 29951027 PMCID: PMC6008507 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The world population is aging and the prevalence of dementia is increasing. By 2050, those aged 60 years and older are expected to make up a quarter of the population. With that, the number of people with dementia is increasing. Unfortunately, there is no cure for dementia. The progression of symptoms with no hope of improvement is difficult to cope with, both for patients and their caregivers. New and evidence-based strategies are needed to support the well-being of both caregiver and patient. Mindfulness training is a body-mind intervention that has shown to improve psychological well-being in a variety of mental health conditions. Mindfulness, a non-judgmental attention to one's experience in the present moment, is a skill that can be developed with a standard 8-week training. Research has shown preliminary but promising results for mindfulness-based interventions to benefit people with dementia and caregivers. The aim of this review is (a) to provide a rationale for the application of mindfulness in the context of dementia care by giving an overview of studies on mindfulness for people with dementia and/or their caregivers and (b) to provide suggestions for future projects on mindfulness in the context of dementia and to give recommendations for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lotte Berk
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Franca Warmenhoven
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Department of Educational Development and Research, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Jim van Os
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, Netherlands
- King’s Health Partners, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Martin van Boxtel
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, Netherlands
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Zanesco AP, King BG, MacLean KA, Saron CD. Cognitive Aging and Long-Term Maintenance of Attentional Improvements Following Meditation Training. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s41465-018-0068-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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