Meditation Improves Brain Structures Involved With Memory

Meditation may significantly impact brain regions that are associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress, according to a study published in the journal Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging.

A team of scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have found that meditating does not only lend a sense of peace and physical relaxation, but it may also provide cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout an individual's day.

"This study demonstrates that changes in brain structure underlie some of these reported improvements and that people are not just feeling better because they are spending time relaxing," said senior author Sara Lazar of the MGH Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program.

Images were taken of the brain structure of 16 participants two weeks before and after they enrolled in the eight week-long Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program. These images revealed that their gray-matter density increased in the hippocampus, a region that is important in learning and memory.

The researchers concluded that meditation can improve brain structure, and that such a practice could also ensure mental and emotional well-being.

Memory problems are common among those with Alzheimer's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder that affects more than five million Americans, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

Source: DrCutler.com