A longitudinal study of the effect of short-term meditation training on functional network organization of the aging brain.

ABSTRACT: The beneficial effects of meditation on preserving age-related changes in cognitive functioning are well established. Yet, the neural underpinnings of these positive effects have not been fully unveiled. This study employed a prospective longitudinal design, and graph-based analysis, to study how an eight-week meditation training vs. relaxation training shaped network configuration at global, intermediate, and local levels using graph theory in the elderly. At the intermediate level, meditation training lead to decreased intra-connectivity in the default mode network (DMN), salience network (SAN) and somatomotor network (SMN) modules post training. Also, there was decreased connectivity strength between the DMN and other modules. At a local level, meditation training lowered nodal strength

SUBMITTER: Cotier FA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5428857 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature