title: Long-term meditation is associated with increased gray matter density in the brain stem.
abstract: Extensive practice involving sustained attention can lead to changes in brain structure. Here, we report evidence of structural differences in the lower brainstem of participants engaged in the long-term practice of meditation. Using magnetic resonance imaging, we observed higher gray matter density in lower brain stem regions of experienced meditators compared with age-matched nonmeditators. Our findings show that long-term practitioners of meditation have structural differences in brainstem regions concerned with cardiorespiratory control. This could account for some of the cardiorespiratory parasympathetic effects and traits, as well as the cognitive, emotional, and immunoreactive impact reported in several studies of different meditation practices.
authors.affiliation: Center for Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark. peterv@pet.auh.dk
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vestergaard-Poulsen
authors.forename: Martijn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Beek
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Skewes
authors.forename: Carsten R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Bjarkam
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stubberup
authors.forename: Jes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bertelsen
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roepstorff
mesh_terms: D001933:Brain Stem / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D019122:Meditation; D008875:Middle Aged; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology