Cerebral blood flow changes during chanting meditation.
OBJECTIVE
To examine changes in brain physiology during a chanting meditation practice using cerebral blood flow single-photon emission computed tomography.


METHODS
Single-photon emission computed tomography scans were acquired in 11 healthy individuals during either a resting state or meditation practice randomly performed on two separate days. Statistical parametric mapping analyses were conducted to identify significant changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) between the two conditions.


RESULTS
When the meditation state was compared with the baseline condition, significant rCBF increases were observed in the right temporal lobe and posterior cingulate gyrus, and significant rCBF decreases were observed in the left parietotemporal and occipital gyri.


CONCLUSIONS
The results offer evidence that this form of meditation practice is associated with changes in brain function in a way that is consistent with earlier studies of related types of meditation as well as with the positive clinical outcomes anecdotally reported by its users.
Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
Dharma Singh
DS
Khalsa
Daniel
D
Amen
Chris
C
Hanks
Nisha
N
Money
Andrew
A
Newberg
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D019122:Meditation; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D015013:Yoga
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime