Category: brain size

How meditation changes the brain: an introduction

A brief introduction into how meditation changes brain function and structure

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Meditation has been shown to have a number of positive effects on the brain, including changes in brain structure and function. Here is an introduction to some of the areas of the brain that have been shown to be affected by meditation:

The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain responsible for decision-making, problem-solving, and controlling emotions. Studies have shown that meditation can have a number of positive effects on the prefrontal cortex, including increasing the thickness of this area of the brain.

One study found that long-term meditators had significantly thicker prefrontal cortices compared to non-meditators. The prefrontal cortex tends to thin with age, and this thinning is associated with declines in cognitive function. By increasing the thickness of the prefrontal cortex, meditation may help to improve cognitive function and protect against age-related declines in brain function.

In addition to increasing the thickness of the prefrontal cortex, meditation has also been shown to increase activity in this area of the brain. This increased activity may help to improve decision-making and problem-solving skills, as well as improve emotional regulation.

The evidence suggests that meditation can have a number of positive effects on the prefrontal cortex, including increasing its thickness and activity, which may lead to improved cognitive function and emotional well-being.

The amygdala: The amygdala is the part of the brain responsible for processing emotions, and it is often referred to as the “stress centre” of the brain. Studies have shown that meditation can have a number of positive effects on the amygdala, including reducing its activity.

One study found that regular meditation practice was associated with reduced activity in the amygdala in response to stressful stimuli. Another study found that mindfulness meditation specifically was associated with decreased volume of the amygdala, as well as increased connectivity between the amygdala and other brain regions involved in emotion regulation.

Reducing the activity of the amygdala may help to reduce stress and anxiety and may also improve the ability to regulate emotions. This is because the amygdala is involved in the fight or flight response, and when it is overactive, it can lead to feelings of anxiety and stress. By reducing the activity of the amygdala, meditation may help to calm the mind and improve emotional well-being.

Overall, the evidence suggests that meditation can have a number of positive effects on the amygdala, including reducing its activity and volume, which may help to reduce stress and improve emotional well-being.

The hippocampus is the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory. Studies have shown that meditation can have a number of positive effects on the hippocampus, including increasing its size.

One study found that eight weeks of mindfulness meditation was associated with increased volume of the hippocampus, as well as improved scores on a test of verbal memory. Another study found that long-term meditators had significantly larger hippocampi compared to non-meditators.

Increasing the size of the hippocampus may improve memory and learning, as the hippocampus is involved in the consolidation of new memories and the retrieval of old ones. This is particularly important as the hippocampus tends to shrink with age, and this shrinkage is associated with declines in memory and learning. By increasing the size of the hippocampus, meditation may help to protect against age-related declines in brain function.

The evidence suggests that meditation can have a number of positive effects on the hippocampus, including increasing its size, which may improve memory and learning.

The insula: The insula is the part of the brain responsible for self-awareness and self-regulation. Studies have shown that meditation can have a number of positive effects on the insula, including increasing its activity.

One study found that mindfulness meditation was associated with increased activity in the insula, as well as increased connectivity between the insula and other brain regions involved in self-awareness. Another study found that long-term meditators had significantly thicker insulae compared to non-meditators.

Increasing activity in the insula may improve self-awareness and self-regulation, as the insula is involved in the process of introspection and self-awareness. This can be particularly helpful for people who struggle with self-control or have difficulty regulating their emotions. By increasing activity in the insula, meditation may help to improve self-awareness and self-regulation.

The evidence suggests that meditation can have a number of positive effects on the insula, including increasing its activity and thickness, which may improve self-awareness and self-regulation.

Overall, meditation has been shown to have a number of positive effects on the brain, including changes in brain structure and function that may improve cognitive function and emotional well-being.

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Intelligence linked to brain size

Not a surprising headline until you consider that Dr Erhan Genç and Christoph Fraenz at Ruhr-Universität Bochum are reported as suggesting that people with higher scores on an intelligence test were found to have smaller brain structures. […]

Meditation changes brain size?
Meditation can change brain size, but not only in one direction

Not a surprising headline until you consider that Dr Erhan Genç and Christoph Fraenz at Ruhr-Universität Bochum are reported as suggesting that people with higher scores on an intelligence test were found to have smaller brain structures.

Brains are extremely complex organs and many aspects of their function and structure are not yet fully understood. However, we do know that neurons usually gather data from adjacent (presynaptic) neurons through complex tree-like structures containing many dendrites. The dendrites communicate with their own neuron’s cell body. Based on the messages received through the dendrites, a cell may fire (create an action potential) or not. When an action potential is generated, a message is then sent out to other neurons (postsynaptic) through the axon terminal. The reports of this study (I haven’t read the actual paper yet) is suggestive that people with fewer dendrites feeding into certain neurons in the cerebral cortex had higher IQ scores.

Dendrite (PSF)There are typically large numbers of dendrites communicating with each neuron in the cerebral cortex. There is a putative logic which could argue that smaller dendrite trees could be more efficient. Leading to a greater number of relevant action potentials being created more quickly. Given our limitations in understanding the mechanisms that lead to the generation and maintenance of dendrites, some caution needs to be expressed here. Without an appreciation of what the extra dendrites (in the participants with lower IQ scores) do, and why they are there, the picture is incomplete. Intelligence tests in general and IQ tests, in particular, are regarded by many experts as being reductive. It is possible that people with a history of IQ testing could have developed dendritic structures able to support this activity. But has anything been lost in the process? Are the extra dendrites in the lower IQ scored participants simply inefficient, and of no real benefit?

So what has this got to do with meditation? I wrote recently about structural changes in the brains of meditators. A conclusion from my own investigations was that increases and decreases in brain structures are likely to be the result of intense and sustained meditation practice. So the demonstration that neurological structures become bigger or smaller is probably an unhelpful oversimplification. The relationship between the alteration in structural size in different (interrelated) regions of the brain needs to be understood and then correlated to cognitive functionality if the understanding of the significance of changes is to be approached.

Rather than increasing or decreasing brain structures, meditators should probably think about their practice in terms of its deliverable goals in relation to behaviour. Brain imaging technology is still in its infancy and there are many significant problems still to overcome. We are probably decades away for being certain of the impact of complex human behaviours (like meditation) on brain structure, but we have for centuries been able to relate certain practices with behavioural changes. There are two obvious exceptions to these generalizations, age-related structural decline and changes due to neurodegeneration.

It should reiterate that I haven’t seen the full report of the Genç and Fraenz paper but a report is available at Eureka Alert.

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