Doctors have long suggested that older adults keep their minds active to prevent dementia.
A recent study reveals that turning off and meditating may be the secret to keeping the mind sharp.
People who followed the relaxation technique for 20 minutes each day for 18 months scored higher on cognitive tests than those who studied English for the same period to keep their thoughts engaged.
Dr. Gael Chetelat from the University of Caen-Normandy in France, one of the paper’s primary authors, stated: “Meditation was superior to non-native language training.”
This is the most recent study to demonstrate the health advantages of mindfulness, which has also been related to decreased blood pressure and blood sugar levels, as well as pain relief.
Meditation involves emptying the mind or concentrating on a single thought to train attention and awareness and create a condition of mental clarity and emotional stability.
The study, which was published in JAMA Neurology, comprised 137 men and women.
They were approximately 69 years old, French, and dementia-free.
For 18 months, participants were divided into three groups: meditation, English instruction, and business as usual.
MRI scans of two brain regions were performed at the beginning of the trial and one and a half years later. In addition, each participant’s attention span and emotional state were assessed.
Scientists discovered that the size of brain areas did not vary between populations.
Additionally, there was no substantial variation in brain blood flow.
However, individuals in the meditation group showed much greater attention spans and emotional regulation than those in the instruction group.
Dr. Chetelat stated, “Meditation was superior to non-native language instruction in terms of 18-month changes in a global composite score encompassing attention management, socio-emotional, and self-knowledge capacities.
The results of the study show the viability of meditation and non-native language instruction for the elderly, with strong adherence and very low attrition.
According to the researchers, meditation may have increased attention because it enabled “heightened awareness and monitoring of settings of experience without being overwhelmed by them.”
She indicated that people may not have practiced meditation long enough to detect changes in the brain.
The study’s limitations include the fact that it was conducted on a small sample size of 137 healthy individuals.
Meditation has grown in popularity during the past decade. It has helped individuals quit smoking, deal with cancer, and even avoid psoriasis.
Dr. Chetelat posed the question, “Could meditation, a mental training approach to attention and emotion regulation, preserve the structure and function of the brain in cognitively healthy older adults?”
Future evaluations of secondary outcomes will reveal which measures are more sensitive to meditation training and which factors are linked with intervention responsiveness.
Previous research has shown that it slows onset by enhancing concentration and enjoyment.
For thousands of years, staying “in the now” has been a part of philosophical and contemplative practices.
Meditation appears to alleviate the preoccupation with one’s thoughts that characterize many forms of mental disease.
It is believed that mindfulness meditation can help treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is characterized by intrusive thoughts and emotional numbness.
Dr. Chetelat stated, “Immediately needed are strategies to prevent dementia.” Cognitive and emotional components of aging may be improved by mental training that focuses on stress management and attention regulation.
Previous research has demonstrated that mindfulness meditation enhances cognition, particularly in older individuals across various cognitive domains, such as attention, executive functions, and self-awareness or metacognition.
Even in older persons, mindfulness meditation can reduce stress, anxiety, and despair.
By 2050, the global prevalence of dementia will quadruple to more than 150 million cases.
With no treatment in sight, there is a growing emphasis on preventative lifestyle factors.
Dr. Chetelat stated, “Meditation looks to be a viable strategy for preserving brain structure and function as well as cognition, so reducing the risk of dementia by directly targeting psycho-affective processes.”
