Key result
Chanting meditation significantly increased regional cerebral blood flow in the right temporal lobe and posterior cingulate gyrus, and decreased it in the left parietotemporal and occipital gyri.
Why the study?
Does chanting meditation alter regional cerebral blood flow compared to a resting state in healthy individuals?
RCT (n=11)
Randomized
Does chanting meditation alter regional cerebral blood flow compared to a resting state in healthy individuals?
Chanting meditation is associated with specific regional cerebral blood flow changes, including increases in the right temporal lobe and posterior cingulate gyrus.
Hypothesis-generating for meditation effects on cerebral perfusion; leaves open any cardiovascular relevance or practice implications.
PURPOSE: 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. CONCLUSION: 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.
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Khalsa et al. (2009) conducted an RCT in Healthy (n=11). Chanting meditation vs. Resting state was evaluated on Changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). Chanting meditation significantly increased regional cerebral blood flow in the right temporal lobe and posterior cingulate gyrus, and decreased it in the left parietotemporal and occipital gyri.
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