Key result
Focused attention meditation significantly decreased PCr/ATP, PCr/Pi, and intracellular pH, while increasing Pi/ATP ratio and cerebral magnesium in multiple brain regions compared to a focused attention awake state.
Why the study?
Functional neuroimaging helps understand changes in brain activity during meditation, but how brain energy metabolism changes during focused attention meditation measured by 31P-MRS remained to be investigated.
Does focused attention meditation alter brain energy metabolism compared to a focused attention awake state in trained participants?
Does focused attention meditation alter brain energy metabolism compared to a focused attention awake state in trained participants?
Focused attention meditation induces regional changes in brain energy metabolism, suggesting higher energetic states in temporal areas and basal ganglia, and down-regulation in frontal and occipital areas.
Meditation-linked cerebral energy shifts are hypothesis-generating; leaves open mechanistic and clinical relevance pending controlled trials.
Introduction:Various functional neuroimaging studies help to better understand the changes in brain activity during meditation. The purpose of this study was to investigate how brain energy metabolism changes during focused attention meditation (FAM) state, measured by phosphorous magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS). Methods:31P-MRS imaging was carried out in 27 participants after 7 weeks of FAM training. Metabolite ratios and the absolute values of metabolites were assessed after meditation training in two MRI measurements, by comparing effects in a FAM state with those in a distinct focused attention awake state during a backwards counting task. Results:The results showed decreased phosphocreatine/ATP (PCr/ATP), PCr/ inorganic phosphate (Pi), and intracellular pH values in the entire brain, but especially in basal ganglia, frontal lobes, and occipital lobes, and increased Pi/ATP ratio, cerebral Mg, and Pi absolute values were found in the same areas during FAM compared to the control focused attention awake state. Conclusions:Changes in the temporal areas and basal ganglia may be interpreted as a higher energetic state induced by meditation, whereas the frontal and occipital areas showed changes that may be related to a down-regulation in ATP turnover, energy state, and oxidative capacity.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Galijašević et al. (2021) studied Healthy volunteers (n=27). Focused attention meditation (FAM) vs. Focused attention awake state (backwards counting) was evaluated on Brain energy metabolism (PCr/ATP, PCr/Pi, Pi/ATP, pH, Mg) measured by 31P-MRS. Focused attention meditation significantly decreased PCr/ATP, PCr/Pi, and intracellular pH, while increasing Pi/ATP ratio and cerebral magnesium in multiple brain regions compared to a focused attention awake state.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: