Meditation Can Slow Down Alzheimer’s
Print
Email
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered a new use for an ancient yoga meditation technique. Doctors have recommended daily meditation as a way to combat Alzheimer’s disease.
Daily meditation has been used for centuries in cultures across the world as a way to create and maintain serenity, focus one’s thoughts and even improve one’s health, reducing stress, anxiety and blood pressure levels.
Now researchers are studying the effects of meditation on individuals with Alzheimer’s in the hopes that it might prove effective in slowing the progression of the disease.
A new study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania has confirmed that daily meditation can improve cognitive function. The findings of the study, which was sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation, (http://www.alzheimersprevention.org/ ) were presented in June at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on the Prevention of Dementia, held in Washington, D.C.
Initial testing which included a series of neurological and memory tests, followed by a Single Photo Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) scan which measures cerebral blood flow was carried out on each subject, ages 52 – 70. All of the subjects were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment and/or had a history of memory problems.
The researchers then taught each subject how to practice Kirtan Kriya, a form of meditation used in Kundalini Yoga. Each person was told to meditate daily for 12 minutes, for a period of eight weeks.
The results were dramatic. SPECT scans showed significant increases in blood flow to the area of the brain that deteriorates first in people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease – the posterior cingulated gyrus, which is associated with learning and memory.
All of the subjects showed statistically significant improvements in memory as a result, demonstrating that the meditation as practiced by the study subjects increased blood flow to the area of the brain that is central to cognitive functioning.
“For the first time, we are seeing scientific evidence that meditation enables the brain to actually strengthen itself,” said Andrew Newberg, M.D., principle investigator in the study and an assistant professor of radiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. “If this kind of meditation is helping patients with memory loss, we are encouraged by the prospects that daily practice may even prevent neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s,” he added.
The findings also prompted the president and medical director of the foundation to recommend the use of daily meditation by people who have Alzheimer’s disease. “This exciting study confirms what we have been observing in clinical practice for many years,” said Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa.
Related Videos & Articles
More Information
.
