Effect of an 18-Month Meditation Training on Regional Brain Volume and Perfusion in Older Adults
Authors: Chételat Gael , Lutz Antoine , Klimecki Olga , Frison Eric , Asselineau Julien , Schlosser Marco , Arenaza-Urquijo Eider M. , Mézenge Florence , Kuhn Elizabeth , Moulinet Inès , Touron Edelweiss , Dautricourt Sophie , André Claire , Palix Cassandre , Ourry Valentin , Felisatti Francesca , Gonneaud Julie , Landeau Brigitte , Rauchs Géraldine , Chocat Anne , Quillard Anne , Devouge Eglantine Ferrand , Vuilleumier Patrik , de La Sayette Vincent , Vivien Denis , Collette Fabienne , Poisnel Géraldine , Marchant Natalie L. ,   Medit-Ageing Research Group, ALLAIS Florence , ANDRÉ Claire , ARENAZA URQUIJO Eider M , ASSELINEAU Julien , BAEZ LUGO Sebastian , BATCHELOR Martine , BEAUGONIN Axel , BEJANIN Alexandre , CHAMPETIER Pierre , CHÉTELAT Gaël , CHOCAT Anne , COLLETTE Fabienne , COUERON Roxane , DAUTRICOURT Sophie , DE FLORES Robin , DE LA SAYETTE Vincent , DELAMILLIEURE Pascal , DELARUE Marion , DEZA ARAUJO Yacila , FELISATTI Francesca , FERRAND DEVOUGE Eglantine , FRISON Eric , GARNIER CRUSSARD Antoine , GHEYSEN Francis , GONNEAUD Julie , HEIDMANN Marc , HUONG TRAN (DOLMA) Thien (Titi) , JESSEN Frank , KLIMECKI Olga , KROLAK SALMON Pierre , KUHN Elizabeth , LANDEAU Brigitte , LE DU Gwendoline , LEFRANC Valérie , LUTZ Antoine , MARCHANT Natalie , MEZENGE Florence , MOLINUEVO Jose Luis , MOULINET Inès , OURRY Valentin , PALIX Cassandre , PALY Léo , POISNEL Géraldine , POLETTI Stefano , QUILLARD Anne , RAUCHS Géraldine , REHEL Stéphane , REQUIER Florence , SALMON Eric , SANCHEZ Raquel , SCHIMMER Corinne , SCHLOSSER Marco , SCHWIMMER Christine , SHERIF Siya , TOURON Edelweiss , VANHOUTTE Matthieu , VIVIEN Denis , VUILLEUMIER Patrik , WALLET Cédrick , WARE Caitlin , WIRTH Miranka 
Published: October 2022

Importance

No lifestyle-based randomized clinical trial directly targets psychoaffective risk factors of dementia. Meditation practices recently emerged as a promising mental training exercise to foster brain health and reduce dementia risk.

Objective

To investigate the effects of meditation training on brain integrity in older adults.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Age-Well was a randomized, controlled superiority trial with blinded end point assessment. Community-dwelling cognitively unimpaired adults 65 years and older were enrolled between November 24, 2016, and March 5, 2018, in France. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to (1) an 18-month meditation-based training, (2) a structurally matched non-native language (English) training, or (3) no intervention arm. Analysis took place between December 2020 and October 2021.

Interventions

Meditation and non-native language training included 2-hour weekly group sessions, practice of 20 minutes or longer daily at home, and 1-day intensive practices.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Primary outcomes included volume and perfusion of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and insula. Main secondary outcomes included a global composite score capturing metacognitive, prosocial, and self-regulatory capacities and constituent subscores.

Results

Among 137 participants (mean [SD] age, 69.4 [3.8] years; 83 [60.6%] female; 54 [39.4%] male) assigned to the meditation (n = 45), non-native language training (n = 46), or no intervention (n = 46) groups, all but 1 completed the trial. There were no differences in volume changes of ACC (0.01 [98.75% CI, −0.02 to 0.05]; P = .36) or insula (0.01 [98.75% CI, −0.02 to 0.03]; P = .58) between meditation and no intervention or non-native language training groups, respectively. Differences in perfusion changes did not reach statistical significance for meditation compared with no intervention in ACC (0.02 [98.75% CI, −0.01 to 0.05]; P = .06) or compared with non-native language training in insula (0.02 [98.75% CI, −0.01 to 0.05]; P = .09). Meditation was superior to non-native language training on 18-month changes in a global composite score capturing attention regulation, socioemotional, and self-knowledge capacities (Cohen d, 0.52 [95% CI, 0.19-0.85]; P = .002).

Conclusions and Relevance

The study findings confirm the feasibility of meditation and non-native language training in elderly individuals, with high adherence and very low attrition. Findings also show positive behavioral effects of meditation that were not reflected on volume, and not significantly on perfusion, of target brain areas.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02977819