http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-01634-4_7
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Abstract
Results of recent
magnetic resonance imaging studies suggest that meditation may be
associated with region-specific structural neuroplasticity. To test the
hypothesis that meditation-related brain function predicts site-specific
structural changes in meditators, we conducted two meta-analyses: one
of studies localizing brain activity during meditation, and a second of
studies measuring differences in brain structure between meditators and
non-meditators. Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) meta-analysis of
five studies measuring brain activation during meditation revealed the
greatest clusters of activity to be in the left frontal cortex and left
precuneus. ALE of four studies measuring the differences in brain
structure between meditators and controls revealed that meditators
tended to have greater brain volume in the left inferior temporal gyrus.
Thus, brain activity during meditation did not predict region-specific
structural differences between meditators and non-meditators. This
finding may reflect recognized limitations in neuroimaging methodology
rather than the refutability of the hypothesis itself. Future efforts
aimed at understanding the relationship between brain activity and
structural changes in the brain should focus on improving neuroimaging
experimental design and incorporating evidence from other branches of
neurocognitive science. Progress in these areas promises to elucidate
the connection between mind-body practices, and brain structure and
function.
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