Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026
09:33
Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 28, 2013
Meditation and neurodegenerative diseases
Andrew B Newberg1, Mijail Serruya1, Nancy Wintering1
1Jefferson Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|August 9, 2013
Summary
Meditation may help improve memory and attention in neurodegenerative diseases. This review explores meditation
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Cognitive Science
- Mind-Body Medicine
Background:
- Neurodegenerative diseases present a growing healthcare challenge, particularly with an aging global population.
- Current treatment options for neurodegenerative conditions are limited, necessitating exploration of complementary therapies.
- Meditation offers a low-cost, accessible intervention with potential benefits for cognitive function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current research on the effects of meditation on memory and attention.
- To explore the potential of meditation as an adjuvant therapy for patients with neurodegenerative diseases.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of existing scientific literature.
- Analysis of studies investigating meditation's impact on cognitive functions like memory and attention.
- Evaluation of research data concerning meditation in neurodegenerative disease contexts.
Main Results:
- Emerging evidence suggests meditation can enhance cognitive functions, including memory and attention.
- Meditation techniques are easily teachable and performable, making them practical for patient use.
- The review consolidates data supporting meditation's role in managing cognitive decline associated with neurodegeneration.
Conclusions:
- Meditation shows promise as a valuable adjunctive treatment for neurodegenerative diseases.
- Further research is warranted to fully elucidate meditation's therapeutic potential in this patient population.
- The accessibility and low cost of meditation make it an attractive option for improving quality of life.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Alzheimer's Disease: Overview
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a continually advancing neurodegenerative disorder, distinguished by escalating memory loss, cognitive dysfunction, and dementia. The disease unfolds in three stages: preclinical, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia. Its onset is insidious, and the progression gradual, with the cause not well explained by other disorders.
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ and tau...
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ and tau...
01:22Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment
Alzheimer's Disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder, is pathologically identified by amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles composed of tau protein. AD pharmacotherapy aims to manage cognitive symptoms, delay disease progression, and treat behavioral symptoms. The treatment is primarily symptomatic and palliative, with no definitive disease-modifying therapy available. Cholinesterase inhibitors, including donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), and galantamine (Razadyne), are...
01:29Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction
Alzheimer disease is a chronic, progressive, and irreversible neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia in older adults. It leads to gradual neuronal loss, causing cognitive decline, behavioral changes, and loss of functional independence.Risk Factors and EtiologyThe disease is multifactorial. Age is the strongest risk factor, with prevalence doubling every 5 years after age 65. Genetic factors include mutations in genes such as APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2, which are associated...
01:23Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Alzheimer disease involves structural changes in the brain that begin long before symptoms appear. The most distinctive features are extracellular neuritic plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles.Neuritic plaques form in the cerebral cortex and around blood vessels. These plaques contain a dense core of beta-amyloid (Aβ)—a toxic protein fragment that clumps outside neurons. The core is surrounded by damaged neuronal extensions, as well as reactive astrocytes and microglia. Abnormal...
01:22Dementia l: Introduction
Dementia is an acquired, progressive syndrome characterized by a decline in multiple cognitive domains severe enough to impair daily functioning and reduce independence. Although memory loss is a central feature, the diagnosis requires additional deficits involving language, executive function, visuospatial skills, judgment, calculation, or abstract reasoning. These cognitive impairments reflect underlying neurodegenerative or vascular processes that gradually disrupt neuronal networks...
01:37Neural Regulation
Digestion begins with a cephalic phase that prepares the digestive system to receive food. When our brain processes visual or olfactory information about food, it triggers impulses in the cranial nerves innervating the salivary glands and stomach to prepare for food.