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Meditation Technique 'Boosts Brain'

University of Oregon

Date published: Thursday, August 19, 2010
News source: Press Association
Region: International

A meditation technique could help the brain to regulate behaviour after just 11 hours of practice, research has shown. Meditation technique may boost brain activity

The study, involving 45 students at the University of Oregon in the US — half of whom were given integrative body-mind training (IBMT) while the others were taught relaxation techniques, found that the meditation exercise provoked structural changes in brain connectivity.

The findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, said that a type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) used before and after training revealed that neuron connectivity was enhanced in the part of the brain that helps to regulate emotions and behaviour among those who practised meditation.

US psychologist Professor Michael Posner from the University of Oregon, who co-led the research, said:

"The pathway that has the largest change due to IBMT is one that previously was shown to relate to individual differences in the person's ability to regulate conflict."

He added: 

"The importance of our findings relates to the ability to make structural changes in a brain network related to self-regulation."

Previous work by the same team has shown that meditation reduces levels of anxiety, depression, anger and fatigue.

Copyright Press Association 2010

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