Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease that results in loss of memory and cognition and marked changes in personality that will ultimately leave the patient utterly dependent on others. The Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation estimates that as, as of 2011, as many as 5.3 millions were suffering from Alzheimer's, a number that could triple by the middle of the 21st century. Researchers are investigating the nature of this debilitating ailment, and some studies indicate that meditation may be effective in preventing Alzheimers.
Effects of Meditation
According to Dr. Josephine P. Briggs, director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, meditation has been used for centuries to promote a sense of relaxation, enhance psychological balance and improve health and well-being. As Briggs points out, recent research indicates that measurable biological changes take place within the body during a meditative state, which appears to be associated with changes in the electrical function of the brain, and recent imaging studies suggest that meditation may also bring about changes in the anatomy of the nervous system.
Research Findings
A report published in a 2005 issue of the journal "Current Biology" documented a unique collaborative study between neuroscientists and Tibetan monks. This study revealed that meditation skills developed by Tibetan Buddhist monks play a major role in influencing how they experience a phenomenon termed perceptual rivalry. Perceptual rivalry is not well understood, but it involves neurological mechanisms that regulate attention and conscious awareness. The findings of the study suggest that meditation can alter the normal fluctuations in the brain's conscious state.
Kirtan Kriya
Following on this research, the Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation (ARPF) began investigating the effects that a specific type of meditation called Kirtan Kriya may have on preventing Alzheimer's. According to the ARPF, Kirtan Kriya, an ancient form of meditative chanting associated with Kundalini yoga, has the potential to enhance the effects of existing Alzheimer's treatments and "may even hold the potential to reverse memory loss." The results of a 2010 study, published in the "Journal of Alzheimer's Disease," found that performing Kirtan Kriya for 12 minutes a day for eight week led to increased brain activity in areas central to memory and also served to improve cognition and general well-being in patients with memory loss.
Cerebral Blood Flow
A 2009 study published in the journal "Nuclear Medicine Communications," titled "Cerebral Blood Flow Changes During Chanting Meditation," used single-photon emission computed tomography scans to identify any significant changes in regional cerebral blood flow in a meditative state compared to a nonmeditative state. The study concluded that "this form of meditation practice is associated with changes in brain function in a way that is consistent with earlier studies of related types of meditation as well as with the positive clinical outcomes anecdotally reported by its users."
References
- Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation: About Alzheimer's Disease
- Medical News Today: Meditation Skills of Buddhist Monks Yield Clues to Brain's Regulation of Attention; June 2005
- "Nuclear Medicine Communications"; Cerebral Blood Flow Changes During Chanting Meditation; D.S. Khalsa, et al; December 2009
- Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation: ARPF Research
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Message from the Director: Exploring the Power of Meditation; Josephine P. Briggs; June 2010
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