[en] Meditation is thought to promote healthy aging by improving mental health, preserving brain integrity and reducing Alzheimer's disease risk. We examined the impact of long-term meditation expertise and an 18-month meditation training on brain aging in older adults using machine learning. We included 25 Older Expert Meditators (OldExpMed) with > 20 years of practice and 135 Cognitively Unimpaired Older Adults (CUOA) from the Age-Well randomized controlled trial. CUOA were randomized (1:1:1) into an 18-month meditation training, a non-native language training, and a no intervention group. Brain age was predicted using a machine learning model trained on gray and white matter volume and glucose metabolism data from ADNI and replicated with a second model. Brain Predicted Age Difference (BrainPAD) was computed as the gap between predicted and chronological age. We assessed meditation expertise effects on BrainPAD, its links with meditation hours, cognitive, and affective measures, and the impact of 18-month training. Compared to CUOA, OldExpMed exhibited significantly lower/more negative BrainPAD, linked to meditation hours, mental imagery, and prosocialness. No significant effect of 18-month training was observed. Results were consistent across the replication model. Long-term meditation is associated with younger brain age, but 18-month training has no effect, emphasizing the need for sustained practice to support healthy brain aging.
Lambert, Natacha; Normandy University, UNICAEN, INSERM, UA20, Neuropresage, Cyceron, 14000, Caen, France ; GRAYC Laboratory, University of Caen Normandy, Caen, France
Gaser, Christian; Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany ; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany ; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Jena, Germany
Thirion, Bertrand; Inria, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, France
FONDATION ALZHEIMER Fondation de France INSERM - Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Alzheimer's Society SEFRI - Secrétariat d'État à la Formation, à la Recherche et à l'Innovation Région Normandie ANR - Agence Nationale de la Recherche Association France-Alzheimer et Maladies Apparentées Fondation Vaincre Alzheimer FRA - Fondation pour la Recherche sur la Maladie d'Alzheimer F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique
Funding text :
The authors thank the Cyceron MRI-PET staff members, Clara Benson, and Thien-Huong Tran (alias Titi Dolma) for their help with recruitment and data acquisition; Aur\u00E9lia Cognet and Val\u00E9rie Lefranc for administrative support. We acknowledge the members of the Medit-Ageing Research Group, Rhonda Smith, Charlotte Reid, Euclid team (Eric Frison), the sponsor (P\u00F4le de Recherche Clinique at Inserm, H\u00E9l\u00E8ne Esperou), and all the participants of the study for their contribution. The Age-Well randomized clinical trial is part of the Medit-Ageing project and is supported by the European Union\u2019s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program (grant 667,696) and R\u00E9gion Normandie (Label d\u2019Excellence). N.L.M. was supported by a Senior Fellowship from the Alzheimer\u2019s Society (AS-SF-15b-002). J.G. was supported by a Young Researcher Grant 2019-2022 from the Fondation Alzheimer and Fondation de France. A.L. and G.C. were supported by Fondation d\u2019Entreprise MMA, des Entrepreneurs du Futur and MMA and by Institut National de la Sant\u00E9 et de la Recherche M\u00E9dicale (Inserm). O.K. received funding from the Secr\u00E9tariat d\u2019\u00E9tat \u00E0 la formation, \u00E0 la recherche et \u00E0 l\u2019innovation (SEFRI) under contract no. 15.0336 in the context of the European project \u00AB Medit-Ageing. G.C. received funding from Fondation Alzheimer, Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique, Fondation Alzheimer, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, R\u00E9gion Normandie, Association France Alzheimer et maladies apparent\u00E9es, Fondation Vaincre Alzheimer, Fondation Recherche Alzheimer. G.P. was supported by R\u00E9gion Normandie, Ministry of Higher Education and Research and INSERM. The funders had no role in the study design, data acquisition, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing. The MEDIT-AGEING Research Group: Allais Florence, BA: EUCLID/F-CRIN Clinical Trials Platform, Bordeaux, France, Data manager, Data management. Andr\u00E9 Claire, PhD: Institut National de la Sant\u00E9 et de la Recherche M\u00E9dicale, Caen, France, PhD student, Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data. Arenaza Urquijo Eider, PhD: Institut National de la Sant\u00E9 et de la Recherche M\u00E9dicale, Caen, France, Postdoctoral researcher, Study design; acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data. Baez Lugo Sebastian, MSc: University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland, PhD student, Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data. Bejanin Alexandre, PhD: Institut National de la Sant\u00E9 et de la Recherche M\u00E9dicale, Caen, France, Postdoctoral researcher, Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data. Botton Maelle, MSc: Institut National de la Sant\u00E9 et de la Recherche M\u00E9dicale, Caen, France, Neuropsychologist, Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data. Champetier Pierre, PhD: Institut National de la Sant\u00E9 et de la Recherche M\u00E9dicale, Caen, France, PhD student, Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data. Chauveau L\u00E9a, MSc: Institut National de la Sant\u00E9 et de la Recherche M\u00E9dicale, Caen, France, PhD student, Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data. Ch\u00E9telat Ga\u00EBl, PhD: Institut National de la Sant\u00E9 et de la Recherche M\u00E9dicale, Caen, France, Coordinator, Work Package Leader, Obtained funding, study design. Chocat Anne, MD: Institut National de la Sant\u00E9 et de la Recherche M\u00E9dicale, Caen, France, Neurologist, Investigating doctor. Collette Fabienne, PhD: University of Liege, Liege, Belgium, Group leader, Obtained funding, study design. Dautricourt Sophie, MD,PhD: Institut National de la Sant\u00E9 et de la Recherche M\u00E9dicale, Caen, France, PhD student, Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data. de Flores Robin, PhD: Institut National de la Sant\u00E9 et de la Recherche M\u00E9dicale, Caen, France, Postdoctoral researcher, Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data; administrative, technical, or material support. de la Sayette Vincent, MD, PhD: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Caen, Caen, France, Neurologist, Principal Investigating doctor. Delarue Marion, MSc: Institut National de la Sant\u00E9 et de la Recherche M\u00E9dicale, Caen, France, Neuropsychologist, Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data. Demnitz-King Harriet, MSc: University College London, United Kingdom, PhD student, Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data. Egret St\u00E9phanie, MSc: Institut National de la Sant\u00E9 et de la Recherche M\u00E9dicale, Caen, France, Neuropsychologist, Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data. El Sadawy Rawda, MSc: Institut National de la Sant\u00E9 et de la Recherche M\u00E9dicale, Caen, France, Neuropsychologist, Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data.The authors thank the Cyceron MRI-PET staff members, Clara Benson, and Thien-Huong Tran (alias Titi Dolma) for their help with recruitment and data acquisition; Aur\u00E9lia Cognet and Val\u00E9rie Lefranc for administrative support. We acknowledge the members of the Medit-Ageing Research Group, Rhonda Smith, Charlotte Reid, Euclid team (Eric Frison), the sponsor (P\u00F4le de Recherche Clinique at Inserm, H\u00E9l\u00E8ne Esperou), and all the participants of the study for their contribution. The Age-Well randomized clinical trial is part of the Medit-Ageing project and is supported by the European Union\u2019s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program (grant 667,696) and R\u00E9gion Normandie (Label d\u2019Excellence). N.L.M. was supported by a Senior Fellowship from the Alzheimer\u2019s Society (AS-SF-15b-002).
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