Researchers observed an association between the regular practice of meditation and increased thickness in a subset of cortical regions related to sensory, auditory, visual and internal perception.

Meditation already is known to alter resting brain patterns, which suggests long-lasting brain changes. The new study by researchers from Yale, Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology shows the practice also is associated with increased cortical thickness.

'You Don't Have to Be a Monk'

The study, led by Sara Lazar, assistant in psychology at Massachusetts General Hospital, involved 20 individuals who had extensive training in Buddhist Insight meditation.

Despite the small number of participants, the results are significant, maintains Jeremy Gray, assistant professor of psychology at Yale and co-author of the study.

"What is most fascinating to me is the suggestion that meditation practice can change anyone's grey matter," Gray says. "The study participants were people with jobs and families. They just meditated on average 40 minutes each day. You don't have to be a monk."

May Slow Age-Related Thinning

Through magnetic resonance imaging, the researchers observed an association between the regular practice of meditation and increased thickness in a subset of cortical regions related to sensory, auditory, visual and internal perception -- such as heart rate or breathing.

Regular meditation practice also may slow age-related thinning of the frontal cortex, they found.

"Most of the regions identified in this study were found in the right hemisphere," note the researchers. "The right hemisphere is essential for sustaining attention, which is a central practice of Insight meditation."

Other forms of yoga and meditation likely have a similar impact on cortical structure, they believe, although each tradition would be expected to have a slightly different pattern of cortical thickening based on the specific mental exercises involved.