How Does Meditation Change the Brain? - Instant Egghead #54

Meditation can sharpen attention, strengthen memory and improve other mental abilities. Scientific American editor Ferris Jabr examines the changes in brain structure behind some of these benefits.

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More to explore:

Does mindfulness training improve cognitive abilities? A systematic review of neuropsychological findings. [Preview] (Clinical Psychology Review) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21183265

Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice (PNAS) http://www.pnas.org/content/101/46/16369.long

Evidence builds that meditation strengthens the brain, UCLA researchers say (UCLA)
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/evidence-builds-that-meditation-230237.aspx

The underlying anatomical correlates of long-term meditation: Larger hippocampal and frontal volumes of gray matter (PMC) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3184843/

Age effects on gray matter volume and attentional performance in Zen meditation (Neurobiology of Aging) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197458007002436

Age effects on attentional blink performance in meditation [Preview](Conciousness and Cognition) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053810009000828

Mental Training Affects Distribution of Limited Brain Resources (PLOS Biology)
http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.0050138

The American Psychological Association on the benefits of mindfulness
http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/07-08/ce-corner.aspx

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Credits:
Written & presented by Ferris Jabr
Line art by Scott Brundage & Eric R. Olson
Production assistant: Joss Fong
Produced & edted by Eric R. Olson