New Study Examines the Effectiveness of Meditation
FRIDAY, 28 JULY 2006
The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine is conducting a study which aims to provide a link between meditation and the prevention of cognitive impairment.
According to www.uphs.upenn.edu, the new study could explain whether or not stress reducing techniques and mind exercises can lessen or prevent cognitive decline.
Andrew Newberg, MD, principal investigator of the study, says that they will be examining patients with mild cognitive impairment or symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. For eight weeks, participants of the study will learn and practice Kirtan Kriya, a kind of meditation that entails repeated chanting of sounds and finger movements designed to help the mind focus and become sharper. Researchers will use Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography or SPECT imaging to capture the image of the brain and its activity during meditation.
The study is funded by the Alzheimer's Reasearch and Prevention Foundation International. It is also the pioneer study of the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Spirituality and the Mind, which encourages researchers to conduct new studies about how spirituality may affect the human brain.
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