The calming effects of meditation are well documented, but researchers now believe that the activity could improve memory and attention span in old age – potentially warding off the symptoms of dementia.
Over the course of a few years, participants who meditated for more than 60 minutes a day were found to cognitively age at a slower pace than their non-meditating counterparts.
Study author Dr Anthony Zanesco said the research found “significant improvement in attention and memory tests” compared to those who practised less, or not at all.
“This study is the first to offer evidence that intensive and continued meditation practice is associated with enduring improvements in sustained attention and response inhibition, with the potential to alter longitudinal trajectories of cognitive change across a person’s life,” he said.
The beneficial effects were only observed in long periods of meditation over a substantial amount of time, and the effects of short-term meditation are still unknown.
The practice, known as Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), is believed to help with mental illness and has been shown in some studies to be as effective as regular treatment such as medication.
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