IndiaMedToday Feb 2022

Page 35

Study

Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease May Be Delayed by Meditation Study indicates that simple meditation performed at home can alter the brain structure and increase grey matter in patients suffering mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild Alzheimer’s disease TEAM IMT

A new study, supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and conducted by the International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIITH) in collaboration with the Neurology Department of Apollo Multispeciality Hospital, Kolkata, reveals that simple meditation performed at home can alter the brain structure and increase grey matter in patients suffering mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild Alzheimer’s disease.

researchers to seek alternative options for managing the disease.

The drugs presently available to treat Alzheimer’s do not possess any disease-modifying effects, but only give temporary relief of symptoms. The severity of impairment often worsens within five years in more than half of MCI patients, leading to an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. This has prompted

Methods and findings

Dr Amitabha Ghosh, Head of Neurology at Apollo Multispeciality Hospital, Kolkata and Dr Bapi Raju, Cognitive Science research centre at IIITH, together lead a joint research team with researcher Neha Dubey and Dr. Raju’s students, Madhukar Dwivedi and Aditya Jain Pansari to understand the effects of meditation on MCI and early Alzheimer’s patients.

The team assigned patients having MCI or early Alzheimer’s into Meditation and Control groups. Before beginning the study, MRI brain scans were taken from both groups. Patients in the Mediation group were advised to

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