Meditation, Music May Change Biomarkers of Cellular Aging and Alzheimer's Disease in Older Adults

A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease found a simple meditation or music listening regimen may change certain biomarkers of cellular aging and Alzheimer's in older adults experiencing memory loss, reports News-Medical . These alterations also might be directly related to improvements in memory and cognition, sleep, mood, and quality of life. Sixty participants with subjective cognitive decline were randomly assigned to either a beginner meditation or music listening program and asked to practice 12 minutes daily for 12 weeks. Blood samples were taken at baseline and three months, with the cellular aging biomarkers of telomere length and telomerase activity quantified. Also measured were blood levels of beta-amyloid peptides commonly linked to Alzheimer's, as well as memory and cognitive function, stress, sleep, mood, and quality of life. The meditation cohort had greater increases in a key beta amyloid peptide than the music cohort, and climbing beta amyloid levels were correlated with improvements in memory and cognitive function, mood, sleep, and quality of life at both three and six months. Telomerase activity increased in both cohorts and was significant only among participants who had lower values at baseline who practiced more frequently over the course of the intervention. Telomere length also was greater among participants with lower values at the beginning of the study.