Neurofluid circulation changes during a focused attention style of mindfulness meditation, 2025, Keating et al.

[SNT Gatchaman]

Neurofluid circulation changes during a focused attention style of mindfulness meditation

Spoiler: Authors

Keating, Bryce A; Vago, David; Hett, Kilian; Considine, Ciaran; Garza, Maria; Han, Caleb; McKnight, Colin; Claassen, Daniel O; Donahue, Manus J

Neurofluids, including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and interstitial fluid, circulate through regulated central nervous system pathways to clear cerebral waste and support brain health, with elevated CSF flow hyperdynamicity and regurgitation through the cerebral aqueduct associating with aging and neurodegeneration. Sleep exerts state-dependent effects on neurofluid circulation, yet similar modulation during unique waking states, such as meditation, remains underexplored. Notably, mindfulness meditation shares several regulatory features with sleep, with core meditation practices representing distinct arousal states.

We investigated whether the focused attention (FA) style of mindfulness meditation modulates neurofluid dynamics directionally opposite to aging and consistent with sleep. Using phase-contrast MRI, we assessed absolute CSF flow and velocity through the aqueduct, and using blood oxygenation level–dependent (BOLD) MRI, we assessed CSF fluctuations near the cervicomedullary junction together with total supratentorial gray matter fluctuations. Assessments were repeated in meditation-naive adults during mind wandering (MW) without (n = 13; repeatability controls) and with (n = 14; breath controls) respiration rate modulation and in adept meditators (n = 23) during MW and FA meditation.

No aqueduct CSF flow changes were observed in control groups. In meditators, aqueduct absolute CSF flow motion decreased from MW to FA meditation (4.60 ± 2.27 mL/min to 4.17 ± 2.10 mL/min, P = 0.005) owing to reduced regurgitant cranially directed CSF flow velocity. On BOLD, this paralleled increased low-frequency (0.0614 to 0.0887 Hz) CSF fluctuations (P = 0.0138), which were inversely correlated with gray matter fluctuations during FA meditation.

Findings suggest that mindfulness meditation may represent a nonpharmacological, waking state capable of modulating neurofluid dynamics in a directionally similar manner to sleep and opposite to aging and neurodegeneration.

SIGNIFICANCE
Mindfulness meditation is widely recognized for its self-reported mental and physical health benefits, yet its effects on core physiological systems that support brain health remain incompletely understood. This study provides evidence that a focused attention (FA) style of mindfulness meditation can modulate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics in humans.

Using neuroimaging, we demonstrate that FA meditation reduces regurgitant CSF flow through the aqueduct, directionally opposite to patterns seen in aging and neurodegeneration; additionally, meditation-induced CSF changes near the skull base are similar to those reported during sleep, an enhancer of neurofluid circulation.

Findings suggest that mindfulness may offer a nonpharmacological, waking model for augmenting neurofluid circulation and provide a potential physiological mechanism linking meditation to brain health.

Web | DOI | PDF | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | Paywall

 

[Creekside]

CSF regurgitation? Maybe written by an AI? I really dislike the mental image it provoked.

 

[rvallee]

I can't fail to notice how much convergence medicine is having in recent years with the longevity bro movement. I've seen too much of it lately.

They seem to be taking any hint of "beneficial physiology" and assert that it must be good. Even though most of the experts marvelling at this being achieved seemingly by thinking or behaviour would dismiss it as pointless if it were achieved using supplements and injections and whatever it is people obsessed with slowing down their aging marvel at.

It's becoming dominant alongside the biopsychosocial ideology, where any hint of a trend in a physiological measure is asserted to be unarguably beneficial, proof that their treatments "do something". It's kind of the opposite of the "chemical imbalance" BS that was invented to tack on some fake bio onto the psychosocial models of depression. It's basically become the main method to prove behavioural rehabilitation, how becoming slightly better at doing one exercise or being able to raise some physiological measure where a deficit isn't even a problem in the first place, means that the treatment must fix the whole problem because it's, uh, holistic. Or whatever.

As progress in basic medicine slows to a crawl, although fortunately balanced by huge improvements in specialized medicine, it's slowly becoming a wellness industry more than anything. Or at least it's where their thinking and efforts are all flowing through.

 

[SNT Gatchaman]

CSF regurgitation?

It's CSF flow during the cardiac cycle through the cerebral aqueduct (between third and fourth ventricles). It goes 3 → 4 in systole with a bit of regurgitant/retrograde flow 4 → 3 in diastole.

I've annotated a screengrab from

Green marks the aqueduct. Red arrow shows direction of the larger antegrade CSF flow, blue arrow smaller retrograde.



Technical details of MRI techniques summarised at https://radiopaedia.org/articles/csf-flow-studies

Quantification of flow can be generated by defining a region of interest (e.g. cross-sectional area of the aqueduct of Sylvius) and charting velocity versus time, which is typically pulsatile (e.g. forwards during systole and backwards during diastole). The area under the curve for each cardiac phase generates values of flow forwards and flow backwards.

 

[Creekside]

I still think it's a terrible reapplication for "regurgitation". That word has a specific meaning already. Couldn't they invent a better term?

 

[SNT Gatchaman]

Etymology: "to flood back".

See aortic/mitral/pulmonary/tricuspid valve regurgitation.

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

I prefer sloshing.