Cognitive Skills and DNA Methylation Are Correlating in Healthy and Novice College Students Practicing Preksha Dhyāna Meditation
The impact of different meditation protocols on human health is explored at the cognitive and cellular levels. Preksha Dhyana meditation has been observed to seemingly affect the cognitive performance, transcriptome, and methylome of healthy and novice participant practitioners. In this study, we pe...
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MDPI AG
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Brain Sciences |
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| author | Bassam Abomoelak Ray Prather Samani U. Pragya Samani C. Pragya Neelam D. Mehta Parvin Uddin Pushya Veeramachaneni Naina Mehta Amanda Young Saumya Kapoor Devendra Mehta |
| author_facet | Bassam Abomoelak Ray Prather Samani U. Pragya Samani C. Pragya Neelam D. Mehta Parvin Uddin Pushya Veeramachaneni Naina Mehta Amanda Young Saumya Kapoor Devendra Mehta |
| author_sort | Bassam Abomoelak |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The impact of different meditation protocols on human health is explored at the cognitive and cellular levels. Preksha Dhyana meditation has been observed to seemingly affect the cognitive performance, transcriptome, and methylome of healthy and novice participant practitioners. In this study, we performed correlation analyses to investigate the presence of any relationships in the changes in cognitive performance and DNA methylation in a group of college students practicing Preksha Dhyāna (N = 34). Nine factors of cognitive performance were assessed at baseline and 8 weeks postintervention timepoints in the participants. Statistically significant improvements were observed in six of the nine assessments, which were predominantly relating to memory and affect. Using Illumina 850 K microarray technology, 470 differentially methylated sites (DMS) were identified between the two timepoints (baseline and 8 weeks), using a threshold of <i>p</i>-value < 0.05 and methylation levels beyond −3% to 3% at every site. Correlation analysis between the changes in performance on each of the nine assessments and every DMS unveiled statistically significant positive and negative relationships at several of these sites. The identified DMS were in proximity of essential genes involved in signaling and other important metabolic processes. Interestingly, we identified a set of sites that can be considered as biomarkers for Preksha meditation improvements at the genome level. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:04:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-68e71d17e45544d08ba82e95ed848528 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:04:20Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
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| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-68e71d17e45544d08ba82e95ed8485282023-11-19T00:27:28ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252023-08-01138121410.3390/brainsci13081214Cognitive Skills and DNA Methylation Are Correlating in Healthy and Novice College Students Practicing Preksha Dhyāna MeditationBassam Abomoelak0Ray Prather1Samani U. Pragya2Samani C. Pragya3Neelam D. Mehta4Parvin Uddin5Pushya Veeramachaneni6Naina Mehta7Amanda Young8Saumya Kapoor9Devendra Mehta10Gastrointestinal Translational Laboratory, Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Orlando, FL 32806, USAPediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Orlando, FL 32806, USADepartment of Religions and Philosophies, University of London, London WC1H 0XG, UKDepartment of Biostatistics, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USASidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USACollege of Arts, Sciences and Education, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USACollege of Law, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USANeurodevelopmental Pediatrician, Behavioral and Developmental Center, Orlando Health, Orlando, FL 32805, USAInstitute for Simulation and Training, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32765, USAMedical School, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32827, USAGastrointestinal Translational Laboratory, Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Orlando, FL 32806, USAThe impact of different meditation protocols on human health is explored at the cognitive and cellular levels. Preksha Dhyana meditation has been observed to seemingly affect the cognitive performance, transcriptome, and methylome of healthy and novice participant practitioners. In this study, we performed correlation analyses to investigate the presence of any relationships in the changes in cognitive performance and DNA methylation in a group of college students practicing Preksha Dhyāna (N = 34). Nine factors of cognitive performance were assessed at baseline and 8 weeks postintervention timepoints in the participants. Statistically significant improvements were observed in six of the nine assessments, which were predominantly relating to memory and affect. Using Illumina 850 K microarray technology, 470 differentially methylated sites (DMS) were identified between the two timepoints (baseline and 8 weeks), using a threshold of <i>p</i>-value < 0.05 and methylation levels beyond −3% to 3% at every site. Correlation analysis between the changes in performance on each of the nine assessments and every DMS unveiled statistically significant positive and negative relationships at several of these sites. The identified DMS were in proximity of essential genes involved in signaling and other important metabolic processes. Interestingly, we identified a set of sites that can be considered as biomarkers for Preksha meditation improvements at the genome level.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/8/1214Preksha meditationcognitive skillsDNA methylationcorrelationcellular pathways |
| spellingShingle | Bassam Abomoelak Ray Prather Samani U. Pragya Samani C. Pragya Neelam D. Mehta Parvin Uddin Pushya Veeramachaneni Naina Mehta Amanda Young Saumya Kapoor Devendra Mehta Cognitive Skills and DNA Methylation Are Correlating in Healthy and Novice College Students Practicing Preksha Dhyāna Meditation Brain Sciences Preksha meditation cognitive skills DNA methylation correlation cellular pathways |
| title | Cognitive Skills and DNA Methylation Are Correlating in Healthy and Novice College Students Practicing Preksha Dhyāna Meditation |
| title_full | Cognitive Skills and DNA Methylation Are Correlating in Healthy and Novice College Students Practicing Preksha Dhyāna Meditation |
| title_fullStr | Cognitive Skills and DNA Methylation Are Correlating in Healthy and Novice College Students Practicing Preksha Dhyāna Meditation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cognitive Skills and DNA Methylation Are Correlating in Healthy and Novice College Students Practicing Preksha Dhyāna Meditation |
| title_short | Cognitive Skills and DNA Methylation Are Correlating in Healthy and Novice College Students Practicing Preksha Dhyāna Meditation |
| title_sort | cognitive skills and dna methylation are correlating in healthy and novice college students practicing preksha dhyana meditation |
| topic | Preksha meditation cognitive skills DNA methylation correlation cellular pathways |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/8/1214 |
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