Meditation 'strengthens ageing brain'

People using assisted living may consider meditation after the technique was seen to strengthen the brain.

Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles revealed that people who meditate have stronger connections between brain regions and less age-related brain atrophy.

These effects were evident through the entire brain rather than just the specific regions detected in previous research, according to the study published online in journal NeuroImage.

Researcher Eileen Luders said that meditation could be particularly useful for older people.

"We also found that the normal age-related decline of white-matter tissue is considerably reduced in active meditation practitioners," she explained.

In other news, Tai Chi could improve quality of life in individuals with chronic heart failure, according to research conducted at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

The study found that while the physical benefits of Tai Chi were similar to those who instead opted for a six minute walk, improvements in mood were significant.

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