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@ARTICLE{Puhlmann:888033,
      author       = {Puhlmann, Lara M. C. and Valk, Sofie L. and Engert,
                      Veronika and Bernhardt, Boris C. and Lin, Jue and Epel,
                      Elissa S. and Vrticka, Pascal and Singer, Tania},
      title        = {{A}ssociation of {S}hort-term {C}hange in {L}eukocyte
                      {T}elomere {L}ength {W}ith {C}ortical {T}hickness and
                      {O}utcomes of {M}ental {T}raining {A}mong {H}ealthy
                      {A}dults},
      journal      = {JAMA network open},
      volume       = {2},
      number       = {9},
      issn         = {2574-3805},
      address      = {Chicago, Ill.},
      publisher    = {American Medical Association},
      reportid     = {FZJ-2020-04611},
      pages        = {e199687 -},
      year         = {2019},
      abstract     = {Importance Telomere length is associated with the
                      development of age-related diseases and structural
                      differences in multiple brain regions. It remains unclear,
                      however, whether change in telomere length is linked to
                      brain structure change, and to what extent telomere length
                      can be influenced through mental training.Objectives To
                      assess the dynamic associations between leukocyte telomere
                      length (LTL) and cortical thickness (CT), and to determine
                      whether LTL is affected by a longitudinal contemplative
                      mental training intervention.Design, Setting, and
                      Participants An open-label efficacy trial of three 3-month
                      mental training modules with healthy, meditation-naive
                      adults was conducted. Data on LTL and CT were collected 4
                      times over 9 months between April 22, 2013, and March 31,
                      2015, as part of the ReSource Project. Data analysis was
                      performed between September 23, 2016, and June 21, 2019. Of
                      1582 eligible individuals, 943 declined to participate; 362
                      were randomly selected for participation and assigned to
                      training or retest control cohorts, with demographic
                      characteristics matched. The retest control cohorts
                      underwent all testing but no training. Intention-to-treat
                      analysis was performed.Interventions Training cohort
                      participants completed 3 modules cultivating interoception
                      and attention (Presence), compassion (Affect), or
                      perspective taking (Perspective).Main Outcomes and Measures
                      Change in LTL and CT.Results Of the 362 individuals
                      randomized, 30 participants dropped out before study
                      initiation (initial sample, 332). Data were available for
                      analysis of the training intervention in 298 participants
                      (n = 222 training; n = 76 retest control) (175 women
                      $[58.7\%];$ mean [SD] age, 40.5 [9.3] years). The training
                      modules had no effect on LTL. In 699 observations from all
                      298 participants, mean estimated changes in the relative
                      ratios of telomere repeat copy number to single-copy gene
                      (T/S) were for no training, 0.004 $(95\%$ CI, −0.010 to
                      0.018); Presence, −0.007 $(95\%$ CI, −0.025 to 0.011);
                      Affect, −0.005 $(95\%$ CI, −0.019 to 0.010); and
                      Perspective, −0.001 $(95\%$ CI, −0.017 to 0.016).
                      Cortical thickness change data were analyzed in 167
                      observations from 67 retest control participants (37 women
                      $[55.2\%],$ mean [SD] age, 39.6 [9.0] years). In this retest
                      control cohort subsample, naturally occurring LTL change was
                      related to CT change in the left precuneus extending to the
                      posterior cingulate cortex (mean t161 = 3.22;
                      P < .001; r = 0.246). At the individual participant
                      level, leukocyte telomere shortening as well as lengthening
                      were observed. Leukocyte telomere shortening was related to
                      cortical thinning (t77 = 2.38; P = .01;
                      r = 0.262), and leukocyte telomere lengthening was
                      related to cortical thickening (t77 = 2.42;
                      P = .009; r = 0.266). All analyses controlled for
                      age, sex, and body mass index.Conclusions and Relevance The
                      findings of this trial indicate an association between
                      short-term change in LTL and concomitant change in
                      plasticity of the left precuneus extending to the posterior
                      cingulate cortex. This result contributes to the evidence
                      that LTL changes more dynamically on the individual level
                      than previously thought. Further studies are needed to
                      determine potential long-term implications of such change in
                      relation to cellular aging and the development of
                      neurodegenerative disorders. No effect of contemplative
                      mental training was noted in what may be, to date, the
                      longest intervention with healthy adults.},
      cin          = {INM-7},
      ddc          = {610},
      cid          = {I:(DE-Juel1)INM-7-20090406},
      pnm          = {572 - (Dys-)function and Plasticity (POF3-572)},
      pid          = {G:(DE-HGF)POF3-572},
      typ          = {PUB:(DE-HGF)16},
      pubmed       = {pmid:31553468},
      UT           = {WOS:000488882800085},
      doi          = {10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.9687},
      url          = {https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/888033},
}