# Novel in vivo synaptic imaging in experienced meditators

> **NIH NIH R21** · YALE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $209,375

## Abstract

Project Abstract/Summary
Despite
research
been
potential benefits of mindfulness meditation to various clinical disorders and an increase in interest in
in recent years, the basic mechanisms of meditation are stil l not fully known. Synaptic changes have
proposed as a plausible hypothesis for the potential benefits of meditationas synapses are important for
behavioral and cognitive functioning. The proposed research project applies novel molecular neuroimaging
methods to directly investigate synapses in experienced meditators (EM) by using positron emission
tomography (PET) imaging with our newly developed synaptic density tracer, 11C-UCB-J. This tracer binds to
the synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A or SV2A, an essential vesicle membrane protein expressed in virtually all
synapses. This proposal examines, for the first time, whether synaptic density differences occurs in EM in vivo.
The study will perform a detailed comparison between 20 EM subjects and 20 control subjects over 2 years.
Our primary objective is to characterize the distribution of 11C-UCB-J in brain areas implicated in experienced
meditators compared to non-meditative controls (Aim 1). We hypothesize that there will be a magnitude and
regional pattern of higher synaptic density in EM subjects involving brain areas including the including the
insula, amygdala, posterior cingulate cortex, middle and superior frontal sulci and the prefrontal cortex. We will
also examine if potential differences in synaptic density relates to structural and functional MRI data as
determined by voxel based morphometry and resting-state functional connectivity in the primary regions-of-
interest in the brain.
EM subjects will be recruited from current and past research projects of the Co-I and consultant as well as
local word of mouth and advertisements to the meditation communities. Inclusion/exclusion criteria will be the
same for both groups and will include medical and psychiatric examination (including ECG and laboratory
studies) to determine study eligibility. Subjects eligible to participate will receive an anatomical MRI for co-
registration (and partial volume corrections) and a High Resolution Research Tomography (HRRT) PET scan
with the radiotracer11C-UCB-J.
This project will further our understanding by allowing, for the first time, in-vivo estimation of synaptic density of
experienced meditators. This is an important development in meditation research for several reasons. It will be
the first study to directly examine a plausible mechanism of meditation's effects, synaptic differences in
associated brain regions, which needs to be established. Secondly, the current results will be compared to
structural and functional MRIs, testing whether there is molecular evidence of synaptic differences as a solid
underpinning of other imaging work. Lastly, the ability to assess synaptic density in vivo would be of high utility
in future studies using meditative techniques that are focused on clinical po...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10470833
- **Project number:** 5R21AT011575-02
- **Recipient organization:** YALE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** DAVID A MATUSKEY
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $209,375
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-08-17 → 2025-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10470833

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10470833, Novel in vivo synaptic imaging in experienced meditators (5R21AT011575-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10470833. Licensed CC0.

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