Thicker brain sections appear associated with belief of importance of religion

The importance of religion or spirituality to a person appears to be associated with the thickness of certain brain regions, according to a study by Lisa Miller, Ph.D., of Columbia University, New York, and colleagues. Researchers conducted a familial study of 103 adults (ages 18-54 years) who were the second- or third-generation offspring of depressed or nondepressed study participants. Religious or spiritual importance and church attendance were assessed twice over five years. The cortical thickness of the brain was measured with magnetic resonance imaging at the second time point.