Opposing genetic and cultural-social explanations for the origin of language are currently the focus of much discussion. One of the functions linked to the longitudinal fascicle is language, which links Wernicke’s area and Broca’s area in the brain, and its size should indicate the brain increase in the evolution. Sapajus is a New World primate genus with high cognition and advanced tool use similar to that of chimpanzees. A study of the gross anatomy of the longitudinal fascicle of Sapajus using Kingler’s method found it to differ from other studied primates, such as macaques and chimpanzees, mainly because its fibers join the cingulate fascicle. As in other non-human primates, the longitudinal fascicle of Sapajus does not reach the temporal lobe, which could indicate a way of separating these fascicles to increase white matter in relation to individual function. The study of anatomical structures seems very promising for understanding the basis of the origin of language. Indeed, socio-historical-cultural philosophy affirms the socio-cultural origin of speech, although considering the anatomical structures behind it working as a functional system.

This is an integrative review relating the effects of meditation in the brain and its possible use as preventive alternative medicine and an adjuvant in the psychiatric treatment. Studies have associated meditation and spirituality with increased life quality for being linked to emotional control and self-preservation behaviors, such as ethical practices, emotional regulation, attention improvement, stress and anxiety reduction and cognitive functions improvement in a general fashion, which is also evidenced by studies that analyzed morphological changes in correlated brain areas. This work proposes an integrative review in order to prove the hypothesis that meditation could be used as a practice in alternative and preventive medicine aiming to diminish the harmful effects of diseases and psychopathologies in general.