Do Yoga and Meditation change the brain?

  


 Yoga involves breathing exercises (pranayama), physical poses (asanas) and meditation. Emerging research suggests positive associations between regular yoga practice and changes in different areas of the brain. These differences have been shown in the structure of the brain, but some studies were also able to find a functional correlation.

 A research report by Gothe and colleagues published in December 2019 by the Journal Brain Plasticity explored the studies (1). MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) was used to investigate the possible effects of a regular practice on the structure of the brain comparing yoga practitioners with people who don't practice yoga. For example, a cross-sectional study done in women over the age of 60 by Alfonso and colleagues found differences in cortical thickness in women with eight or more years of Hatha Yoga experience compared to women who did not practice yoga (2).

 It is important to make clear that participants from both groups were matched for the amount of non-yoga physical activity they engaged in. The cortical thickness difference was found on the left pre-frontal cortex.

 Another study by Gothe and colleagues found structural and functional differences when they compared the brain of yoga practitioners to non-yoga practitioners (3). The area of the brain where the differences were documented in this study was the hippocampus, a subcortical area that plays a role in memory, emotions and learning. The volume of the left hippocampus was greater in yoga practitioners with at least 3 years of yoga experience compared to non-practitioners. The groups were aged and sex-matched with similar physical activities and fitness levels.

 A study by Froeliger and colleagues found differences in the left hippocampus and also in the parahippocampal gyrus when they compared yoga practitioners with non-yoga practitioners. In this study they also documented differences in the volume of gray matter in the frontal, temporal, limbic, occipital (right lingual gyrus) and cerebellar regions. They were also able to detect cognitive benefits in the group that practiced yoga and meditation (4).

 The cerebellum plays a vital role in coordination and balance, but in later years it has also been linked to cognitive function (5). Yoga plays an important part in the practice of balancing poses that help strengthen nerve pathways involved in maintaining balance.

 Research suggests that more years of yoga practice are positively related to the volume of frontal, limbic, temporal, occipital and cerebellar regions. There is a dose-dependent relationship between gray matter volume, years of yoga practice and weekly yoga practice.

 The areas of the brain where differences were noticed (4) are involved in memory, attention, cognition, emotional responses and empathic processes. More research is needed to understand these differences and the neuroprotective potential of this discipline. However, randomized controlled studies are necessary to show evidence of cause and effect.

 A randomized controlled study published by International Psychogeriatrics in April 2017 found that both memory enhancement training and Kundalini yoga done for 12 weeks had positive effects on memory (6). The two groups were randomized to receive either memory enhancement training or to practice regular Kundalini yoga under the guidance of qualified instructors. The participants in both groups had mild cognitive impairment and were 55 years of age or older. Both groups showed improvement of their memory but only the yoga group had benefits on executive function and mood. This study, however, was small.

Yoga is a kind of holistic mindful practice involving breathing exercises and meditation that should be individualized to be done safely under the proper qualified guidance. This promising field of research is evolving (7).



References:



1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6971819/

2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5476728/

3) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29988397/

4) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3525089/

5) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896627313009963

6) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5540331/

7) https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00067/full

 

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