How Yoga Can Potentially Protect Older Women at Risk for Alzheimer's study

Kundalini Yoga for Brain Health: A Promising

Approach for Older Women.

Introduction

In a small study conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), researchers explored the effects of Kundalini yoga, a form of yoga focused on breathing, meditation, and mental (Brain) visualization, on older women with risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and concerns about memory decline. By using a type of MRI that measures brain activity, they found that Kundalini yoga increased connectivity in a brain region affected by stress and associated with memory decline.

Understanding the Study

The effects of Kundalini yoga on connectivity in hippocampal subregions were compared to a gold-standard memory enhancement training (MET). The hippocampus is important for memory and learning. MET employs practical memory-improving approaches and verbal and visual association methods.

Yoga vs. Memory Enhancement Training

According to psychiatrist Dr. Helen Lavretsky, the director of the Late-Life Mood, Stress, and Wellness Research Programme at UCLA, Kundalini yoga training seems to target stress-related hippocampal connectivity. On the other hand, MET appears to better target sensory-integration subregions of the hippocampus, supporting more reliable memory.

Study Participants

The study included 22 participants who were part of a larger randomized controlled trial investigating yoga's effects on Alzheimer's risk. The average age of the 11 yoga participants was about 61, while it was approximately 65 in the MET group. All participants had reported a decline in memory function over the past year and had one or more cardiovascular risk factors, which can increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease. These risk factors included plaque buildup in arteries, recent heart attack, diabetes, and treatment for high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

Yoga and MET Training

Each week during 12 weeks, a 60-minute in-person training session was attended by members of the MET and yoga groups. An additional kind of meditative yoga called Kirtan Kriya was practised at home as a complement to the Kundalini yoga programme.

Benefits of Kundalini Yoga

According to the study's findings, yoga training may be more successful at addressing the hippocampus subregion connection that is disrupted by stress. This could facilitate the processing of data into memory, particularly face data.  Dr. Lavretsky emphasized that the results highlight the benefits of yoga for brain health, particularly for women who experience higher levels of stress and subjective memory impairment. Kundalini yoga's gentle approach, focusing more on breathing and mental engagement than on movement, makes it an ideal choice for older adults who may have physical limitations.

Implications and Future Studies

While this small study indicates that Kundalini yoga and MET may benefit women with stress and additional risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, the authors stress the need for future large-scale studies with a placebo group or control arm. Such studies will help clarify the specific beneficial effects of both yoga and MET on hippocampal connectivity and memory.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Kundalini yoga shows promise as a valuable tool for brain health, especially for older women facing memory concerns and stress. Its emphasis on breathing and mental engagement makes it a gentle and accessible option for older adults. As research continues to explore the potential benefits of yoga on brain health, these findings offer hope and possibilities for managing memory decline and promoting overall well-being.