A recent UCLA Health study discovered that Kundalini yoga offers numerous cognitive and memory enhancements for older women at risk of Alzheimer’s disease. These benefits include the restoration of neural pathways, prevention of brain matter reduction, and the reversal of ageing and inflammation-related biomarkers—achievements not observed in participants who underwent standard memory training exercises.
Published in Translational Psychiatry, the research adds to a growing body of evidence accumulated by UCLA Health researchers over the past decade and a half. These studies compare the effects of yoga and conventional memory enhancement training on mitigating cognitive decline and tackling other dementia risk factors.
The study was spearheaded by Dr. Helen Lavretsky, a psychiatrist at UCLA Health’s Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. It aimed to evaluate whether Kundalini yoga could preemptively combat cognitive decline and the progression towards Alzheimer’s disease in postmenopausal women.
Women face approximately double the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than men, attributed to factors such as a longer lifespan, estrogen level fluctuations during menopause, and genetic predispositions.
In this latest investigation, over 60 women aged 50 and above who self-reported memory concerns and had cerebrovascular risk factors were enlisted from a UCLA cardiology clinic. They were divided into two groups: one participated in weekly Kundalini yoga sessions for 12 weeks, while the other underwent weekly memory enhancement training during the same period. Daily homework was also assigned to participants.
Kundalini yoga emphasizes meditation and breathing exercises over physical postures. Conversely, the UCLA Longevity Center’s memory enhancement training involves exercises designed to maintain or improve patients’ long-term memory, such as story-based memorization techniques and list organization.
Post-12 weeks and then again after an additional 12 weeks, the women’s cognition, subjective memory, depression, and anxiety levels were evaluated to ascertain the stability of any improvements. Blood samples were also collected to test for gene expressions related to ageing and molecules linked to inflammation, which are factors in Alzheimer’s disease. MRI scans were performed on some participants to observe changes in brain matter.
The findings indicated that the Kundalini yoga group experienced significant improvements not seen in the memory training group. These improvements included enhanced subjective memory, prevention of brain matter loss, increased hippocampal connectivity (crucial for managing stress-related memories), and better peripheral cytokines and gene expression of anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing molecules.
Lavretsky highlighted yoga’s multifaceted benefits, noting its ability to reduce stress, bolster brain health, improve subjective memory performance, and enhance neuroplasticity. Meanwhile, the memory training group’s primary advancements were long-term memory retention.
Neither intervention affected anxiety, depression, stress, or resilience levels, which Lavretsky attributed to the generally healthy status and non-depressed nature of the participants.
While further research is needed to determine Kundalini yoga’s long-term impact on preventing or delaying Alzheimer’s disease, Lavretsky suggests combining yoga with memory training could offer broader cognitive benefits for older women. She advocates for a dual approach, emphasizing that each method trains different brain areas and contributes uniquely to overall health, with yoga providing anti-inflammatory, stress-reduction, and brain-enhancing effects that complement memory training.
More information: Helen Lavretsky et al, Cognitive and immunological effects of yoga compared to memory training in older women at risk for alzheimer’s disease, Translational Psychiatry. DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02807-0
Journal information: Translational Psychiatry Provided by University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences
