The findings, revealed within the journal Translational Psychiatry, are the most recent in a sequence of research led by UCLA Well being researchers over the previous 15 years into the comparative results of yoga and conventional reminiscence enhancement coaching on slowing cognitive decline and addressing different danger components of dementia.

Led by UCLA Well being psychiatrist Dr. Helen Lavretsky of the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Conduct, this newest research sought to find out whether or not Kundalini yoga could possibly be used early on to forestall cognitive decline and trajectories of Alzheimer’s illness amongst postmenopausal girls.

Ladies have about twice the chance of growing Alzheimer’s illness in comparison with males resulting from a number of components together with longer life expectancy, adjustments in estrogen ranges throughout menopause and genetics.

Within the new research, a bunch of greater than 60 girls ages 50 and older who had self-reported reminiscence points and cerebrovascular danger components have been recruited from a UCLA cardiology clinic. The ladies have been divided evenly into two teams. The primary group participated in weekly Kundalini yoga periods for 12 weeks whereas the opposite one group underwent weekly reminiscence enhancement coaching throughout the identical time interval. Individuals have been additionally supplied day by day homework assignments.

Kundalini yoga is a technique that focuses on meditation and breath work extra so than bodily poses. Reminiscence enhancement coaching developed by the UCLA Longevity heart consists of quite a lot of workout routines, comparable to utilizing tales to recollect objects on an inventory or organizing objects on a grocery record, to assist protect or enhance long-term reminiscence of sufferers.

Researchers assessed the ladies’s cognition, subjective reminiscence, melancholy and anxiousness after the primary 12 weeks and once more 12 weeks later to find out how secure any enhancements have been. Blood samples have been additionally taken to check for gene expression of getting older markers and for molecules related to irritation, that are contributing components to Alzheimer’s illness. A handful of sufferers have been additionally assessed with MRIs to review adjustments in mind matter.

Researchers discovered the Kundalini yoga group members noticed a number of enhancements not skilled by the reminiscence enhancement coaching group. These included important enchancment in subjective reminiscence complaints, prevention in mind matter declines, elevated connectivity within the hippocampus which manages stress-related reminiscences, and enchancment within the peripheral cytokines and gene expression of anti-inflammatory and anti-aging molecules.

“That’s what yoga is sweet for — to scale back stress, to enhance mind well being, subjective reminiscence efficiency and cut back irritation and enhance neuroplasticity,” Lavretsky stated.

Among the many reminiscence enhancement coaching group, the primary enhancements have been discovered to be within the members’ long-term reminiscence.

Neither group noticed adjustments in anxiousness, melancholy, stress or resilience, although Lavretsky said that is seemingly as a result of the members have been comparatively wholesome and weren’t depressed.

Whereas the long-term results of Kundalini yoga on stopping or delaying Alzheimer’s illness require additional research, Lavretsky stated the research demonstrates that utilizing yoga and reminiscence coaching in tandem might present extra complete advantages to the cognition of older girls.

“Ideally, folks ought to do each as a result of they do practice totally different elements of the mind and have totally different general well being results,” Lavretsky stated. “Yoga has this anti-inflammatory, stress-reducing, anti-aging neuroplastic mind impact which might be complementary to reminiscence coaching.”