Recent research has suggested that Kundalini yoga could be a boon for elderly women who are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, as it enhances brain activity in a stress-affected area connected to memory degradation. This type of yoga, known for its gentleness, seemed to offer more significant improvements to hippocampal connectivity – a critical brain region associated with learning and memory – than the conventional memory enhancement training (MET), especially when dealing with stress-related concerns.
UCLA Health conducted a study indicating that Kundalini yoga, which emphasizes breath control, meditation, and visualization techniques, could potentially benefit older women with risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and concerns about memory loss episodes.
Researchers at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior employed a specific type of MRI to track activity across different regions and sub-regions of the brain. Their findings revealed that Kundalini yoga, which integrates movement, meditation, breathing techniques, mantra chanting, and mental visualization, increased connectivity in a brain region susceptible to stress and associated with memory decline. The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease recently published these findings.
Under the guidance of psychiatrist Dr. Helen Lavretsky, the UCLA research team compared the effects of yoga and memory enhancement training (MET) – a gold-standard method derived from verbal and visual association techniques that boost memory – on the connectivity in hippocampus subregions, a crucial brain region for learning and memory.
“While Kundalini yoga training appears to specifically address stress-related hippocampal connectivity, MET seems to better target sensory-integration subregions of the hippocampus, thereby enhancing memory reliability,” stated Lavretsky, the director of the Late-Life Mood, Stress, and Wellness Research Program.
The principal message from the study is that it adds to the growing body of evidence supporting the brain health benefits of yoga, particularly for women who experience high levels of perceived stress and subjective memory impairment. Lavretsky highlighted the suitability of this gentle form of yoga, which emphasizes breathing and mental engagement more than movement, for older adults who might have physical restrictions.
The research involved 22 participants who were part of a broader randomized controlled trial studying the impact of yoga on Alzheimer’s risk. The average age of the 11 yoga participants was approximately 61, while the MET group’s average age was about 65. All participants reported a decline in memory function over the past year and had at least one cardiovascular risk factor, such as arterial plaque buildup, recent heart attack, diabetes, and treatment for high blood pressure or high cholesterol, which can also increase Alzheimer’s disease risk.
Both the yoga and MET groups underwent a 60-minute in-person training session weekly for 12 weeks, complemented by daily homework or practice sessions. The Kundalini yoga training was supplemented with at-home practice of Kirtan Kriya, another brief meditative form of yoga. Engaging various senses at once and featuring a chanting element, these yoga forms could improve respiratory, cardiovascular, and autonomic nervous system functions, as suggested by prior studies.
Lavretsky and her team have previously noted that Kundalini and Kirtan Kriya yoga improved depression, resilience, and executive functioning in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Additionally, they found that yoga had a stronger neuroprotective effect on right hippocampal volume than MET, which could suggest enhanced memory function in older women with subjective memory decline and cardiovascular risk factors.
The new study employed specialized functional MRI to determine the resting-state connectivity of the hippocampus. This imaging technique, considered more sensitive to cognitive changes than hippocampal volumes, allowed the researchers to evaluate hippocampus subregions and compare the effects of yoga versus memory training.
According to the authors, yoga “training may better target hippocampal subregion connectivity impacted by stress, which could aid in processing information, including facial information, into memory.” Furthermore, they suggested that “the observed greater increased connectivity between anterior and posterior hippocampal subregions with Kundalini yoga and Kirtan Kriya training than with MET might imply superior long-term neuroprotective benefits in terms of vulnerable hippocampal connections critical to episodic memory with the yoga training.”
MET appears to outperform yoga in helping the hippocampus integrate information from various senses. The various memory strategies in MET, including verbal, visual, and spatial associative techniques, aim to enhance the integration of multiple sensory modalities into memory processes. Hence, the study suggested that “MET might show superiority to Kundalini yoga and Kirtan Kriya in terms of hippocampal sensory-integration important to memory,” which could support better memory reliability.
Although the study’s small size suggests that these yoga forms may particularly benefit women who report stress and have additional Alzheimer’s disease risk factors, the authors recommend future large-scale studies with placebo groups or control arms to clarify both yoga’s and MET’s beneficial effects on hippocampal connectivity and memory.
The study was funded by the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease on July 19, 2023, under the title “Impact of Yoga Versus Memory Enhancement Training on Hippocampal Connectivity in Older Women at Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease.”
DOI: 10.3233/JAD-221159
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Kundalini Yoga Alzheimer’s Prevention
What is the key finding of the UCLA Health study on yoga and Alzheimer’s disease?
The study found that Kundalini yoga could potentially benefit elderly women at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. It enhances brain activity in a stress-impacted area connected to memory degradation and improves hippocampal connectivity, a critical brain region associated with learning and memory.
How does Kundalini yoga compare to traditional memory enhancement training (MET)?
While both Kundalini yoga and MET have benefits, the study found that Kundalini yoga might better target stress-related hippocampal connectivity, a critical area for memory and learning. On the other hand, MET may be more effective in targeting sensory-integration subregions of the hippocampus, supporting better memory reliability.
What population was studied in this research?
The study included 22 participants who were part of a broader randomized controlled trial. The mean age among the 11 yoga participants was about 61, and it was about 65 in the MET group. All participants reported a decline in memory function over the previous year and had at least one cardiovascular risk factor, which can also increase Alzheimer’s disease risk.
What kind of yoga was practiced in the study, and what were its benefits?
The study employed Kundalini yoga, known for its gentleness and its emphasis on breath control, meditation, and visualization techniques. It appeared to have a more significant effect on enhancing brain activity in stress-impacted areas and improving hippocampal connectivity than MET. The yoga also had a stronger neuroprotective effect on right hippocampal volume, suggesting improved memory function in older women with subjective memory decline and cardiovascular risk factors.
What future research does the study suggest?
While the study indicates potential benefits of Kundalini yoga for women experiencing stress and having additional risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease, the authors recommend future large-scale studies with placebo groups or control arms. These further investigations will help clarify the beneficial effects of both yoga and MET on hippocampal connectivity and memory.
More about Kundalini Yoga Alzheimer’s Prevention
- UCLA Health
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA
- Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease
- Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
