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Updated: Jul 14, 2026
07:56
Resting-State Connectivity and Neuroimaging of Prefrontal Cortex Activity During a Block-Design Yoga Asana Practice Using fNIRS
Published on: June 24, 2025
Yoga Asana sessions increase brain GABA levels: a pilot study.
Chris C Streeter1, J Eric Jensen, Ruth M Perlmutter
1Division of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA. streeter@bu.edu
Summary
A yoga session significantly increased brain gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) levels by 27% in practitioners. Reading did not alter GABA levels, suggesting yoga may benefit conditions linked to low GABA.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Integrative Medicine
- Radiology
Background:
- Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain.
- Alterations in GABAergic signaling are implicated in various neurological and psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and depression.
- Non-pharmacological interventions are being explored to modulate neurotransmitter levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare changes in brain GABA levels following an acute yoga session versus a reading session.
- To test the hypothesis that a yoga session increases brain GABA levels.
Main Methods:
- A parallel-groups design study involving 8 yoga practitioners and 11 comparison subjects.
- Participants underwent a 60-minute yoga or reading session.
- Brain GABA-to-creatine ratios were measured using magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging before and after interventions.
Main Results:
- Yoga practitioners exhibited a 27% increase in brain GABA levels post-session (0.20 mmol/kg).
- Comparison subjects showed no significant change in GABA levels after reading (-0.001 mmol/kg).
- The difference in GABA change between groups was statistically significant (p = 0.018).
Conclusions:
- An acute yoga session leads to increased brain GABA levels in experienced practitioners.
- Yoga may hold potential as a therapeutic intervention for disorders associated with low GABA levels, such as depression and anxiety.
- Further research is needed to compare yoga's effects with other exercise modalities on GABA levels.
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