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Yoga practice improves executive function by attenuating stress levels.

Neha P Gothe¹, Rahul K Keswani¹, Edward McAuley¹

¹University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, United States.

Biological Psychology

|November 7, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Eight weeks of yoga improved executive function in older adults by reducing stress and cortisol levels. This mind-body practice may help prevent age-related cognitive decline.

Keywords:

HPA axis Hatha yoga Task switching Working memory

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Area of Science:

Neuroendocrinology
Cognitive Neuroscience
Gerontology

Background:

Prolonged hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system activation negatively impacts brain function.
Elevated cortisol levels are linked to age-related cognitive deficits.
Mind-body practices like yoga can restore autonomic balance and reduce stress.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if yoga practice moderates the stress response.
To determine if yoga improves executive function in older adults.

Main Methods:

118 sedentary older adults were randomized into an 8-week yoga or stretching control group.
Participants completed executive function, stress, and anxiety measures.
Salivary cortisol levels were assessed before and after cognitive testing.

Main Results:

Yoga group showed improved executive function accuracy and an attenuated cortisol response.
Stretching group exhibited increased cortisol levels and poorer cognitive performance.
Changes in cortisol and stress levels predicted executive function performance.

Conclusions:

Yoga practice enhanced working memory and attenuated stress response in older adults.
Yoga may restore HPA axis balance, potentially preventing cognitive decline.
Yoga serves as a viable non-traditional intervention for cognitive health in aging.