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Resting-State Connectivity and Neuroimaging of Prefrontal Cortex Activity During a Block-Design Yoga Asana Practice Using fNIRS

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A yoga program for cognitive enhancement.

Devon Brunner¹, Amitai Abramovitch¹, Joseph Etherton¹

¹Department of Psychology, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, United States of America.

|August 8, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

A brief yoga program significantly improved working memory (WM) maintenance and manipulation, alongside enhanced mindfulness. This suggests yoga positively impacts cognitive functions and attention.

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Neuroscience
Mind-Body Practices

Background:

Emerging research suggests yoga enhances cognitive functions.
Previous studies indicated yoga's benefit for working memory (WM), but detailed effects on its subconstructs (maintenance, manipulation) were unclear.
The link between yoga-induced cognitive gains and improved mindfulness needed empirical validation.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the impact of a short yoga intervention on WM maintenance and manipulation.
To assess changes in attentive mindfulness following the yoga program.
To explore the relationship between cognitive improvements and mindfulness enhancement.

Main Methods:

Forty-three participants (N=43) completed 6 yoga sessions.
Working memory was assessed using Digit Span Forward, Backward, and Sequencing, and Letter-Number Sequencing before and after the intervention.
Mindfulness was measured using the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale.

Main Results:

Significant improvements were observed in maintenance WM (Digit Span Forward) and manipulation WM (Digit Span Backward, Letter-Number Sequencing).
No significant changes were found in Digit Span Sequencing.
Mindfulness scores increased, but no correlation was found between changes in mindfulness and WM measures.

Conclusions:

A 6-session yoga program effectively improved both maintenance and manipulation aspects of working memory.
The yoga intervention also led to enhanced mindfulness scores.
Further research, including randomized controlled trials and comprehensive neuropsychological assessments, is recommended to elucidate the mechanisms of yoga-related cognitive enhancement.