DPIO Function among Normal Hearing Middle-Aged Adults in Sudarshan Kriya Yoga Practitioners and Non-Practitioners

The cochlea, to function efficiently towards hearing, the oxygenated blood supply is a very essential component. Yoga, a practice that originated in ancient India, claims to facilitate physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) is one such practice that focuses on breathing, therefore, regulating the oxygen circulation in our body. The benefits on practicing SKY have been reported to increase oxygenated blood supply to the respective cells or tissues. DPIO is a measure of cochlear growth function that reflects the basilar membrane function and is sensitive to even a small alteration in the amount of function. Therefore, to analyze if there is an increase in the hair cell function, we compare it between the SKY practitioners and a control group of 70 middle-aged adults (40-65 years old; 35 subjects in each group) who have their hearing sensitivity within normal limits through DPIO measure. Student 't' test was used to compare the mean difference between the two groups. The results revealed that there is a significant difference between both groups with respect to the DPIO amplitude (p-value ≤ 0.05). The study concludes enhanced amplitude on DPIO measure among individuals who practice SKY when compared to nonpractitioners of SKY.