The effect of super brain yoga on the cognitive function of hemodialysis patients

Cognitive impairment is one of the most important end-stage consequences of renal disease. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of super brain yoga on the cognitive function of hemodialysis (HD) patients.

This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 60 HD patients who were assigned to the control (n = 30) and intervention (n = 30) groups. In addition to undergoing their routine HD, subjects in the intervention group performed yoga exercises for one month, at least three days a week, once a day. Cognitive function score of the patients at baseline and after the study (one month later) was measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 using descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation, and inferential statistics, including independent t-test, paired t-test, and ANCOVA.

The mean score of cognitive function, urea, creatinine, and dialysis adequacy at baseline was 26.07 ± 3.72, 133.83 ± 34.19, 9.37 ± 2.55, and 1.22 ± 0.24 in the control group and28.97 ± 1.62, 174.17 ± 52.8, 13.38 ± 4.16, and 1.26 ± 0.22, in the intervention group, respectively. At the baseline, there was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of cognitive function, urea, creatinine (p-value = 0.001), but there was not in terms of dialysis adequacy (p-value = 0.974). Therefore, the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to adjust their effects. The mean score of these variables after the study was 25.77 ± 3.11, 146 ± 42.03, 9.7 ± 2.61, and 1.24 ± 0.24 in the control group and 29.17 ± 1.23, 156.03 ± 37.67, 12.27 ± 3.46, and 1.43 ± 0.19 in the intervention group, respectively. There was a significant difference in cognitive function between two the groups (p = 0.05).

Super brain yoga exercises seem to play an effective role in improving the cognitive function of HD patients. Therefore, super brain yoga is recommended as a complementary therapy for HD patients in nursing.