Benefits of a Virtual, Adapted Yoga Practice for People With Aphasia: A Pilot Cohort Study

The purpose of this study was to extend previous work using a pilot delayed cohort design with a more geographically and linguistically diverse group of people with aphasia (PWA) to explore the impact of a virtual, adapted, and aphasia-friendly yoga program; expand our original outcome measures to include a self-report of aphasia impact in addition to measures of resilience, stress, sleep disturbance, and pain management; and continue programmatic development through participant feedback about the program structure.

A delayed cohort design was used to document the benefits of a virtual, adapted, and aphasia-friendly yoga program for persons with moderate-severe aphasia, replicating our previous work with persons with mild-moderate aphasia. Fourteen PWA participated in an 8-week community yoga program. Perceived stress, resilience, sleep disturbance, pain management, and aphasia impact were assessed pre- and postparticipation in the yoga program via self-report. A brief questionnaire was given at the end of the yoga program to inform programmatic development.

Results of group comparisons suggest that participation in an 8-week adapted yoga program may positively impact perceptions of resilience (medium effect), sleep disturbance (medium effect), perceived stress (small effect), and aphasia impact (small effect). No effect was found for pain. Overall, participants reported a positive experience and offered feedback to enhance the structure of the program.

Findings are promising and support yoga as a potent adjunct to traditional rehabilitation efforts to support resilience and psychosocial variables that impact quality of life in people with moderate-severe aphasia.

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.28514249.