Randomized, controlled, six-month trial of yoga in healthy seniors: effects on cognition and quality of life.

TLDR

Mind‑body techniques such as yoga may improve cognitive function through attentional or mindfulness components, yet their effects remain insufficiently studied. This study aimed to assess the impact of six‑month Hatha yoga on cognition, fatigue, mood, and quality of life in healthy seniors. A randomized controlled trial enrolled 135 adults aged 65–85 who were assigned to six months of Hatha yoga, walking exercise, or wait‑list control, with home practice and baseline and 6‑month assessments of Stroop, EEG alertness, SF‑36, mood, fatigue, and physical performance. Results showed no improvement in cognitive or alertness outcomes, but yoga participants exhibited better physical performance and quality‑of‑life scores compared to exercise and wait‑list groups, with no cognitive benefit observed.

Abstract

There are potential benefits of mind-body techniques on cognitive function because the techniques involve an active attentional or mindfulness component, but this has not been fully explored.To determine the effect of yoga on cognitive function, fatigue, mood, and quality of life in seniors.Randomized, controlled trial comparing yoga, exercise, and wait-list control groups.One hundred thirty-five generally healthy men and women aged 65-85 years.Participants were randomized to 6 months of Hatha yoga class, walking exercise class, or wait-list control. Subjects assigned to classes also were asked to practice at home.Outcome assessments performed at baseline and after the 6-month period included a battery of cognitive measures focused on attention and alertness, the primary outcome measures being performance on the Stroop Test and a quantitative electroencephalogram (EEG) measure of alertness; SF-36 health-related quality of life; Profile of Mood States; Multi-Dimensional Fatigue Inventory; and physical measures related to the interventions.One hundred thirty-five subjects were recruited and randomized. Seventeen subjects did not finish the 6-month intervention. There were no effects from either of the active interventions on any of the cognitive and alertness outcome measures. The yoga intervention produced improvements in physical measures (eg, timed 1-legged standing, forward flexibility) as well as a number of quality-of-life measures related to sense of well-being and energy and fatigue compared to controls.There were no relative improvements of cognitive function among healthy seniors in the yoga or exercise group compared to the wait-list control group. Those in the yoga group showed significant improvement in quality-of-life and physical measures compared to exercise and wait-list control groups.