Twelve-Week Yoga vs. Aerobic Cycling Initiation in Sedentary Healthy Subjects: A Behavioral and Multiparametric Interventional PET/MR Study

Abstract

Interventional yoga studies with an active control group remain scarce and are important to clarify the underlying neurobiology. We conducted an interventional study in healthy controls using simultaneous positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance (PET/MR) imaging and psychometric scales. Thirty healthy, female volunteers (28.4 ± 8.4 years) participated and were randomly assigned to a 12-week yoga or indoor cycling intervention. Before and after the intervention, [18F]FDG and [11C]UCB-J PET was performed on a simultaneous GE Signa PET/MR with volumetric imaging. Psychometric scales were evaluated on affect, mindfulness, stress, worrying, self-compassion, and interoceptive awareness. Yoga subjects scored higher on interoceptive awareness compared to baseline (p < 0.001). Cognitive (P = 0.009) and overall cognitive functioning (P = 0.01) improved after the yoga intervention compared to the cycling group. We did not observe significant differences in glucose metabolism, synaptic density, or gray matter (GM) volume. The indoor cycling group did not show changes in psychometric variables, but significant increases in relative glucose metabolism were observed in the parahippocampal/fusiform gyrus and cerebellum (P < 0.001). In conclusion, 12 weeks of yoga practice has significant effects on interoceptive awareness and perceived cognitive function in starters. Longer interventions and/or higher frequency of yoga practice may be needed to detect cerebral metabolic and/or morphologic effects on the macroscopic level.

Mindfulness-Based Movement Intervention to Improve Sleep Quality: A Meta-Analysis and Moderator Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials

“…Our findings on the dose-response are consistent with the previous meta-analysis reporting that improvements in sleep quality were greater when the intervention’s frequency, duration, and total duration were achieved [ 10 ]. Several studies have shown that only MBM intervention longer than three months leads to significant improvements in metabolic profiles [ 101 , 102 ], proinflammatory cytokine [ 103 ], and mental health [ 104 , 105 , 106 ]. Furthermore, the inverted U-shaped hypothesis proposes that moderate-intensity exercise has the most significant cognitive benefits [ 107 , 108 ].…”

Effects of preventive interventions on neuroimaging biomarkers in subjects at-risk to develop Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review

“…The brain processes involved in these activities may be different from those involved in a simpler form of physical exercise. It has indeed been suggested that yoga and dance could have different effects on the brain from traditional forms of physical exercise (Rehfeld et al, 2018 ; van Aalst et al, 2021 ; Kaur et al, 2022 ). Analysis was not restricted to studies including a control for the interventions (i.e., a “placebo” or “sham” intervention), and no additional restriction was applied to the control condition when included (i.e., for two studies evaluating the effect of PE, control condition could either be resistance or balance training).…”