Efficacy of a Short‑Term Yoga‑Based Lifestyle Intervention in Improving Cognition in Overweight/Obese Subjects

Dipti Magan; Raj Kumar Yadav; Manju Mehta

Dipti Magan Integral Health Clinic, Departments of Physiology and All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
Raj Kumar Yadav Integral Health Clinic, Departments of Physiology and All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
Manju Mehta Integral Health Clinic, Departments of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

Keywords: Cognition, Electroencephalography, Freiburg mindfulness, Obesity, Overweight, Short‑term lifestyle intervention program

Abstract

Background and Aim: The present report was designed to evaluate the efficacy of a short‑term yoga‑based lifestyle intervention in modifying cognitive functions and brain activity during cognitive tasks in overweight/obese patients. Methods: A total of (n = 12) Overweight/Obese patients and (n = 9) healthy controls who attended a short‑term yoga‑based lifestyle intervention program were recruited for the study. Anthropometric parameters include height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure; different cognitive domains include Controlled Oral Word Association Test, Symbol Digit Modalities Test, Verbal n‑back Test, and Forward/backward digit span; self‑report measures include the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory and Centre for epidemiologic studies for depression scale and electroencephalography (EEG) activity during different cognitive tasks were carried out twice, i.e. day 1 (baseline) and day 14 (end of intervention). Results: Significant (P < 0.05) improvement was observed for weight, BMI, mindfulness scores, n‑back test, and total attention span following lifestyle intervention for overweight/obese patients. Furthermore, EEG activity showed significant (P < 0.05) increase in alpha, beta, and theta absolute power at the end of intervention. Parameters for control group remained comparable at day 14 versus day 1. Conclusion: Findings suggest that a short‑term yoga‑based lifestyle intervention may significantly improve cognitive functions and brain activity in overweight/obese patients.