title: A randomized controlled trial of Kundalini yoga in mild cognitive impairment.
abstract: Global population aging will result in increasing rates of cognitive decline and dementia. Thus, effective, low-cost, and low side-effect interventions for the treatment and prevention of cognitive decline are urgently needed. Our study is the first to investigate the effects of Kundalini yoga (KY) training on mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
  
  
  
  Older participants (≥55 years of age) with MCI were randomized to either a 12-week KY intervention or memory enhancement training (MET; gold-standard, active control). Cognitive (i.e. memory and executive functioning) and mood (i.e. depression, apathy, and resilience) assessments were administered at baseline, 12 weeks and 24 weeks.
  
  
  
  At baseline, 81 participants had no significant baseline group differences in clinical or demographic characteristics. At 12 weeks and 24 weeks, both KY and MET groups showed significant improvement in memory; however, only KY showed significant improvement in executive functioning. Only the KY group showed significant improvement in depressive symptoms and resilience at week 12.
  
  
  
  KY group showed short- and long-term improvements in executive functioning as compared to MET, and broader effects on depressed mood and resilience. This observation should be confirmed in future clinical trials of yoga intervention for treatment and prevention of cognitive decline (NCT01983930).
authors.affiliation: Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior,UCLA,Los Angeles,California,USA.
authors.forename: Harris A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Eyre
authors.affiliation: Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior,UCLA,Los Angeles,California,USA.
authors.forename: Prabha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Siddarth
authors.affiliation: Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior,UCLA,Los Angeles,California,USA.
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Acevedo
authors.affiliation: Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior,UCLA,Los Angeles,California,USA.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Dyk
authors.affiliation: Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior,UCLA,Los Angeles,California,USA.
authors.forename: Pattharee
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Paholpak
authors.affiliation: Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior,UCLA,Los Angeles,California,USA.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ercoli
authors.affiliation: Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior,UCLA,Los Angeles,California,USA.
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: St Cyr
authors.affiliation: Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior,UCLA,Los Angeles,California,USA.
authors.forename: Hongyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation,Tucson,Arizona,USA.
authors.forename: Dharma S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Khalsa
authors.affiliation: Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior,UCLA,Los Angeles,California,USA.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lavretsky
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D002140:California; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015013:Yoga
keywords: Kirtan Kriya; Kundalini yoga; cognition; memory enhancement training; mild cognitive impairment; mood; resilience