Effect of Sudarshan Kriya (meditation) on gamma, alpha, and theta rhythm during working memory task

Abstract

Aims:The present study focuses on analyzing the effects of Sudarshan Kriya yoga (SKY) on brain signals during a working memory (WM) task. To envision the significant effects of SKY on WM capacity (WMC), we chose a control group for contriving a cogent comparison that could be corroborated using statistical tests.Subjects and Methods:A total of 25 subjects were taken in the study, of which 10 were allotted to a control group and 15 to an experimental group. Electroencephalograph was taken during a WM task, which was an automated operation span test before and after SKY with 90 days intervals. No SKY was given to the control group.Statistical Analysis Used:t-test and one-way ANOVA were applied.Results:SKY promoted the efficient use of energy and power spectral density (PSD) for different brain rhythms in the desired locations as depicted by the gamma (F8 channel), alpha, and theta 2 (F7 and FC5) bands. It was found that gamma PSD reduced for both phases of memory in the experimental group. Alpha energy increased during the retrieval phase in the experimental group after SKY. Theta 1 rhythm was not affected by SKY, but theta 2 had shown left hemispheric activation. Theta rhythm was associated with memory consolidation.Conclusions:SKY had shown minimized energy losses while performing the task. SKY can improve WMC by changing the brain rhythms such that energy is utilized efficiently in performing the task.

Greater Cortical Thickness in Elderly Female Yoga Practitioners—A Cross-Sectional Study

“…In that study, the different results may be due to the attention/awareness component found in yoga but not in stretching and strengthening. Chandra et al (2016) also reported greater WM capacity in Sudarshan Kriya yoga practitioners. Even though the studies mentioned above detected cognitive alterations, they did not perform imaging tests.…”

Greater Cortical Thickness in Elderly Female Yoga Practitioners—A Cross-Sectional Study

“…In that study, the different results may be due to the attention/awareness component found in yoga but not in stretching and strengthening. Chandra et al ( 2016 ) also reported greater WM capacity in Sudarshan Kriya yoga practitioners. Even though the studies mentioned above detected cognitive alterations, they did not perform imaging tests.…”

Acute exercise and mindfulness meditation on learning and memory: randomized controlled intervention

“…13 It would be interesting for future work to re-evaluate this experimental paradigm and consider other temporal periods of acute exercise and meditation on learning and memory. For example, other research demonstrates that an acute meditation session may optimize neural activity during a memory task, 28 and as such, it would be worthwhile to implement the meditation session shortly before memory encoding. In addition to acute exercise, future work should consider the combined effects of chronic exercise and chronic meditation training on memory function.…”