Long-term Ashtanga yoga practice decreases medial temporal and brainstem glucose metabolism in relation to years of experience
June van Aalst, Jenny Ceccarini, Georg Schramm, Donatienne van Weehaeghe, Ahmadreza Rezaei, Koen Demyttenaere, Stefan Sunaert, Koen van Laere
EJNMMI Research May 14, 2020 DOI: 10.1186/s13550-020-00636-y (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 25 |
| Population | Experienced yoga practitioners and yoga-naive healthy subjects |
| Intervention | Yoga practice |
| Keywords | Brainstem Term time Relation database Cardiac imaging Carbohydrate metabolism Cardiology |
| Citations | 13 |
| Key findings | Experienced yoga practitioners show decreased regional glucose metabolism in medial temporal cortex, striatum, and brainstem at rest, inversely correlated with years of practice. |
Abstract
Background: Yoga is increasingly popular worldwide with several physical and mental benefits, but the underlying neurobiology remains unclear. Whereas many studies have focused on pure meditational aspects, the triad of yoga includes meditation, postures, and breathing. We conducted a cross-sectional study comparing experienced yoga practitioners to yoga-naive healthy subjects using a multiparametric 2 × 2 design with simultaneous positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance (PET/MR) imaging.
Methods: F-FDG PET, morphometric and diffusion tensor imaging, resting state fMRI, and MR spectroscopy were acquired in 10 experienced (4.8 ± 2.3 years of regular yoga experience) yoga practitioners and 15 matched controls in rest and after a single practice (yoga practice and physical exercise, respectively).
Results: In rest, decreased regional glucose metabolism in the medial temporal cortex, striatum, and brainstem was observed in yoga practitioners compared to controls (p < 0.0001), with a significant inverse correlation of resting parahippocampal and brainstem metabolism with years of regular yoga practice (ρ < - 0.63, p < 0.05). A single yoga practice resulted in significant hypermetabolism in the cerebellum (p < 0.0001). None of the MR measures differed, both at rest and after intervention.
Conclusions: Experienced yoga practitioners show regional long-term decreases in glucose metabolism related to years of practice. To elucidate a potential causality, a prospective longitudinal study in yoga-naive individuals is warranted.