Greater Anteroposterior Default Mode Network Functional Connectivity in Long-Term Elderly Yoga Practitioners
Danilo Forghieri Santaella, Joana Bisol Balardin, Rui F. Afonso, Giuliana Martinatti Giorjiani, João Ricardo Sato, Shirley Silva Lacerda, Edson Amaro, Sara W. Lazar, Elisa Harumi Kozasa
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience July 2, 2019 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2019.00158 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional investigation Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 40 |
| Population | Elderly women (Hatha Yoga practitioners and yoga-naïve controls) |
| Intervention | Hatha Yoga |
| Duration | Minimum twice a week of practice frequency for at least 8 years |
| Topics | Default mode network Meditation |
| Keywords | Precuneus Posterior cingulate Hatha yoga Resting State FMRI Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex Functional connectivity Cognition Physical therapy Electroencephalography |
| Citations | 37 |
| Key findings | Elderly women with at least 8 years of yoga practice had higher resting-state functional connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex and right angular gyrus compared to matched controls. |
Abstract
Large-scale brain networks exhibit changes in functional connectivity during the aging process. Recent literature data suggests that Yoga and other contemplative practices may revert, at least in part, some of the aging effects in brain functional connectivity, including of the Default Mode Network (DMN). The aim of this cross-sectional investigation was to compare resting-state functional connectivity of the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and posterior cingulate cortex - precuneus (PCC-Precuneus) in long-term elderly Yoga practitioners and healthy paired Yoga-naïve controls. Two paired groups: yoga (Y-20 women, Hatha Yoga practitioners; minimum twice a week of practice frequency for at least 8 years) and control group (C-20 women, Yoga-naïve, matched by age, years of formal education, and physical activity) were evaluated for: Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), and open-eyes resting-state fMRI - seed to voxel connectivity analysis (CONN toolbox 17.f) with pre-processing - realignment and unwarping, slice-timing correction, segmentation, normalization, outlier detection, and spatial filtering. Analysis included a priori regions of interest (ROI) of DMN main nodes – MPFC and PCC-Precuneus. There was no difference between groups for: age, years of formal education, MMSE, BDI and IADL. Yoga group had higher correlation between MPFC and right angular gyrus, compared to controls. Elderly women with at least 8 years of yoga practice presented greater intra-network anteroposterior brain functional connectivity of the default mode network. This finding may contribute for the understanding of the influences of Yoga practice for a healthier cognitive aging process.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on default mode network, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- What Has Neuroimaging Taught Us on the Neurobiology of Yoga? A Review Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience July 8, 2020
- How yoga shapes the brain: a systematic review. Frontiers in Neuroscience 2026
- Remodeling the Epigenome Through Meditation: Effects on Brain, Body, and Well-being. Sub-cellular biochemistry 2025
- Yoga Impacts Cognitive Health: Neurophysiological Changes and Stress Regulation Mechanisms. Exercise and sport sciences reviews April 1, 2023
- Effect of mobile-based online meditation module and yoga intervention on depression, anxiety, and stress in the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic Yoga Mimamsa 2023
and 2 more in the library
Cites 9
- Default Mode Network Activity and Connectivity in Psychopathology Annual Review of Clinical Psychology March 29, 2012
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Fluid intelligence and brain functional organization in aging yoga and meditation practitioners DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) April 1, 2014
- The Neural Mechanisms of Meditative Practices: Novel Approaches for Healthy Aging Current behavioral neuroscience reports October 18, 2016
- Gray Matter and Functional Connectivity in Anterior Cingulate Cortex are Associated with the State of Mental Silence During Sahaja Yoga Meditation. Neuroscience February 10, 2018
and 4 more in the library