Yoga- and meditation-based lifestyle intervention increases neuroplasticity and reduces severity of major depressive disorder: A randomized controlled trial.
Madhuri R Tolahunase, Rajesh Sagar, Muneeb Faiq, Rima Dada
Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience 2018 DOI: 10.3233/rnn-170810 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 58 |
| Population | Adult patients with major depressive disorder on routine drug treatment |
| Intervention | yoga- and meditation-based lifestyle intervention |
| Duration | 12-week intervention |
| Topics | Depression Meditation Neuroplasticity |
| Keywords | Bdnf Oxidative stress Sirtuin 1 Telomere Yoga |
| Key findings | A 12-week yoga- and meditation-based lifestyle intervention significantly reduced depression severity and increased biomarkers of neuroplasticity, including BDNF, in adults with major depressive disorder. |
Abstract
Current interventions for major depressive disorder (MDD) are suboptimal, and only one third respond to them on initial treatment. Neuroplasticity theories are the basis for several emerging treatments. Evidence on the impact of yoga, a well-known mind-body intervention, on neuroplasticity in MDD is limited. To determine the effects of 12-week yoga- and meditation-based lifestyle intervention (YMLI) on depression severity and systemic biomarkers of neuroplasticity in adult MDD patients on routine drug treatment. A total of 58 MDD patients were randomized into yoga or control group. The severity of depression was assessed with Beck Depression Inventory-II scale (BDI-II). Blood samples were collected before and after intervention for the measurement of the biomarkers that characterize neuroplasticity, including mind-body communicative and cellular health biomarkers. There was a significant decrease [difference between means, (95% CI)] in BDI-II score [-5.83 (-7.27, -4.39), p < 0.001] and significant increase in BDNF (ng/ml) [5.48 (3.50, 7.46), p < 0.001] after YMLI compared to control group. YMLI significantly increased DHEAS, sirtuin 1, and telomerase activity levels, and decreased cortisol, and IL-6 levels, in addition to decreasing DNA damage and balancing oxidative stress. Multiple regression analyses were used to associate neuroplasticity biomarkers with depression severity. A 'post-intervention change in BDNF' x 'group' interaction indicated that yoga group had more BDNF in association with less BDI-II scores relative to controls. Increased sirtuin 1 and telomerase activity and decreased cortisol significantly predicted this association (all p < 0.05). These results suggest that decrease in depression severity after YMLI in MDD is associated with improved systemic biomarkers of neuroplasticity. Thus YMLI can be considered as a therapeutic intervention in MDD management.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on neuroplasticity, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Increased global integration in the brain after psilocybin therapy for depression. Patients with treatment-resistant depression and patients with major depressive disorder | 2022 | Open-label trial and double-blind phase II randomized controlled trial | |
| Cognitive-Affective Neural Plasticity following Active-Controlled Mindfulness Intervention Healthy human subjects | 2012 | Randomized controlled trial | |
| LSD-induced entropic brain activity predicts subsequent personality change. Healthy adults | 2016 | Balanced-order, placebo-controlled study | n = 19 |
| Effective connectivity changes in LSD-induced altered states of consciousness in humans. Healthy participants | 2019 | Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study | n = 25 |
| Dynamical exploration of the repertoire of brain networks at rest is modulated by psilocybin. | 2019 | Observational study with placebo session |
Citations in the library
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- Neurobiological Changes Induced by Mindfulness and Meditation: A Systematic Review. Biomedicines November 15, 2024
- A unified model of ketamine's dissociative and psychedelic properties. Journal of Psychopharmacology December 17, 2022
- Mindfulness meditation and psychedelics: potential synergies and commonalities Pharmacological Reports November 6, 2023
- Examining the Potential Synergistic Effects Between Mindfulness Training and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Frontiers in Psychiatry August 11, 2021
- Novel treatments for anorexia nervosa: Insights from neuroplasticity research European Eating Disorders Review October 12, 2023
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