The Effect of Yoga Meditation Practice on Young Adults’ Inhibitory Control: An fNIRS Study
Dongdong Jiang, Zongyu Liu, Guoxiao Sun
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience September 13, 2021 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.725233 (opens in new tab) via DOAJ
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA randomized trial found that a session of yoga meditation temporarily increased brain activation in the prefrontal cortex and improved accuracy on a Flanker task measuring inhibitory control in young adults. Fifty participants (aged 21–28) were assigned to either a yoga meditation group or a control group. After the intervention, the yoga meditation group showed higher accuracy on the Flanker task and greater oxyhemoglobin levels in the prefrontal cortex, as measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy. The authors conclude that yoga meditation is an effective exercise for improving inhibitory control in young adults.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 50 |
| Population | Young adults (21–28 years old) from a university in Jinan, Shandong Province |
| Intervention | Yoga meditation |
| Duration | Single session |
| Keywords | Yoga meditation Young adults Inhibitory control Fnirs Flanker tasks |
| Key finding | Yoga meditation improved accuracy on the Flanker task and increased prefrontal cortex activation in young adults. |
Abstract
Objectives: The present study aimed to test the effect of yoga meditation (YoMed) practice on inhibitory control of young adults.Methods: A total of 50 participants (23 male, 21–28 years old) from a university in Jinan, Shandong Province were enrolled in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to a YoMed group or a Control group. Participants’ basic information, physical activity, and inhibitory control were measured. A multi-channel continuous-wave near-infrared spectrometer was used to monitor the brain’s hemodynamic responses.Results: After the intervention, we found significant differences in Flanker tasks between the YoMed group and Control group. The accuracy in the YoMed group was higher than those in the Control group (p < 0.05). Analysis of fNIRS data showed that oxyhemoglobin (oxy-Hb) levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) increased in the YoMed group during the Flanker tasks after the YoMed intervention.Conclusion: YoMed has a temporarily promoting effect on the brain activation of young adults. It is an effective and appropriate exercise to improve the inhibitory control of young adults.