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)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| 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 |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Yoga meditation Young adults Inhibitory control Fnirs Flanker tasks |
| Key findings | 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.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Improving Prefrontal Oxygenation and Cardiac Autonomic Activity Following Meditation: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) Study. Cureus August 1, 2024
- Meditation for Human Mind and Brain: Findings from Functional Neuroimaging Investigations Annals of Advanced Biomedical Sciences 2023
- Neural correlates of breath work, mental imagery of yoga postures, and meditation in yoga practitioners: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study Frontiers in Neuroscience March 21, 2024
Cites 13
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- Mindfulness Meditation Training and Executive Control Network Resting State Functional Connectivity: A Randomized Controlled Trial Psychosomatic Medicine March 22, 2017
- Short‐term Sahaja Yoga meditation training modulates brain structure and spontaneous activity in the executive control network Brain and Behavior November 28, 2018
- Larger whole brain grey matter associated with long-term Sahaja Yoga Meditation: A detailed area by area comparison PLoS One December 28, 2020
- Impact of a Yoga and Meditation Intervention on Students' Stress and Anxiety Levels American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education June 1, 2019
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