A comparative study of the effects of yoga meditation and napping on response inhibition: ERP and spectral evidence from the Go/NoGo task
Qin Sun, Hongcheng Zhang, Xuan Wang, Jinpeng Yang, Shuyu Shao, Zhengqi Li
Scientific Reports August 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-68022-7 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized crossover trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 25 |
| Population | Healthy right-handed adults |
| Interventions | Yoga meditation Daytime nap |
| Duration | 15-minute intervention per session |
| Measures | Go/NoGo task, EEG, event-related potentials (ERPs) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Yoga meditation improved response inhibition accuracy and enhanced NoGo-N2/P3 amplitudes and theta power, whereas napping sped reaction time, shortened N2 latency, and reduced parietal alpha power, suggesting distinct neural mechanisms for each rest strategy. |
Abstract
Response inhibition is a core component of executive function and is closely associated with various mental disorders. Yoga meditation and daytime napping are two different rest strategies believed to improve cognitive function, but their immediate effects on response inhibition and the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. This study compared the immediate effects of a 15‑min yoga meditation and a 15‑min daytime nap on response inhibition in healthy adults, and explored the neural dissociation between the two interventions using event‑related potentials (ERPs) and EEG spectral analysis. A repeated‑measures crossover design was adopted. Twenty‑five healthy right‑handed participants completed both a yoga meditation session and a nap session. During each session, 64‑channel EEG was recorded while participants performed a Go/NoGo task before and after the 15‑min intervention. Behavioral, ERP, and spectral measures were analyzed. Behaviorally, yoga meditation significantly increased NoGo accuracy, whereas the nap significantly shortened Go reaction time. At the ERP level, yoga meditation enhanced NoGo‑N2 and NoGo‑P3 amplitudes, while the nap only shortened N2 latency. Spectrally, yoga meditation increased fronto‑central theta power, while the nap decreased parietal alpha power (i.e., enhanced task‑related alpha desynchronization). Correlation analyses showed that, in the yoga group, pre‑post changes in N2 amplitude and theta power were strongly correlated with improvements in accuracy and reaction time, respectively; no such correlations were found in the nap group. These findings suggest that both interventions improve response inhibition through dissociable neural pathways: yoga meditation is associated with enhanced prefrontal conflict monitoring and top‑down attentional control, whereas a daytime nap is associated with restoration of attentional resources and modulation of parietal alpha oscillations. EEG measures can effectively distinguish the cognitive effects of the two rest strategies.
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 |