ABSTRACT
CONTEXT: Elderly have increased risk for cognitive impairment and dementia. Yoga therapy may be helpful in elderly to improve cognitive function. AIMS: We examined the benefits of yoga-based intervention compared with waitlist control group on cognitive function in the residents of elderly homes. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Single blind controlled study with block randomization of elderly homes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Study sample included yoga group (n=62) and waitlist group (n=58). A total of 87 subjects (yoga=44, waitlist=43) completed the study period of 6 months. Yoga group received daily yoga sessions for 1 month, weekly until 3(rd) month and encouraged to continue unsupervised until 6 months. They were assessed on Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), Rey's complex figure test (CFT), Wechsler's Memory Scale (WMS)-digit and spatial span, Controlled Oral Word Association (COWA) test, Stroop Color Word Interference Test and Trail Making Test A and B at baseline and at the end of 6(th) month. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Paired t-test and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to compare the difference in neuropsychological test scores. RESULTS: Yoga group showed significant improvement in immediate and delayed recall of verbal (RAVLT) and visual memory (CFT), attention and working memory (WMS-spatial span), verbal fluency (COWA), executive function (Stroop interference) and processing speed (Trail Making Test-A) than waitlist group at the end of 6 months after correcting for corresponding baseline score and education. CONCLUSION: Yoga based-intervention appears beneficial to improve several domains of cognitive function in elderly living in residential care homes. Study findings need to be interpreted after considering methodological limitations like lack of active comparison group.
ABSTRACT
CONTEXT: Yoga as a life-style practice has demonstrated beneficial effects. The role of yoga in the elderly for such benefits merits investigation. AIMS: The aim of this study is to examine the effects of yoga intervention on quality-of-life (QOL) and sleep quality in the elderly living in old age homes. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Single blind controlled study with block randomization of elderly homes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 120 subjects from nine elderly homes were randomized in to yoga group (n=62) and waitlist group (n=58). Subjects in the yoga group were given yoga intervention daily for 1 month and weekly until 3 months and were encouraged to practice yoga without supervision until for 6 months. Subjects in waitlist group received no intervention during this period. Subjects were evaluated with World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-BREF for measuring QOL and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index for sleep quality in the baseline and after 6 months. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Independent t-test and repeated measures analysis of covariance respectively was used to measure the difference in outcome measures between the two groups at baseline and after the study period. RESULTS: Subjects in the yoga group had significantly higher number of years of formal education. Subjects in the yoga group had significant improvement in all the domains of QOL and total sleep quality after controlling for the effect of baseline difference in education between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Yoga intervention appears to improve the QOL and sleep quality of elderly living in old age homes. There is a need for further studies overcoming the limitations in this study to confirm the benefits of yoga for elderly in QOL and sleep quality.
