Yoga, Aerobic and Stretching Exercise Effects on Neurocognitive Performance: A Randomized Controlled Trial

摘要 瑜伽，一种以身体活动为基础的身心疗法，作为一种预防和治疗方法越来越受欢迎。 治疗实践，使其成为患病率增长最快的疗法之一。练习瑜伽 结合体力活动、有规律的呼吸和冥想练习，结合在一起提供 实践者有一个整体的身心体验.瑜伽的有效性已经在许多方面得到了检验 健康结果，包括压力、焦虑、抑郁、慢性疾病的管理，如腰部 疼痛和2型糖尿病。较少的研究考察了瑜伽练习对大脑健康和 认知功能。与年龄相关的认知能力下降是有据可查的。随着老年人口的增加 在美国，成年人不仅需要测试瑜伽等流行的运动形式，还需要比较 它们对有氧运动等已被证明对神经认知有益的方式具有疗效。这项研究 是及时的，因为瑜伽是一种温和的、可修改的运动形式，可以很容易地适应老年人的练习 成年人可能会表现出合并症或慢性健康状况，使他们无法行走或表演 其他形式的有氧运动。据我们所知，这是第一个随机对照试验 并比较瑜伽和有氧运动训练对行为和神经生物学的影响 认知功能的关联性。 我们建议在老年人中进行为期6个月的随机对照运动试验，以比较 瑜伽结合有氧运动对认知功能、脑结构与功能、心肺功能的影响 健身，功能健身，炎症和分子标志物。使用单百叶窗、三臂 随机对照试验，168名年龄在55-79岁的老年人将被分配到以下两组之一：哈达瑜伽组，以及 有氧运动组或主动伸展强化对照组。这些团体将参与到 每周3次长达一小时的集体锻炼。一组全面的神经认知测试，脑成像， 心血管健康测试和抽血将在基线时进行；6个月干预结束时， 随访12个月。 拟议的试点RCT将检查瑜伽训练和改善认知之间的关系 发挥作用并确定神经生物学相关因素作为潜在的作用机制 哪种瑜伽训练对认知功能有影响。 调查团队是跨学科的，工作效率很高，并有合作进行 运动干预检查老年人的神经认知结果。

Abstract Yoga, a physical activity based mind-body therapy has become increasingly popular as a preventive and therapeutic practice, making it one of the therapies with the most rapid increase in prevalence. Practice of yoga combines physical activity, modulated breathing and meditative exercises that combine to provide the practitioner a holistic mind-body experience. The effectiveness of yoga has been examined for a number of health outcomes, including stress, anxiety, depression, management of chronic conditions such as lower back pain and type 2 diabetes. Fewer studies have examined the effects of yoga practice on brain health and cognitive function. Age related cognitive decline is well documented. With the increasing population of older adults in the US, there is a need to not only test popular forms of exercise such as yoga, but also compare their efficacy with modalities such as aerobic exercise that have proven neurocognitive benefits. This research is timely in that yoga is a gentle and modifiable form of exercise that can be easily adapted for practice by older adults who may exhibit comorbidities or chronic health conditions that keep them from walking or performing other forms of aerobic exercise. To our knowledge, this is the first randomized control trial examining and comparing the effects of yoga and aerobic exercise training on behavioral and neurobiological correlates of cognitive function. We propose to conduct a 6-month randomized controlled exercise trial among older adults to compare the efficacy of yoga with aerobic exercise on cognitive function, brain structure and function, cardiorespiratory fitness, functional fitness, and inflammatory and molecular markers. Using a single-blind, three arm randomized control trail, 168 older adults ages 55-79 will be assigned to either: a Hatha yoga group, an aerobic exercise group or an active stretching and strengthening control group. The groups will engage in hour-long group exercise sessions 3x/week. A comprehensive neurocognitive test battery, brain imaging, cardiovascular fitness test, and a blood draw will take place at baseline; end of the 6-month intervention, and at 12-month follow-up. The proposed pilot RCT will examine the relationship between yoga training and improved cognitive functioning as well as identify neurobiological correlates as potential mechanisms of action through which yoga training exerts its effect on cognitive function. The investigative team is interdisciplinary, highly productive and has a history of collaboration in conducting exercise interventions examining neurocognitive outcomes in older adults.