A systematic program can minimize the symptoms of mild cognitive impairment, which often precedes Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
A weekly program of yoga and meditation can enhance mental skills and prevent age-related decline in mental functions, US scientists report.
In a small study with 25 volunteers over the age of 55, they found that within three months this program can minimize the symptoms of mild cognitive impairment, which often precedes Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
In fact, the combination of yoga and meditation appeared to be more effective than classic brain-stimulating exercises, such as puzzles, crosswords and computer games, write researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the journal "Journal of Alzheimer's Disease".
As they explain, their study is the first to compare the effects of the two methods, assessing not only the participants' behavior but also their brain activity.
Their conclusion was that "memory practice is on par with yoga-meditation in terms of improving memory, but yoga provides additional benefits by improving mood, combating stress, and enhancing coping skills and resilience to stress," said lead researcher Dr. Helen Lavretsky, a professor in the UCLA Department of Psychiatry.
Most of us entering our 40s are slowly realizing that our memory isn't what it used to be, as familiar names and words easily slip from our minds and car or house keys have a nasty habit of getting lost in places which it is impossible for us to have placed them.
These kinds of mental impairments seem inevitable as we age, but it is well documented that this mild mental disorder increases the risk of dementia by 2.5 times.
The good news is that more and more studies suggest that it can be prevented if we take a little extra care of our lifestyle.
The study
The volunteers of the present study were divided into two groups. The 14 followed a program consisting of yoga once a week for 20 minutes and daily meditation at home for 20 minutes. The remaining 11 did daily memory exercises at home for 20 minutes.
The improvements seen in their behavior were also reflected in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans of their brains, which showed that its activity had improved in all of them, but the difference was much more pronounced in those who practiced yoga and meditation.
"If someone wishes to improve their memory or reduce the risk of memory loss or reduce the chances of developing dementia, a program of systematic yoga and meditation can be a simple and safe solution," concluded Dr. Lavretsky.
Source: THE NEW Embedded Health
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