Yoga may protect against memory decline in old age

Doing yoga for a long time could change the structure of your brain and protects from cognitive decline in old age. When the researchers imaged elderly female yoga practitioners' brains, they found that the "Yoginis" have greater cortical thickness in the left prefrontal cortex areas associated with cognitive functions like attention and memory.

As we age, the structure and function of our brain changes and often leads to cognitive decline, including impaired attention or memory. One such change in the brain involves the cerebral cortex becoming thinner, which scientists have shown correlated with cognitive decline.

So, how can we slow or reverse these changes? The findings of Aging Neuroscience, suggest that the answer could lie in contemplative practices like yoga. Elisa Kozasa is one of the researcher explained that, "In the same way as muscles, the brain develops through training."

"Like any contemplative practice, yoga has a cognitive component in which attention and concentration are important," Kozasa added. They recruited a small group of female yoga practitioners (also known as Yoginis) who had practiced yoga at least twice a week for a minimum of eight years, although the group had an average of nearly 15 years of yoga practice.

The researchers compared the yoginis with another group of healthy women who had never practiced yoga, meditation or any other contemplative practices, but who was match to the yoginis in terms of their age (all the participants were 60 or over) and physical activity.

The researchers scanned the participants' brains to see if there were any differences in brain structure. Rui Afonso said that,"We found greater thickness in the left prefrontal cortex in the yoginis, in brain regions associated with cognitive functions such as attention and memory.