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Effect of combined yoga and transcranial direct current stimulation intervention on working memory and mindfulness.

Journal of integrative neuroscience
January 1, 1970
Marlon Danilewitz et al. (6 authors)
Journal ArticleRandomized Controlled TrialHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to determine whether combining transcranial direct stimulation with yoga would enhance working memory performance and mindfulness levels compared to sham stimulation.

Results Summary

Active transcranial direct stimulation did not significantly improve working memory or mindfulness compared to sham stimulation. A placebo effect was observed, with better performance on the first intervention day regardless of stimulation type.

Population

22 healthy volunteers with regular yoga practice (20 completed the study).

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Two separate intervention days (cross-over design).

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (8)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
transcranial direct stimulation
increase
cognition
-
-
positively affect
#1
yoga
increase
cognition
-
-
positively affect
#2
combined transcranial direct stimulation and meditation
increase
mood and cognition
-
-
may have synergistic effects
#3
active transcranial direct stimulation
no change
working memory
healthy volunteers with a regular yoga practice
no significant change
did not have a significant effect
#4
active transcranial direct stimulation
no change
levels of mindfulness
healthy volunteers with a regular yoga practice
no significant change
did not have a significant effect
#5
intervention
increase
performance
participants
better
significant placebo effect
#6
active transcranial direct stimulation versus sham transcranial direct stimulation
no change
working memory performance
healthy volunteers with a regular yoga practice
no significant difference
no significant difference
#7
active transcranial direct stimulation versus sham transcranial direct stimulation
no change
mindfulness
healthy volunteers with a regular yoga practice
no significant difference
no significant difference
#8
Abstract

Transcranial direct stimulation, a non-invasive neurostimulation technique for modulating cortical excitability, and yoga have both respectively been shown to positively affect cognition. While preliminary research has shown that combined transcranial direct stimulation and meditation may have synergistic effects on mood and cognition, this was the first study to explore the combination of transcranial direct stimulation and yoga. Twenty-two healthy volunteers with a regular yoga practice were randomized to receive either active transcranial direct stimulation (anodal left, cathodal right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) followed by yoga intervention or sham transcranial direct stimulation followed by yoga intervention a double-blind, cross-over design over two separate intervention days. Outcome measures included working memory performance, measured with the n-back task and mindfulness state, measured with the Toronto Mindfulness Scale, and were conducted offline, with pre-post assessments. Twenty participants completed both days of the intervention. Active transcranial direct stimulation did not have a significant effect on working memory or levels of mindfulness. There was a significant placebo effect, with better performance on day 1 of the intervention, irrespective of whether participants received active or sham transcranial direct stimulation. There was no significant difference between active versus sham transcranial direct stimulation concerning working memory performance and mindfulness, which may be accounted by the small sample size, the transient nature of the intervention, the fact that yoga and transcranial direct stimulation concerning were not conducted simultaneously, and the specific site of stimulation.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AdultCombined Modality TherapyCross-Over StudiesDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansMaleMemory, Short-TermMindfulnessOutcome Assessment, Health CarePsychomotor PerformanceTranscranial Direct Current StimulationYogaYoung Adult
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy30/10
Quality65/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations4
Citations/Year1.0
Relative Citation Ratio0.51
NIH Percentile27.7%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.25
Weight Score1.37
Normalized Score0.45
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Effect of combined yoga and transcranial direct current stim... | Panacea Index