Influence of Yoga on Cognitive Functions in Individuals with Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Abstract

Background: Yoga has been demonstrated to provide physical and mental health benefits. It is emerging as a complementary therapy for improving cognitive functions in healthy and clinical populations. This review summarizes the current knowledge of yoga practice and its proven benefits on cognitive functions in individuals with mental disorders by examining the studies on yoga intervention with cognitive outcomes. Materials and Methods: We performed a comprehensive literature search in the PubMed and Cochrane electronic databases from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2021 to review relevant articles in English. The authors considered only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of yoga that reported cognitive outcomes in individuals with mental disorders. Two authors were in charge of selecting articles for inclusion, extracting data, and assessing methodological quality. The PEDro scale was used to assess the quality of the studies. Results: Twelve RCTs were found eligible for this study. All of the studies except one found that yoga effectively improved cognitive functions. The effect of duration, frequency and type of yoga intervention was not conclusive. Attention, memory and executive functions were the most common cognitive functions improved by yoga intervention. Conclusions: Yoga can be effective and safe in preventing cognitive decline or sustaining cognitive functions in various mental disorders. Research is needed on mental disorders that have a risk factor for cognitive dysfunction such as anxiety, bipolar disorder, insomnia and post-traumatic stress disorders.