A yoga trial separates mood, sleep and cognitive results
A new study of healthy adults reports several improvements after 45 days, alongside unchanged measures and limits from a waitlist comparison.
A Scientific Reports paper published November 9 tested the Common Yoga Protocol in 139 healthy adults aged 18 to 55 in Pune, India. Participants were randomized to 45 days of supervised practice or a waitlist.
Read the outcomes separately
The yoga group improved on positive and negative affect, reported sleep quality and forward digit span. Backward digit span and processing speed did not differ significantly between groups. Brain-imaging findings came from a smaller subgroup: 43 people completed both scans.
Participants knew their assignment, and the waitlist did not receive an equivalent group activity. The authors acknowledge that social participation could have contributed to the results. Volunteers were also motivated to practice, and the study does not establish how long changes last.
The study received support from India’s Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy, and several authors disclosed related institutional roles. These are short-term findings in healthy volunteers. They do not demonstrate prevention of cognitive decline or establish treatment benefits.
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