All Studies · Cognition & Neurodegeneration · Ibrahim (2022)

Ibrahim (2022)

Moderate · Pilot RCT · Promising (Pilot RCT) · n = 14
Quality Index (Adjusted QI) 0.689
0 Low < 0.56 Moderate 0.56–0.77 High ≥ 0.78 1
Study Details
ConditionHealthy older adults (aging focus, neuroprotection)
Clinical domainCognition & Neurodegeneration
PopulationHealthy meditation-naïve older adults (age 62-74, MMSE 28-30)
Sample sizen = 14
Country / SettingCanada (Montreal, Quebec)
Protocol clusterGeneral/Varied KY
Duration12 weeks (1×/week 2 hours + 30 min daily home practice)
Control typeAttention Control
ComparatorPsychoeducation control group
Outcomes & Effect Sizes
Primary outcomeBrain structure / Gray matter volume / Neuroimaging
Scales usedStructural MRI (3T Siemens); voxel-based morphometry (SPM12); bilateral hippocampal and PCC gray matter volumes (DKT atlas)
Key resultSignificant right hippocampal volume increase in yoga group (P=0.034, ηp²=0.408, large effect). Right hippocampus increased pre-to-post in yoga (P=0.021) but not psychoeducation. No change in PCC.
Effect sizeηp² = 0.408 (large effect size for right hippocampus)
RetentionYoga: 100% (7/7); Control: 57% (4/7); Overall: 79% (11/14 completed)
SafetyCustomized for safety; all brain scans unremarkable
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Methodological Summary

Pilot RCT (n=11); 12-week Kundalini yoga vs 10-week psychoeducation; healthy meditation-naïve older adults; structural MRI pre/post; voxel-based morphometry; significant right hippocampal volume increase specific to yoga group (large effect); first RCT examining Kundalini yoga neuroimaging in healthy older adults

KY Protocol Components

Kundalini Yoga for Hippocampal Volume in Older Adults: Pilot RCT DESIGN: Pilot RCT; KY (n=5-6) vs. psychoeducation (n=5-6); 11 healthy meditation-naïve older adults total. POPULATION: Healthy older adults aged 62-74 (M=66.4). SETTING: Douglas Mental Health University Institute. DURATION: KY intervention 12 weeks; psychoeducation 10 weeks (shortened due to scheduling). SESSIONS: One 2-hour session per week. DELIVERY: Bilingual (French and English). COMPONENTS: • Customized for participant safety • Mixture of postures, pranayama, and meditation • Home practice: 30 min/day encouraged OUTCOME: Structural MRI (T1-weighted) measuring hippocampal volume changes. NOTE: Very small pilot (N=11). The "safety protocol" emphasis in original entry was overstated — the paper mentions "customized for participant safety" but does not describe an elaborate separate safety protocol.

Quality Item Scores — 1 fail · 2 partial · 3 pass · ★ critical
★A1
3
A2
3
★B1
2
★B2
2
B3
3
B4
2
★B5
2
B6
2
★B7
2
★B8
2
B9
2
★C1
1
C2
1
C3
1
JP1
3
Critical fails1
Raw QI0.689
SAF1
Adjusted QI0.689
Final ratingModerate