All Studies · Cognition & Neurodegeneration · Kanchan (2026)

Kanchan (2026)

Low Predatory concerns · Narrative Review · Mechanism (Narrative Review)
Quality Index (Adjusted QI) 0.542
0 Low < 0.56 Moderate 0.56–0.77 High ≥ 0.78 1
Study Details
ConditionNeuroimaging of KY/Kirtan Kriya — brain structure, function, and mechanisms
Clinical domainCognition & Neurodegeneration
PopulationVarious (older adults at risk for AD, dementia caregivers, long-term meditators, healthy adults); pooled across 21 included studies
Sample size—
Country / SettingIndia (review conducted at Alva's College of Naturopathy & Yogic Sciences, Moodbidri, Karnataka); included studies from multiple countries
Protocol clusterKirtan Kriya (12-min)
DurationN/A — narrative review of studies with varying durations
Control type—
ComparatorN/A — narrative review; individual studies used various comparators (MET, education control, non-meditators)
Outcomes & Effect Sizes
Primary outcomeNeuroimaging (brain structure, function, perfusion, electrophysiology)
Scales usedStructural MRI (hippocampal volume), fMRI (functional connectivity), SPECT/PET (cerebral blood flow), EEG (alpha/theta/gamma power and coherence); cognitive measures varied across included studies
Key resultKY/KK associated with: (1) increased hippocampal grey matter volume, (2) higher CBF in PFC/parietal/thalamus in long-term meditators, (3) enhanced alpha/theta EEG power and frontal coherence, (4) improved functional connectivity in executive and memory networks, (5) reduced cortisol and improved autonomic balance. These neural changes correspond with improvements in memory, attention, executive function, mood, and stress regulation.
Effect sizeN/A — narrative review; qualitative synthesis of convergent neuroimaging evidence across 21 studies
RetentionN/A — review article
SafetyKY described as "safe, accessible, and low cost for older adults" — no adverse events reported in reviewed studies
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Methodological Summary

Narrative review; 21 studies included from 312 initial records; PubMed + Google Scholar through Dec 2024; multimodal neuroimaging synthesis (MRI, fMRI, EEG, MEG, PET, SPECT); no meta-analytic pooling; conducted at Indian naturopathy college; published in TIJER (non-indexed journal); limited critical appraisal of individual study quality

KY Protocol Components

The Neuroimaging of Kundalini Yoga: A Focused Narrative Review DESIGN: Narrative review of 21 peer-reviewed human studies employing neuroimaging (MRI, fMRI, EEG, MEG, PET, SPECT) with KY/KK interventions. PubMed and Google Scholar searched through December 2024. Initially identified 312 records; 89 duplicates removed; 21 met inclusion criteria. STUDY BREAKDOWN: • Neuroimaging studies: 9 papers (fMRI=4, EEG=3, PET/SPECT=2) • Cognitive/behavioural studies: 12 papers (memory=7, stress/affect regulation=5) KEY FINDINGS BY MODALITY: 1. STRUCTURAL MRI: • KY associated with increased right hippocampal grey matter volume vs education control • KY prevents grey matter atrophy in women at risk for AD (Krause-Sorio 2022) • Mechanisms: reduced cortisol-mediated hippocampal atrophy, increased BDNF, improved cerebral perfusion 2. FUNCTIONAL MRI/PERFUSION: • Long-term meditators show significantly higher CBF in PFC, parietal cortex, thalamus, putamen, caudate, midbrain (Newberg 2010) • Greater thalamic laterality asymmetry in meditators • Modulation of DMN (reduced maladaptive mind-wandering) + increased task-positive network recruitment 3. PERFUSION (SPECT/PET): • Acute CBF increases in PFC, ACC, temporal lobes during KK practice • Perfusion increases support metabolic needs and may enable structural plasticity over time 4. EEG: • Enhanced alpha and theta power (relaxation + focused internal attention) • KK elicits frontal theta and alpha coherence correlated with attention/working memory improvements • Advanced meditators show localized gamma-band synchrony MECHANISTIC MODEL (from paper): Acute activation → Network-level functional changes → Physiological/molecular effects → Structural plasticity → Cognitive/emotional outcomes REFERENCES: 12 cited, including Krause-Sorio 2022, Ibrahim 2022, Black 2013, Lavretsky 2013, Newberg 2010, Kilpatrick 2023, Khalsa & Newberg 2011.

Quality Item Scores — 1 fail · 2 partial · 3 pass · ★ critical
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Critical fails1
Raw QI0.600
SAF0.904
Adjusted QI0.542
Final ratingLow