All Studies · Well-being & Healthy Populations · Subramaniam (2017)

Subramaniam (2017)

Low · Observational · Preliminary (Observational/Qualitative) · n = 20
Quality Index (Adjusted QI) 0.585
0 Low < 0.56 Moderate 0.56–0.77 High ≥ 0.78 1
Study Details
ConditionHealthy adults / Cognitive-motor interference during dual-tasking / Balance control
Clinical domainWell-being & Healthy Populations
PopulationHealthy adults: Yoga practitioners (≥1 year practice) vs age-similar non-practitioners (Chicagoland area, USA)
Sample sizen = 20
Country / SettingUSA - University of Illinois at Chicago
Protocol clusterGeneral/Varied KY
DurationN/A — Cross-sectional; practitioners had ≥1 year KY (45-60 min, 2-3x/week); single ~80 min test session
Control typeOther/Mixed
ComparatorAge-similar non-practitioners (comparison group, not true control as no intervention provided)
Outcomes & Effect Sizes
Primary outcomeCognitive-motor interference / Dual-task performance / Balance control / Cognitive function
Scales usedComputerized Dynamic Posturography (Equitest): Limits of Stability test (response time, movement velocity), Motor Control test (weight symmetry, response time), Sensory Organization Test condition 6 (equilibrium score); Serial subtraction task (cognitive working memory, correct responses); Dual-task costs calculated for motor and cognitive performance
Key resultYoga practitioners showed significantly reduced cognitive-motor interference during dual-tasking vs non-practitioners: (1) Lower motor cost (better balance) during reactive balance (MCT, p<0.05) and sensory conflict conditions (SOT, p<0.05), (2) Lower cognitive cost (better cognition) during intentional balance (LOS, p<0.05) and reactive balance (MCT, p<0.05). Results indicate better allocation of attentional resources for both balance and executive cognitive functioning in Yoga practitioners.
Effect sizeNot calculated/reported
RetentionN/A - Cross-sectional study (no intervention, no follow-up, single test session)
SafetyN/A - Testing protocol only, no intervention provided
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Methodological Summary

Cross-sectional comparison study; Yoga practitioners (≥1 year Hatha/Kundalini, 2-3×/week) vs age-similar non-practitioners (n=20 total); tested cognitive-motor interference using computerized dynamic posturography with dual-task paradigm (balance + serial subtraction cognitive task); single 80-min test session; Yoga group demonstrated significantly better dual-task performance with lower motor costs (reactive/sensory balance) and cognitive costs (intentional/reactive balance); suggests Yoga improves attentional resource allocation during concurrent cognitive-motor tasks; NO INTERVENTION STUDY

KY Protocol Components

Kundalini Yoga Practitioners — Balance and Dual-Task Performance: Cross-sectional DESIGN: Cross-sectional study comparing KY practitioners vs. non-practitioners (NOT an intervention study). POPULATION: Healthy young adults; KY practitioners vs. age-similar non-practitioners. OUTCOME: Balance control under dual-task conditions (cognitive-motor interference). TESTS: Sensory Organization Test (SOT), Motor Control Test (MCT), and cognitive tasks performed simultaneously. KEY FINDING: Yoga practitioners performed significantly better in balance control tasks under dual-task conditions compared to non-practitioners. NOTE: This is NOT a KY intervention study with a protocol. It compares existing practitioners to non-practitioners on balance tasks. No yoga was taught during the study. The "comprehensive protocol study" label in the database is incorrect.

Quality Item Scores — 1 fail · 2 partial · 3 pass · ★ critical
★A1
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A2
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B3
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B4
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★B5
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B6
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★D1
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JP1
3
Critical fails2
Raw QI0.595
SAF0.983
Adjusted QI0.585
Final ratingLow