Aug 01, 2007
Yoga Asana sessions increase brain GABA levels: a pilot study
Yoga Asana sessions increase brain GABA levels: a pilot study.
J Altern Complement Med. 2007 May;13(4):419-26
Authors: Streeter CC, Jensen JE, Perlmutter RM, Cabral HJ, Tian H, Terhune DB, Ciraulo DA, Renshaw PF
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare changes in brain gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) levels associated with an acute yoga session versus a reading session. It was hypothesized that an individual yoga session would be associated with an increase in brain GABA levels. DESIGN: This is a parallel-groups design. SETTINGS/LOCATION: Screenings, scan acquisitions, and interventions took place at medical school-affiliated centers. SUBJECTS: The sample comprised 8 yoga practitioners and 11 comparison subjects. INTERVENTIONS: Yoga practitioners completed a 60-minute yoga session and comparison subjects completed a 60-minute reading session. OUTCOME MEASURES: GABA-to-creatine ratios were measured in a 2-cm axial slab using magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging immediately prior to and immediately after interventions. RESULTS: There was a 27% increase in GABA levels in the yoga practitioner group after the yoga session (0.20 mmol/kg) but no change in the comparison subject group after the reading session ( -0.001 mmol/kg) (t = -2.99, df = 7.87, p = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS:These findings demonstrate that in experienced yoga practitioners, brain GABA levels increase after a session of yoga. This suggests that the practice of yoga should be explored as a treatment for disorders with low GABA levels such as depression and anxiety disorders. Future studies should compare yoga to other forms of exercise to help determine whether yoga or exercise alone can alter GABA levels.
22:34 Posted in Meditation & brain | Permalink | Comments (0) | Tags: meditation
PhD Studentship: Intelligent Virtual Environments for Assessing and Training Spatial Skills
Research into spatial skills has mostly focused on small-scale spaces relative to the human body that can be apprehended from a single viewpoint, eg images or manipulable objects. In contrast, this project aims to investigate the basic spatial skills and strategies supporting spatial tasks in large-scale spaces, eg learning the layout of new environments. The research will draw upon areas such as spatial cognition, learning technology, game theory, adaptive systems, user modelling, machine learning and virtual environments (VE), and will develop novel VE systems for measuring spatial skills, and for training of spatial skills and strategies.
The successful candidate will have prior experience of virtual reality software and hardware, excellent C and Java programming skills, and is expected to become highly familiar with the research methodology necessary for carrying out experiments and usability tests.
The studentships are open, due to the nature of funding, to UK nationals or EU nationals who have completed their undergraduate studies in the UK. Applicants should have an excellent first degree in a relevant discipline. The studentships are fully-funded (ie pay tuition fees at the UK/EU rate as well as a tax-free maintenance stipend of £12,600 pa for 2007/8; £12,900 pa for 2008/9; £13,200 pa for 2009/10). EU nationals who have not been resident in the UK for three years will be eligible for fees only.
In the first instance, applicants should send their curriculum vitae, with a cover letter detailing their specific research interest, to Dr Corina Sas at corina@comp.lancs.ac.uk.
20:54 Posted in Research institutions & funding opportunities | Permalink | Comments (0)