Abstract

Background: Superbrain yoga is an ancient oriental exercise which is claimed to boost overall physical and mental well-being. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the effects of superbrain yoga and simple squats on cognitive functions and to compare the effects of these interventions on attentional control and working memory.
Materials and Methods: This is an interventional study. A total of 40 healthy, medical students from MS Ramaiah Medical College, Bengaluru, were recruited and randomly assigned to superbrain yoga and simple squats groups. Audio-visual reaction time for attentional control and n-back task for working memory was assessed over a 4-week period.
Results: The reaction time and n-back scores in both groups improved over the sessions. The improvement was more pronounced for the n-back task scores in the superbrain yoga group (baseline: 83.75 ± 7.65%, week-4: 94.50 ± 6.42%) than the simple squats group (baseline: 84.80 ± 7.53%, week-4: 88.75 ± 7.60%). Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that superbrain yoga has a positive impact on both attentional control and working memory components of cognition. The effect was more pronounced on working memory than attentional control in the superbrain yoga group compared to simple squats group.