Yoga, stress and the ageing brain

Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) researchers will be testing the impact of yoga on stress.

The idea

Researchers will be using MRI scanners to test the impact of four months of yoga on brain stress-regulation in older adults from disadvantaged backgrounds, compared to walking and no-activity groups.

Progress

A project led by Claudia Metzler-Baddeley, Research Fellow/Senior Lecturer in Psychology, CUBRIC, School of Psychology, will assess whether yoga improves stress-regulation in the brain by enhancing mental control and reducing blood pressure and stress-hormones.

The team will use MRI to test the impact of four months of yoga on brain stress-regulation in older adults from disadvantaged backgrounds, compared to walking and no-activity groups.

This project will provide important novel insights into whether yoga, a low-cost and popular practice, may help combat brain ageing and mental decline.

Community Gateway is a named co-applicant and has recruited a Grangetown resident as a lay representative, inputting into the design, delivery and dissemination of the research.

Next steps

Awaiting funding outcome.