To yoga or not to yoga? The effect of yoga on sustained attention: an fNIRS Study
- Authors: Cunningham, Cornelia
- Date: 2024-04-04
- Subjects: Yoga , Vigilance (Psychology) , fNIRS , Neuroplasticity , Executive functions (Neuropsychology) , Non-randomized controlled trial report
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435411 , vital:73155
- Description: Deficits in sustained attention are ubiquitous across numerous neuropsychological disorders. Besides being critical in learning, memory, and general cognitive capacity, sustained attention is thought to be the primary foundation for ‘higher’ cognitive functions including, divided, selective, and focused attention. Despite the above, sustained attention remains the lesser-researched form of attention. Sustained attention is thought to be regulated by the default mode network and the central executive network, the latter of which is situated in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a brain region typically associated with sustained attention. Given the contributions of sustained attention in overall cognitive functioning, alternative and natural methods used to enhance this type of executive function are important. One alternative method is yoga exercise, where yoga is thought to place the body into the most favourable state to enhance sustained attention capacity. This study found a significant (p = 0.018) difference between the yoga and control group in incongruent response accuracy scores in the SCWT. However, no statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in fNIRS individual and group analyses, SCWT congruent and incongruent reaction time, as well as congruent response accuracy. This suggests that short-term yoga practice may improve behavioural markers for sustained attention, at least in terms of cognitive interference. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2024
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Meta-analysis of the Cognitive Rehabilitation of patients living with HIV/AIDS: The case for Executive Functions
- Authors: Joka, Nicole
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Psychology -- South Africa , Executive functions (Neuropsychology) , Neuroplasticity , Antiretroviral agents , HIV-positive persons -- Care , HIV infections -- Treatment , Cognition disorders -- Patients -- Rehabilitation , Combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) , Systematic review
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Bachelor , BSocSc(Honours)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/185620 , vital:44404
- Description: In recent years, research has shown that cognitive decline occurs in patients living with HIV and studies have brought into light the different treatment interventions are available to prevent the rapid decline of cognitive functioning in these individuals. Thus, it is crucial that the effect that treatment interventions on the executive function of HIV patients is studied. One such intervention is brain plasticity. Through understanding the model of brain plasticity following traumatic brain injury, and applying cognitive rehabilitation as a method of treatment, researchers believe that it is possible to ameliorate the cognitive deficits. In the present times, access to pharmaceutical treatments like antiretroviral treatment has been more accessible to persons living with HIV, however studies continue to show that as the virus progresses into its severe stages, even with the consistent use of antiretroviral treatment, cognitive domains such the executive function domain continue to become compromised. This means that the individual living with HIV will begin to show deficits in attention levels, memory and important thinking abilities as the virus spreads throughout the central nervous system. This study provides a meta-analysis wherein an array of scholarly articles have been used to measure the efficacy that the model of brain plasticity and the application of cognitive rehabilitation therapy has on the executive function of HIV patients. The findings show improvement in the attention span, cognitive flexibility, processing speed, inhibition, and working memory levels of patients living with HIV after the implementation of cognitive rehabilitation intervention.
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