Title | Effects of yoga and mindfulness practices on the autonomous nervous system in primary school children: A non-randomised controlled study. | ||
Author | Ivaki, Pune; Schulz, Steffen; Jeitler, Michael; Kessler, Christian S; Michalsen, Andreas; Kandil, Farid I; Nitzschke, Saskia-Marie; Stritter, Wiebke; Voss, Andreas; Seifert, Georg | ||
Journal | Complement Ther Med | Publication Year/Month | 2021-Sep |
PMID | 34450257 | PMCID | -N/A- |
Affiliation + expend | 1.Department of Paediatrics, Division of Oncology and Haematology, Charite - Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universitat Berlin and Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, Chariteplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: pune.ivaki@charite.de. |
OBJECTIVES: The present study examined the effects of a yoga and mindfulness-based programme on the autonomic nervous system of primary school children by using heart rate variability parameters. DESIGN: A two-arm non-randomised controlled trial compared an integrated yoga and mindfulness-based programme (16 weeks) to conventional primary school lessons. SETTING: Primary school classrooms and conference rooms. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were allocated to a 16-week integrated yoga-based programme or conventional school lessons. A subgroup was randomised to receive 24h electrocardiogram-recordings. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Heart rate variability indices were measured, both linear (time and frequency domain) and non-linear (symbolic dynamics, compression entropy), calculated from 30-minute extracts of Holter-electrocardiogram-recordings. Assessments were conducted at baseline and at the end of intervention. RESULTS: 40 participants (42.5% female) were included into the analysis of HRV. No significant changes in heart rate variability parameters were observed between the groups after 16 weeks. In the intervention group, a trend towards increased parasympathetic activity could be seen over time, although not significantly enhanced compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Results obtained here do not clearly show that children in German primary school settings benefit from an integrated yoga-based intervention. However, exploratory post-hoc analyses point interestingly to an increased nocturnal parasympathetic activity in the intervention group. Further studies are required with high-quality study designs, larger sample sizes and longer-term follow-ups.