INFLUENCE OF LARGE AND SMALL SUDARSHAN KRIYA AND MEDITATION ON THE BIOELECTRIC BRAIN ACTIVITY

Krasnoyarsk State Medical Academy, Hospital attached to Krasnoyarsk Machinery Plant N 9, Regional Clinical Hospital,

Summary: Analysis of EEG made during performing large and small Sudarshan Kriya and meditation has shown significant improvement of parametric indices obtained from the spectral, power and topographical mapping, and coherent evaluation. Our findings suggest positive influence of Sudarshan Kriya on cognitive functions of the brain, and on transition of the modulatory brain systems to higher levels of awakening and highly-productive status.

Key words: electroencephalogram (EEG), yoga, breathing techniques, Sudarshan Kriya, meditation, delta-, theta-, alfa-, and beta-rhythm, dominating frequency, weighted mean frequency, relative coefficient of asymmetry, coefficient of frequency asymmetry, absolute coefficient of asymmetry, analysis of spectral power, coherence of interhemispheral relations, source of potentials.

The aim of the present research was to study functional status of the brain during and after alternating rhythmic breathing practices (large and small Sudarshan Kriya) and meditation using computer electroencephalography (EEG).

We examined EEG of 12 volunteers aged 29-72 who practiced 10- or 30-minutes Sudarshan Kriya (SK) and meditation (5 and 7 individuals correspondingly) in the morning after overnight fast being in partial sensory deprivation.

After taking background reading (180 sec) EEG was recorded continuously during 50 min. Background reading (180 sec) was taken again after meditation was over.

EEG was recorded from 23 electrodes placed symmetrically in the right and left hemispheres according to “10%⁄20%” system.

EEG analysis was done with the use of computer program “Encephalon-EEG-19⁄26” (Medicom MTD, Russia). EEG monitoring was conducted in the ipsi-lateral auricular montages.

The following parameters were studied during and after SK: dominant frequency in the alpha and theta band, weighted mean frequency in the theta, alpha and beta 1 band; “theta⁄alpha” index; absolute EEG power in the delta, theta, alpha, beta bands; relative EEG power in the delta, theta, alpha, beta bands; effective frequency band of the power spectrum; relative asymmetry coefficient; frequency asymmetry coefficient; absolute asymmetry coefficient; spectral power analysis in the main frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, beta 1, beta 2): form and “sole” (band width) of the peak power of the alpha rhythm, interhemispherical asymmetry of the peak power, topographic mapping; dynamic toposcopy of bioelectrical brain activity in real time (during EEG recording), in postreal time (while processing the native EEG). Coherence analysis of EEG was done in 5 couples at the beginning and at the end of SK.

From the beginning of SK the EEG pattern was changing significantly: alpha rhythm power was decreasing in the occipital regions of both hemispheres and markedness of slow delta and theta variant rhythms was relatively increasing in combination with high frequency beta 2 activity, the latter being decreased during meditation and muscular relaxation. After meditation was over visual examination of the EEG pattern showed it to be close to the initial background level. Computer analysis of the EEG showed appearance of statistically significant positive changes in the awakeness stage in all participants which manifested themselves as increase in the spectral power of the alpha rhythm in the middle band (10-10,5 cycles per second) in O₁ and O₂ montages (p<0,005), decrease of absolute and relative asymmetry coefficients in the alpha and theta bands predominantly in the anterior (frontal) parts of the brain. There was noted a shift of dominant frequency in alpha band from 9,54±1,25 cycles per second at the beginning to 9,93±0,53 cycles per second at the end of SK (p<0,05); a shift of weighted mean frequency in alpha band from 9,85±0,62 cycles per second at the beginning to 10,09±0,56 cycles per second at the end of SK (p<0,01).

The found shift of weighted mean and dominant frequency in alpha band to alpha 2 subband at the end of SK if compared with the background findings is suggestive of positive effects of the practice on cognitive functions of the brain. The decrease of “theta⁄alpha” index from 0,67±0,11 cycles per second at the beginning to 0,62±0,21 cycles per second at the end of SK (p<0,05) correlates with transition of modulatory structures of the brain to a higher level of awakeness stage, optimum state of cognitive functions and regulation of lowerlying structures of the neurohumoral system.

Coherence analysis showed increased coherence in the anterior-central parts of the brain during meditation which is evidence of better functional interaction of the frontal parts of the hemispheres (neocortex, frontal cortex) that provide higher functions of the intellect and the limbic brain which is responsible of emotional regulation of behavior and complex integrative processes. These findings make it interesting to analyze patterns of EEG intercentral relations according to crosscorrelation coefficient and average coherence degree which showed higher level of interspherical relaions in the anterior-central parts during SK and after meditation if compared with the background EEG recording (p<0,05).

Thus, all the participants showed statistically significant improvement of EEG parameters proved by spectral, power and topographic mapping and coherence analysis.

With the use of three-dimensional localization technique the dominant sources of bioelectrical activity and their migration during practices were revealed. By the end of SK practice there was noted centralization of the leading sources along the sagittal plane, disappearance of significant interspherical asymmetry of pacemakers and highest participation of alpha activity in the genesis at the end of SK in the region of centrencephalic structures of mediobasal parts of the brain and occipital cortex (p<0,05).

1. Large and small Sudarshan Kriya practice has a positive effect on the bioelectical activity of the brain (p<0,05).

2. There were not found statistically significant differences in the dynamics of electophysiologic processes between the first (small SK) and second (large SK) groups (p>0,05), which is suggestive of either monodirected biophysical processes at the level of regulating structures of the brain or certain differences between the groups that were not statistically significant for the present study due to small number of subjects.

3. EEG analysis showed positive effects of Sudarshan Kriya and meditation on functional activity of the central nervous system, cognitive functions, which is of great applied interest for clinical neurophysiologists.

Живите по правилу: МАЛО ЛИ ЧТО НА СВЕТЕ СУЩЕСТВУЕТ? Я неслучайно подчеркиваю, что место в голове ограничено, а информации вокруг много, и что ваше право...

ЧТО ТАКОЕ УВЕРЕННОЕ ПОВЕДЕНИЕ В МЕЖЛИЧНОСТНЫХ ОТНОШЕНИЯХ? Исторически существует три основных модели различий, существующих между...

Конфликты в семейной жизни. Как это изменить? Редкий брак и взаимоотношения существуют без конфликтов и напряженности. Через это проходят все...

ЧТО И КАК ПИСАЛИ О МОДЕ В ЖУРНАЛАХ НАЧАЛА XX ВЕКА Первый номер журнала «Аполлон» за 1909 г. начинался, по сути, с программного заявления редакции журнала...

Не нашли то, что искали? Воспользуйтесь поиском гугл на сайте: