Systematic review examines yoga effects on brain structure and function in healthy participants across 23 studies.

This systematic review evaluates the impact of yoga on human brain structure and function by pooling data from 23 international peer-reviewed neuroimaging studies involving healthy participants. The scope encompasses a broad range of yoga practices without a standardized definition, which contributes to the observed variability in results. The review does not report specific adverse events, tolerability data, or a consistent comparator group, as these details were not available in the source studies.

The authors synthesize that yoga may exert multiple effects on brain structure and function. However, the pooled analysis is constrained by substantial heterogeneity in results, differences in sample characteristics, and variations in study designs. Additionally, the lack of a consistent definition of yoga and the failure to distinguish between yoga and meditation practices further complicate the interpretation of the synthesized data. No specific effect sizes, p-values, or confidence intervals are reported for the primary outcome.

Limitations acknowledged by the authors include the diversity of yoga protocols and the inability to draw definitive causal conclusions due to the observational nature of many included studies. The review does not provide specific practice recommendations or quantify the clinical relevance of the findings. Consequently, while the data suggests potential benefits, the evidence is insufficient to support broad clinical implementation without further high-quality research.