The purpose of this study is to test the efficacy of an 8-week, remotely-delivered, flow-based and moderate-intensity yoga intervention (vs. waitlist control), on stress and cognitive functioning. Participants will include individuals who are full-time working adults between the ages of 18 and 64, and currently experiencing symptoms of psychosocial stress or anxiety.
Participants who pass a telephone screening, electronically sign our informed consent agreement, and complete baseline testing, will be randomized to one of two groups: yoga intervention or a waitlist control group. Before and after the 8-week intervention, participants will complete psychosocial questionnaires and computerized cognitive testing. The remote intervention will be delivered via Google Meet and will be led by a certified yoga instructor. During the course of the intervention, participants will be wearing a consumer grade accelerometer to track heart rate during yoga sessions and physical activity during the 8 weeks.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
86
Moderate-intensity flow-based yoga movements, breathing, and relaxation for 50 minutes, 3 times per week, for 8 weeks
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Urbana, Illinois, United States
Perceived Stress
The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), developed by Cohen, Kamarck, and Mermelstein (1983) will be used to measure perceived psychosocial stress. The PSS is a 10-item scale that measures the extent to which situations are perceived as stressful. Responses range from 0 (Never) to 4 (Very often) and higher scores indicate a higher level of perceived stress. The Brief Job Stress Questionnaire, developed by Kawada and Otsuka (2011), is a 15-item scale measuring job stress. It focuses on the evaluation of job demands, job control, job support, and degree of job satisfaction. Responses range from 1 (Agree) to 4 (Disagree) and higher scores indicate a lower level of stress.
Time frame: Change from baseline at 8 weeks
Task switching paradigm
This measures cognitive flexibility, i.e. a participant's ability to adapt quickly to changing rules and the cost associated with it. In this task, participants have to characterize the picture presented according to shape or color, with a switch in the rules occurring every two tasks. Participants are cued to the rule before the stimulus is presented. Reaction time and accuracy will be recorded, with lower reaction time and higher accuracy indicating better performance. Participants will complete 40 trials.
Time frame: Change from baseline at 8 weeks
Digit span forward and backward
This is a measure of the storage and manipulation capacity of working memory. The participant will be shown a series of digits presented on PowerPoint, through screen sharing. The minimum length of digits presented is 3 (e.g., 638) and the maximum length is 9 (e.g., 628295702). In the forward task, participants will be asked to recall the digits exactly as they were presented, while in the backward task, they will have to recall them in the reverse order. Digit-span backward is the more complex task of the two. Accuracy will recorded, with higher accuracy indicating better performance.
Time frame: Change from baseline at 8 weeks
Digit symbol substitution test (DSST)
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DSST is a task measuring processing speed. Participants will be shown a code-key in which every digit matches a particular symbol. Then, they will be shown a symbol on the screen and participants will have to say the corresponding digit aloud, as quickly and accurately as possible. Participants are given 90 seconds to complete as many digit-symbol pairings as possible. The number of accurate pairings will be recorded, with a higher score indicating better performance. This task will be completed by showing the symbols to participants via screen sharing.
Time frame: Change from baseline at 8 weeks
Stroop task
Stroop task measures response inhibition or response interference control. Participants will be shown a series of word colors that are either congruent or incongruent with the color of the word itself. The participant will be asked to respond to the color of the word and not the word itself. Responses are made with the keyboard. The incongruent condition is the more difficult condition of the two. Reaction time is recorded and a cost score is calculated, with shorter cost scores indicating better performance.
Time frame: Change from baseline at 8 weeks