A Comprehensive Evaluation of the Effects of Yoga-based Exercise on Vestibular Reflexes and Functional Balance

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Objective: To examine changes in saccular-mediated vestibulocollic responses, semicircular canal vestibulo-ocular reflex function, and static balance following an 8-week yoga-based exercise program in adults with prior irregular yoga experience, assessed using cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP), video head impulse test (vHIT), and the eyes-closed single-leg stance test (SLST).Methods: This prospective, non-randomized comparative study initially enrolled 60 adults aged 20-45 years.The yoga group consisted of individuals with prior but irregular yoga experience; the controls had neither prior yoga experience nor regular participation in sports.Four yoga participants were excluded for not meeting the attendance criterion.The final sample included 26 yoga participants and 30 controls.The yoga group completed 24 standardized sessions over 8 weeks and underwent pre-and post-program assessments, whereas the control group was assessed once.Bilateral cVEMP responses, six-canal vHIT gains, and eyes-closed SLST times were assessed.Results: The groups were comparable in age, sex distribution, and baseline vHIT and cVEMP parameters, although the baseline right-foot SLST differed between groups.In the yoga group, bilateral cVEMP amplitudes increased and eyes-closed SLST times for both feet improved (both p<0.001).vHIT gains did not change significantly.A nominal shortening in left cVEMP N1 latency (p=0.011) did not remain significant following Bonferroni correction.Bilateral within-group cVEMP amplitude changes remained significant after correction.Conclusion: Following the 8-week yoga program, cVEMP amplitudes increased and eyes-closed single-leg stance times lengthened, whereas vHIT gains remained unchanged.These findings may be consistent with intervention-associated changes in saccular-origin vestibulocollic responses and static balance, but they do not establish a causal or direct physiological link between them.