Coping And Quality Of Life For The Caregivers Of Alzheimer's Patients Enhanced By A Simple, Low-Cost Yoga Program

Also Included In: Alzheimer's / Dementia; Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine
Article Date: 15 Mar 2012 - 0:00 PDT

For every individual who's a victim of Alzheimer's - some 5.4 million persons in the United States alone - there's a related victim: the caregiver. Spouse, son, daughter, other relative or friend, the loneliness, exhaustion, fear and most of allstress and depression takes a toll

While care for the caregivers is difficult to find, a new study out of UCLA suggests that using yoga to engage in very brief, simple daily meditation can lead to improved cognitive functioning and lower levels of depression for caregivers.

Dr. Helen Lavretsky, professor of psychiatry at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, and colleagues report a further benefit as well: a reduction in stress-induced cellular aging.