Kirtan Kriya Research Publications

Title: Air Pollution and Alzheimer’s Prevention: The Science and a Plan.
Published October 24, 2025 Journal of Alzheimer's Disease

Dharma Singh Khalsa, Helen Lavretsky, Meghan J. Reddy, Annie Fenn, Christopher Walling.

Open access article: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13872877251386482
Conclusion: This article explores the possibility that air and other aspects of environmental pollution and climate stress—resulting from climate change and potentially global warming—could accelerate the onset of AD at a younger age than traditionally believed.

Title: Kirtan Kriya Meditation and Kundalini Yoga for at Risk Menopausal Women’s Memory: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Published in August 2025 Journal: Maturitas

Gloria Borras-Boneu, Helen Lavretsky, Dharma Singh Khalsa

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2025.108412
Conclusion: Kirtan Kriya Meditation and Kundalini Yoga increased brain gray matter volume with positive findings, compared to a memory training program. Yoga training may offer neuroprotective effects compared to Memory Enhancement Training.

Title: Peripheral Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarkers Are Related to Change in Subjective Memory in Older Women With Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Trial of Yoga vs. Memory Training: Lien établi entre les biomarqueurs périphériques de la maladie d’Alzheimer et l’amélioration de la mémoire subjective chez les femmes âgées présentant des facteurs de risque cardiovasculaire dans le cadre d’un essai comparant le yoga à l’entraînement de la mémoire.

Published 30 May 2025. Journal: The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.

Hanadi Ajam Oughli, MD, Prabha Siddarth, PhD, Meachelle Lum, BS, Lara Tang, MD, Brandon Ito, MD, Matthew Abikenari, MS, Monica Cappelleti, PhD, Dharma S. Khalsa, MD, Sarah Nguyen, MD, Helen Lavretsky, MD, MS

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/07067437251343291

Conclusion: Although the analysis determined that there was no difference between the intervention and control groups in the levels of Abeta 40 and Abeta 42 at baseline and follow-up, the significance of this paper is that higher levels of either biomarker were associated with better memory performances.

Title: Cognitive and Immunological Effects of Yoga Compared to Memory Training in Older Women at Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease
Published 14 February 2024. Journal: Translational Psychiatry, vol. 14, Article number: 96, 2024.
Grzenda, Adrienne.; Siddarth, Prabha.; Milillo, Michaela M.; Aguilar-Faustino, Yesenia.; Khalsa, Dharma S.; Lavretsky, Helen

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-230710

Conclusion: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Kundalini yoga training (KY) compared to memory enhancement training (MET) in older women with cerebrovascular risk factors (CVRFs) and subjective cognitive decline (SCD) in terms of mood and cognitive functioning.

Title: Use of Complementary and Integrative Medicine for Alzheimer’s Disease and Cognitive Decline
Published 07 December 2023. Journal: Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-18, 2023.
Nguyen, Sarah A.; Oughli, Hanadi Ajam; Lavretsky, Helen

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-230710

Conclusion: This review summarizes the existing evidence using complementary and integrative medicine therapies in cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. This includes the use of mind-body therapies, lifestyle interventions (nutritional, physical exercise, stress reduction), and other integrative modalities.

Title: Impact of Yoga Versus Memory Enhancement Training on Hippocampal Connectivity in Older Women at Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease
Published: 29 August 2023. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, vol. 95, no. 1, pp. 149-159, 2023.
Kilpatrick, Lisa; Siddarth, Prabhaa; Krause-Sorio, Beatrixa; Milillo, Michaela; Aguilar-Faustino, Yeseniaa; Ercoli; Narr, Katherine; Khalsa, Dharma S.; Lavretsky, Helena.

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-221159

Open access article: https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad221159

Conclusion: KY training may better target stress-related hippocampal connectivity, whereas MET may better target hippocampal sensory-integration supporting better memory reliability, in women with subjective memory decline and cardiovascular risk factors.

Title: Complementary and Integrative Medicine for Neurocognitive Disorders and Caregiver Health
Published August 13, 2022
Nguyen, S.A., Oughli, H.A. & Lavretsky, H. Complementary and Integrative Medicine for Neurocognitive Disorders and Caregiver Health. Curr Psychiatry Rep 24, 469–480 (2022).

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-022-01355-y

Open Access https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11920-022-01355-y

Conclusion: Overall, complementary and integrative medicine therapies for older adults are a promising area of research, particularly as these interventions can be seen as more preventative and oriented toward well-being and healthy aging.

Title: Yoga Prevents Gray Matter Atrophy in Women at Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Published 2022 Mar 11. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35275541. J Alzheimers Dis.

Krause-Sorio B, Siddarth P, Kilpatrick L, Milillo MM, Aguilar-Faustino Y, Ercoli L, Narr KL, Khalsa DS, Lavretsky H.
doi: 10.3233/JAD-215563.

Open access article: https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad215563

Conclusion: We were able to demonstrate that three months of KY training, combined with a daily practice of KK, had protective effects on brain regions known to undergo age-related cortical decline and may lead to improvements in anxiety and depression in older women with subjective cognitive decline and CVRFs.

Open access article: https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/DOI/epdf/10.1002/alz.12492

Title: Spiritual Fitness: A New Dimension in Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention
Published 11 May 2021, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease 80 (2021) 505–519
Dharma Singh Khalsa, Andrew B. Newberg
DOI 10.3233/JAD-201433

Open access article: https://bit.ly/3bLWKEg

Conclusion: A growing body of evidence finds that targeting lifestyle and vascular risk factors has a beneficial effect on overall cognitive performance. A new review of a concept in medicine that centers on psychological and spiritual well-being and Kirtan Kriya, a simple 12-minute meditative practice, may reduce multiple risk factors for AD.

Title: Incorporating a Usual Care Comparator Into a Study of Meditation and Music Listening for Older Adults With Subjective Cognitive Decline: A Randomized Feasibility Trial
Published 11 March 2021, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease Reports, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 187-206, 2021
Kim E. Innes, Caitlin Montgomery, Terry Kit Selfe, Sijinc Wen, Dharma Singh Khalsa, Madison Flick
DOI 10.3233/ADR-200249

Open access article: https://bit.ly/33zb6U4

Conclusion: Findings of this pilot feasibility trial suggest incorporation of an EUC program is feasible, and that participation in a simple 12-week relaxation program may be helpful for adults with SCD versus engagement in an EUC program.

Title: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Meditation and Music Listening vs. Enhanced Usual Care for Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD): Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy.
Published April 28-May 1, Cleveland, OH (moved to online) Global Advances in Health and Medicine (epub 6/10/20). 
KE Innes, C Montgomery, S Wen, DS Khalsa, M Flick (2020)

Title: Emotional and Cognitive Improvement With Kirtan Kriya Meditation: A Pilot Study for Mild Cognitive Impairment Patients in a Catalan Community
Published December 27, 2019
Cañete, Toni, Gloria B. Boneu, Silvia Ramos, and Dharma S. Khalsa.

Open access article: https://mindrxiv.org/y6fku/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22268968

Conclusion: The KKM group improved their psycho-emotional and cognitive health compared to the CTP group. The yoga class elevated the perception of well-being. Further randomized studies are needed with a larger sample of MCI-diagnosed adults.

Title: Effects of Meditation and Music-Listening on Blood Biomarkers of Cellular Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease in Adults With Subjective Cognitive Decline: An Exploratory Randomized Clinical Trial
Published November 2018
Innes, Kim E.; Selfe, Terry Kit; Brundage, Kathleen; Montgomery, Caitlin; Wen, Sijin; Kandati, Sahiti; Bowles, Hannah; Khalsa, Dharma Singh; Huysmans, Zenzi

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-180164
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30320574

Conclusion: Practice of simple mind-body therapies may alter plasma Aß levels, TL, and TA. Biomarker increases were associated with improvements in cognitive function, sleep, mood, and Quality Of Life, suggesting potential functional relationships.

Title: Meditation and Music Improve Memory and Cognitive Function in Adults With Subjective Cognitive Decline: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Published 3 February 2017
Innes, Kim E., Selfe, Terry Kita, Khalsa, Dharma Singh, Kandati, Sahitia.
DOI: 10.3233/JAD-160867
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28106552

Conclusion: Findings of this preliminary randomized controlled trial suggest practice of meditation or ML can significantly enhance both subjective memory function and objective cognitive performance in adults with SCD and may offer promise for improving outcomes in this population.

Title: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Kundalini Yoga in Mild Cognitive Impairment
Published January 2017
Harris A. Eyre, Prabha Siddarth, Bianca Acevedo, Kathleen Van Dyk, Pattharee Paholpak, Linda Ercoli, Natalie St. Cyr, Hongyu Yang, Dharma S. Khalsa and Helen Lavretsky. International Psychogeriatrics

DOI: 10.1017/S1041610216002155
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312383052_A_randomized_controlled_trial_of_Kundalini_yoga_in_mild_cognitive_impairment

Conclusion: The Kundalini Yoga group showed short- and long-term improvements in executive functioning as compared to Memory Enhancement Training (MET) and broader effects on depressed mood and resilience. This observation should be confirmed in future clinical trials of yoga intervention for the treatment and prevention of cognitive decline.

Title: The Neural Mechanisms of Meditative Practices: Novel Approaches for Healthy Aging
Epub 18 October 2016
Acevedo, BP, Pospos, S, Lavretsky, H. Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports. 2016;3(4):328-339. DOI: 10.1007/s40473-016-0098-x
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27909646
Conclusion: This review suggests that mind-body practices can target different brain systems that are involved in the regulation of attention, emotional control, mood, and executive cognition that can be used to treat or prevent mood and cognitive disorders of aging, such as depression and caregiver stress, or serve as “brain fitness” exercise. Benefits may include improving brain functional connectivity in brain systems that generally degenerate with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other aging-related diseases.

Title: Neurochemical and Neuroanatomical Plasticity Following Memory Training and Yoga Interventions in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment
Published 21 November 2016
Hongyu Yang, Amber M. Leaver, Prabha Siddarth Pattharee Paholpak, Linda Ercoli, Natalie M. St. Cyr, Harris A. Eyre, Katherine L. Narr, Dharma S. Khalsa and Helen Lavretsky. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2016.00277

Conclusion: Memory training over 3 months is associated with decreased choline levels in the bilateral hippocampus and increased gray-matter volume in the dACC, suggesting that behavioral interventions like MET may ameliorate markers of brain aging. These effects are somewhat modest and would benefit from independent validation in larger samples and perhaps over longer-duration interventions. However, these findings suggest that engaging in cognitive activities and mind-body practices may affect the brain in positive ways and may be combined as part of a multi-faceted approach to encourage healthy aging.

Title: Changes in Neural Connectivity and Memory Following a Yoga Intervention for Older Adults: A Pilot Study
Published in May 2016
Eyre, Harris A., Acevedo, Bianca. Yang, Hongyu, Siddarth, Prabha, Van Dyk, Kathleen, Ercoli, Linda, Leaver, Amber M., Cyr, Natalie St., Narr, Katherine, Baune, Bernhard T., Khalsa, Dharma S., Lavretsky, Helen. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, vol. 52, no. 2, pp. 673-684, 2016
DOI: 10.3233/JAD-150653
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27060939

Conclusion: Yoga may be as effective as MET in improving functional connectivity in relation to verbal memory performance. These findings should be confirmed in larger prospective studies.

Title: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Two Simple Mind-Body Programs,
Kirtan Kriya Meditation and Music Listening, for Adults With Subjective
Cognitive Decline: Feasibility and Acceptability
Available online 5 March 2016
Kim E. Innes, Terry Kit Selfe, Dharma Singh Khalsa, Sahiti Kandati. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 26 (2016) 98–107
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2016.03.002

Conclusion: Findings of this RCT of a beginner meditation practice and a simple ML program suggest that both programs were well accepted and the practices are feasible in adults with early memory loss.

Title: Effects of Meditation Versus Music Listening on Perceived Stress, Mood, Sleep, and Quality of Life in Adults With Early Memory Loss: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Published online 8 April 2016
Kim Innes, Terry Kit Selfe, Dharma Singh Khalsa, Sahitia Kandati, Journal: Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, vol. Preprint, no. Preprint, pp. 1-22, 2016
DOI: 10.3233/JAD-151106
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27079708

Conclusion: Findings suggest that practice of a simple meditation or ML program may improve stress, mood, well-being, sleep, and QOL in adults with SCD, with benefits sustained at 6 months and gains that were particularly pronounced in the KK group.

Title: Integrative Therapies Essential for Addressing the Alzheimer’s Crisis: Foundation Awards $200,000 Grant to the University of New Mexico’s Section of Integrative Medicine
Moderator:, Hart Jane. Contributors:, Khalsa Dharma Singh, Prasad Arti, and Knoefel Janice.
Published Online Ahead of Print: January 20, 2016
February 2016, 22(1): 33-36. doi:10.1089/act.2015.29040.kpk.
http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/act.2015.29040.kpk

Title: Stress, Meditation, and Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention: Where the Evidence Stands
Dharma Singh Khalsa. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease 48 (2015) 1-12 doi: 10.3233/JAD-142766
Published in July 2015
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26445019
To read the entire article http://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad142766

Title: A 2-Year Multidomain Intervention of Diet, Exercise, Cognitive Training, and Vascular Risk Monitoring Versus Control to Prevent Cognitive Decline in At-Risk Elderly People (FINGER): A Randomized Controlled Trial
Tiia Ngandu, Jenni Lehtisalo, Alina Solomon, Miia Kivipelto, et al.
Published online at thelancet.com on March 12, 2015
http://tinyurl.com/qztjdsh

Conclusion: Findings from this large, long-term, randomized controlled trial suggest that a multidomain intervention could improve or maintain cognitive functioning in at-risk elderly people from the general population.

Title: The Pillars of Alzheimer’s Prevention
Khalsa, DS, Gustafson, C.
2014 Summer; 28(3):26-32.
Published Summer 2014
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25141356

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Title: Effect of Meditation on Cognitive Functions in the Context of Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases
Rafal Marciniak, Katerina Sheardova, Pavla Cermáková, Daniel Hudecek, Rastislav Šumec, and Jakub Hort
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. 2014
Published 27 January 2014
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00017

Conclusion: The results imply a positive effect, especially on attention, memory, verbal fluency, and cognitive flexibility. Meditation can represent an appropriate non-pharmacological intervention aimed at the prevention of cognitive decline in the elderly.

Title: Kirtan Kriya Yoga Meditation: A New Dimension in Alzheimer’s Prevention
Khalsa, DS.
Arizona Geriatrics Society Journal. 2013; 18(2):12-16
Published October 2013
https://www.arizonageriatrics.org/assets/2013/

Title: Stress, Inflammation, and Aging
Helen Lavretsky and Paul A. Newhouse.
Published September 1, 2013.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3428505

Title: A Pilot Study On The Effects Of Meditation On Regional Brain Metabolism In Distressed Dementia Caregivers
Kelsey L. Pomykala, Daniel H. S. Silverman, Cheri L. Geist, Patricia Voege, Prabha Siddarth, Nora Nazarian, Natalie M. St Cyr, Dharma S Khalsa & Helen Lavretsky Aging Health Aging Health, October 2012, Vol. 8, No. 5, Pages 509-516 , DOI 10.2217/ahe.12.46 (doi:10.2217/ahe.12.46) (doi:10.2217/ahe.12.46)
Published in October 2012
http://www.futuremedicine.com/doi/abs/10.2217/ahe.12.46

Conclusion: Meditation practice in distressed caregivers resulted in different patterns of regional cerebral metabolism from relaxation. These pilot results should be replicated in a larger study.

Title: Yogic Meditation Reverses NF-Kb And IRF-Related Transcriptome Dynamics In Leukocytes Of Family Dementia Caregivers In A Randomized Controlled Trial
Black DS, Cole SW, Irwin MR, Breen E, St. Cyr NM, Nazarian N, Khalsa DS, Lavretsky H. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2012 Jul 13. [Epub ahead of print] Published in July 2012
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22795617

Conclusion: A brief daily yogic meditation intervention may reverse the pattern of increased NF-Kb-related transcription of pro-inflammatory cytokines and decreased IRF1-related transcription of innate antiviral response genes previously observed in healthy individuals confronting a significant life stressor.

Title: A Pilot Study of Yogic Meditation for Family Dementia Caregivers With Depressive
Symptoms: Effects on Mental Health, Cognition, and Telomerase Activity
Lavretsky H, Epel ES, Siddarth P, Nazarian N, Cyr NS, Khalsa DS, Lin J, Blackburn E, Irwin MR. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2013 Jan;28(1):57-65. doi: 10.1002/gps.3790. Epub 2012 Mar 11.
Published in March 2012
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22407663

Conclusion: This pilot study found that brief daily meditation practices by family dementia caregivers can lead to improved mental and cognitive functioning and lower levels of depressive symptoms. This improvement is accompanied by an increase in telomerase activity, suggesting improvement in stress-induced cellular aging. These results need to be confirmed in a larger sample.

Title: Effects of An 8-Week Meditation Program on Mood and Anxiety in Patients With Memory Loss
Moss AS, Wintering N, Roggenkamp H, Khalsa DS, Waldman MR, Monti D, Newberg AB. J Altern Complement Med. 2012 Jan;18(1):48-53. doi: 10.1089/acm.2011.0051.
Published in January 2012
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22268968

Conclusion: An 8-week, 12-minute-per-day meditation program in patients with memory loss was associated with positive changes in mood, anxiety, and other neuropsychologic parameters, and these changes correlated with changes in CBF. A larger-scale study is needed to confirm these findings and better elucidate mechanisms of change.

Title: Cerebral Blood Flow Changes Associated with Different Meditation Practices and Perceived Depth Of Meditation
Wang DJ, Rao H, Korczykowski M, Wintering N, Pluta J, Khalsa DS, Newberg AB. Psychiatry Res. 2011 Jan 30;191(1):60-7. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.09.011. Epub 2010 Dec 8.
Published in December 2010
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21145215

Conclusion: This study revealed changes in the brain during two different meditation practices in the same individuals and that these changes correlated with the subjective experiences of the practitioners.

Title: Cerebral Blood Flow Differences Between Long-Term Meditators and Non-Meditators
Newberg AB, Wintering N, Waldman MR, Amen D, Khalsa DS, Alavi A. Conscious Cogn. 2010 Dec;19(4):899-905. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2010.05.003. Epub 2010 Jun 8.
Published in May 2010
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20570534

Conclusion: The study was set to determine if there are differences in baseline brain function of experienced meditators compared to non-meditators. The observed changes associated with long-term meditation appear in structures that underlie the attention network and also those that relate to emotion and autonomic function.

Title: Meditation Effects on Cognitive Function and Cerebral Blood Flow in Subjects with Memory Loss: A Preliminary Study
Newberg AB, Wintering N, Khalsa DS, Roggenkamp H, Waldman MR. J Alzheimers Dis. 2010;20(2):517-26. doi: 10.3233/JAD-2010-1391.
Published in April 2010
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20164557

Conclusion: This preliminary study determined if subjects with memory loss problems demonstrate changes in memory and cerebral blood flow (CBF) after a simple 8-week meditation program. The meditation program resulted in significant increases in baseline CBF ratios in the prefrontal, superior frontal, and superior parietal cortices. Scores on neuropsychological tests of verbal fluency, Trails B, and logical memory showed improvements after training.

Title: Cerebral Blood Flow Changes During Chanting Meditation
Khalsa DS, Amen D, Hanks C, Money N, Newberg A. Nucl Med Commun. 2009 Dec;30(12):956-61. doi: 10.1097/MNM.0b013e32832fa26c.
Published in June 2009
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19773673

Conclusion: The results offer evidence that this form of meditation practice is associated with changes in brain function in a way that is consistent with earlier studies of related types of meditation as well as with the positive clinical outcomes anecdotally reported by its users.

Title: Integrated Medicine and the Prevention and Reversal of Memory Loss
Khalsa DS. Journal of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine
1998 Nov;4(6):38-43.
Published in November 1998
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9810066

Conclusion: Findings suggest that memory loss is not an inevitable consequence of aging and that Alzheimer’s disease can be prevented and reversed using an integrated medical approach.

Title: An Alternative Medical Program is Effective in Patients With Cognitive Decline
Khalsa, DS. Journal of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine
1997 Vol 3, No. 4, Page 94