The effect of super brain yoga on the cognitive function of hemodialysis patients.

INTRODUCTION: Cognitive impairment is one of the most important end-stage consequences of renal disease. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of super brain yoga on the cognitive function of hemodialysis (HD) patients. METHODS: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 60 HD patients who were assigned to the control (n = 30) and intervention (n = 30) groups. In addition to undergoing their routine HD, subjects in the intervention group performed yoga exercises for one month, at least three days a week, once a day. Cognitive function score of the patients at baseline and after the study (one month later) was measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 using descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation, and inferential statistics, including independent t-test, paired t-test, and ANCOVA. RESULTS: The mean score of cognitive function, urea, creatinine, and dialysis adequacy at baseline was 26.07 ± 3.72, 133.83 ± 34.19, 9.37 ± 2.55, and 1.22 ± 0.24 in the control group and28.97 ± 1.62, 174.17 ± 52.8, 13.38 ± 4.16, and 1.26 ± 0.22, in the intervention group, respectively. At the baseline, there was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of cognitive function, urea, creatinine (p-value = 0.001), but there was not in terms of dialysis adequacy (p-value = 0.974). Therefore, the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to adjust their effects. The mean score of these variables after the study was 25.77 ± 3.11, 146 ± 42.03, 9.7 ± 2.61, and 1.24 ± 0.24 in the control group and 29.17 ± 1.23, 156.03 ± 37.67, 12.27 ± 3.46, and 1.43 ± 0.19 in the intervention group, respectively. There was a significant difference in cognitive function between two the groups (p = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Super brain yoga exercises seem to play an effective role in improving the cognitive function of HD patients. Therefore, super brain yoga is recommended as a complementary therapy for HD patients in nursing.