Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 2004; 48 (3) : 353–356

SPATIAL AND VERBAL MEMORY TEST SCORES FOLLOWING

YOGA AND FINE ARTS CAMPS FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN

MANJUNATH N. K. AND SHIRLEY TELLES*

Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation,

No. 9, Appajappa Agrahara, Chamarajpet,
Bangalore – 560 018
( Received on May 27, 2003 )

Abstract : The performance scores of children (aged 11 to 16 years) in

verbal and spatial memory tests were compared for two groups (n = 30,
each), one attending a yoga camp and the other a fine arts camp. Both
groups were assessed on the memory tasks initially and after ten days of
their respective interventions. A control group (n = 30) was similarly
studied to assess the test – retest effect. At the final assessment the yoga
group showed a significant increase of 43% in spatial memory scores
(Multivariate analysis, Tukey test), while the fine arts and control groups
showed no change. The results suggest that yoga practice, including
physical postures, yoga breathing, meditation and guided relaxation
improved delayed recall of spatial information.
Key words : yoga fine arts spatial memory verbal memory

INTRODUCTION scientific and subjective reports of high

achievers in arts, sciences and industry
The practice of Transcendental reveal a correlation between creative
Meditation (TM) was shown to improve thinking and right hemisphere specialization
academic performance in university (3). Among arts topics, asymmetric
students (1). While the above study electroencephalographic (EEG) changes
examined how meditation influenced the were obtained as ‘method’ actors
process of remembering, a subsequent study generated emotions, with specific right
examined the effects of a combination of hemispheric activation related to sexual
yoga practices on hemisphere-specific arousal (4).
memory tasks (2). Groups trained in yoga
showed a significant increase in spatial test The above mentioned references indicate
scores at retest, but no change in verbal that both yoga training and even creative
test scores, suggesting that yoga breathing activities activate the right hemisphere. If
improved performance in a right hemisphere– yoga influences memory via this
specific memory test. hemisphere, it is also possible that training
in fine arts may affect memory positively.
Among other factors which influence The present study investigates this
right hemisphere performance, both hypothesis.

* Corresponding Author : Fax : 91-80-6608645; E-mail : (anvesana@vsnl.com)

354 Manjunath and Telles Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 2004; 48(3)

METHODS To test verbal memory, standard

nonsense syllables of three letters, e.g.,
Subjects
XOL, were selected from a prepared list (6).
The subjects were children with ages Two different sets of 10 nonsense syllables
between 11 and 16 years, who were were presented on Days 1 and 10. The test
attending either yoga or fine arts vacation for spatial memory consisted of 10 simple
camps (n = 30 each). The two camps were line drawings. Geometrical or other shapes
conducted at the same site, at different which could be described verbally, e.g., a
times during the summer vacation. The square or a circle, were not used. The
group average ages were as follows : (i) Yoga drawings were very simple and easy to
group (mean age ± SD, 13.8 ± 1.8 years, 13 reproduce. As described for verbal memory,
girls) and (ii) Fine arts group (mean there were two separate, similar sets of 10
age ± SD, 13.1 ± 2.3 years, 16 girls). Also, line drawings each for Days 1 and 10. For
in order to understand the test-retest effect, both verbal and spatial memory tests a
a control group of 30 children was similarly correct answer was scored as “1” and a
assessed. This group had no intervention wrong answer was scored “0”.
but carried on with their activities during
the vacation. The control group average age The subjects were told that the memory
was : 13.6 ± 1.5 years (14 girls). The hand tests were for their self assessment to
dominance was determined by using a specific understand the benefit they derived from
questionnaire and it was found that all the the course. They were subsequently given a
subjects were right hand dominant (5). report, so they were enthusiastic and
interested. The control group was also told
Design
that the tests were for their self assessment
All three groups were assessed on Day and were also given a report. The informed
1, and after the intervention on the Day consent of their guardians was taken.
10. Both yoga and fine arts groups were
Analysis
given training in yoga and fine arts
activities (such as drama, and dance Data were analyzed using the statistical
training), respectively. The control group software (SPSS version 10.0). The Day 1 and
carried out their routine activities. Day 10 data of all three groups were assessed
with the tests for normality distribution
Assessment
using both graphic presentations (box-plot
The verbal and spatial memory tests and stem-and-leaf plot) as well as Shapiro-
were assessed for 15 subjects at a time. The Wilk test. The one – way ‘F’ test for variance
test material was projected on a screen, was used to evaluate the variance of the data.
allowing 10 seconds for each slide. After the
A multivariate analysis was performed
10 slides were shown, a mathematical
where the Between Subjects factor was the
problem (e.g., 3 minus 8 plus 5 minus 2
plus 9 plus 7 minus 4 plus 6) was projected Groups (Yoga, Art, Control) and the Within
on the screen. Immediately after this, the subjects factor(s) were Assessments (Verbal:
subjects were asked to recall and write down pre and post; Spatial: pre and post; hence
(or in the case of spatial memory, to draw) giving 4 factors). The Tukey test for
within 60 seconds the 10 test items which multiple comparisons of mean values was
had been shown to them (2). used for post-hoc analysis.
Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 2004; 48(3) Spatial and Verbal Memory Test Scores following Yoga 355

TABLE I : Means ± standard deviations of memory scores of verbal and spatial

memory tasks for three groups (n = 30, each) on days 1 and 10.

Verbal memory Spatial memory

Day 1 Day 10 Day 1 Day 10

Yoga Mean SD 4.2± 1.5 5.0± 2.0 4.0 ± 1.9 5.7± 1.9*
Fine arts Mean SD 4.3± 1.9 4.5± 2.2 4.4 ± 1.9 5.6± 2.6
Control Mean SD 3.9± 1.8 4.4± 1.6 3.9 ± 1.6 4.3± 2.0

*P=.002, two tailed, Tukey test comparing the means of Day 10 versus Day 1 values.

Fine arts camp distributed and (ii) not of unequal variance.

Hence parametric statistics were used for
The fine arts camp lasted for 8 hours
analysis.
each day, consisting of: drama (240 min)
and games, e.g., cricket or volleyball, 60 The multivariate analysis : The test of
min. The training also included a special Between-Subjects effects showed significant
session of creative activities such as dance, difference for the Yoga group [F (3,116) =
singing classical Indian compositions, 5.569, P = .001]. For the arts group [F (3,116)
pottery, painting, sketching, and paper = 2.230, P = .088] and the control group
craft (120 min). Each day children were [F (3,116) = 0.727, P = .538] there was no
allowed to show individual talent by giving significant difference.
presentations e.g., songs, mimicry, or
Post-hoc analysis using the Tukey test
elocution (60 min).
showed a significant difference between the
Yoga camp spatial memory test scores of the yoga
group on Day 10 versus the scores on Day
The yoga program consisted of training
1 (P = .002). There were no other significant
in yoga for approximately 8 hours a day,
differences.
for 10 days. It included specialized physical
postures ( yogasanas , 90 min), voluntary Group mean ± standard deviation of
regulation and slowing of the breathing memory test scores obtained by the three
( pranayama, 60 min), internal cleansing groups for both verbal and spatial memory
practices including eye-cleansing techniques tests at initial and final assessments are
( kriyas , 30 min), meditation and devotional given in Table I.
sessions (90 min), and guided relaxation (30
min). In addition to these specialized DISCUSSION
practices, the training also included In the present study, the group trained
games (120 min) as well as the telling of
in yoga showed a significant increase in
meaningful stories (60 min) to foster a sense
spatial memory test scores, while verbal
of values and feelings of responsibility, memory test scores remained the same in
which is also an essential part of yoga.
all of them.
RESULTS
The results resemble those of a previous
The Day 1 and Day 10 data of all three study (2), which showed that 108 children
groups were found to be (i) normally of a similar age range also showed an
356 Manjunath and Telles Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 2004; 48(3)

increase in spatial memory scores following Improvement in spatial memory scores

10 days of yoga training. following yoga could be related to the
fact that reduced anxiety can improve
Drama requires actors to recall their
performance on tasks requiring learning and
lines (7), which was shown to be contextual
memory (8) and the anxiety reducing effects
and facilitated by the availability of spatial-
of meditation are well known (9). While the
visual information. In the present study, the
positive effects of motivation on learning are
fine arts camp which included 4 hours of
well known (6), it is not likely that
drama did not significantly influence the
motivation influenced the outcome, as the
recall of spatial or verbal information. Since
verbal scores did not change, and it is
the camp activities included 4 hours of other
unlikely that motivation would influence the
activities (e.g., dance, pottery, extempore
outcome of one test alone. The lower scores
presentations), it is possible that these
of the control group at baseline may suggest
activities did not have the same effect as
that this group was less motivated than the
drama on memory, even though they would
two intervention groups. The absence of
be expected to influence right hemispheric
change in the control group shows that re-
function. Also, spatial memory is just one
testing after 10 days did not influence the
dimension of right hemispheric function and
scores.
the present study did not examine other
functions. It is also possible that a longer Hence, the present study suggests that
duration of training in fine arts may have yoga practice, including physical postures,
influenced spatial memory scores, but the yoga breathing, meditation and guided
present study intended to compare equal relaxation improves delayed recall of spatial
durations of the two interventions. information.

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