Impact of Hatha Yoga on Cognitive Performance, Fatigue and Psychological Well-Being in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Background: Studies indicate that depression and cognitive functions are important issues of mental health, a serious health issue worth evaluating with possible alternative non-medical treatment options in MS patients. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of practice on fatigue, respiratory closure, depression and cognition in patients diagnosed with MS and whether the benefit of Hatha Yoga training is affected by personality structure. Methods: The study included 25 participants between the ages of 18 and 70 who were diagnosed with MS, with an EDSS of 6 and below and who did not show symptoms of depression and did not use antidepressants. Any previous cerebrovascular disease, hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus (DM), thyroid dysfunction, or vitamin B12 deficiency was determined as an exclusion criterion. In the study, patients received Hatha Yoga practice 2 days a week for 8 weeks. The MOCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) and Beck Depression Scale, personality analysis test, pulmonary function test, and Fatigue Impact Scale were applied to all patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria at the beginning and after the completion of Yoga practice. Results: According to the results obtained, a statistically significant decrease in Beck Depression Inventory scores (p = 0.020) and a significant increase in MOCA Cognitive Test scores (p < 0.001) were detected following the yoga intervention. Although an increase was observed in respiratory capacity (FVC), this change did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.082). These findings demonstrate that yoga practice significantly improves depression levels and cognitive functions. The relationship between the benefits derived from yoga training and personality traits was evaluated using the participants’ Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) profiles. Following the yoga intervention, a statistically significant increase was observed in novelty seeking (p < 0.001) and persistence (p < 0.001). Conversely, participants exhibited a significant decrease in harm avoidance post-yoga (p < 0.001). However, no statistically significant changes were found in reward dependence (p = 0.766) or cooperation (p = 0.181) scores after the intervention.