Mechanistic insights into the neurophysiological benefits of mind-body practices in older adults

Cerna, Jonathan

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129828 Copy

Description

Title

Mechanistic insights into the neurophysiological benefits of mind-body practices in older adults

Author(s)

Cerna, Jonathan

Issue Date

2025-06-26

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Hernandez, Manuel E.

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Hernandez, Manuel E.

Committee Member(s)

• Sadaghiani, Sepideh F.
• Dolcos, Sanda M.
• Dariotis, Jacinda K.

Department of Study

Neuroscience Program

Discipline

Neuroscience

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

Mind-body practices, Tai Chi, Aging, Electroencephalography, Source localization

Abstract

Mind-Body (MB) practices, defined by NIH as "health practices [that] combines mental focus, controlled breathing, and body movements to help relax the body and mind", include meditation, yoga and Tai Chi (TC), among others. Despite their ancient origins, these practices have seen exponential growth in scientific investigation since the early 2000s, particularly regarding their cognitive benefits. However, our mechanistic understanding remains limited, partly due to challenges in operationalizing and measuring their core mental processes. This dissertation aims to develop and test a mechanistic framework for understanding how MB practices influence brain network organization and cognitive function, with particular focus on aging populations. The dissertation comprises four chapters that progressively build from theoretical synthesis to detailed mechanistic modeling. The first chapter presents a narrative review, were we aimed to synthesize evidence from the yoga and meditation literature to develop a descriptive framework that we named the "Neurocognitive Resource Efficiency" or NRE framework. Through a systematic examination of neuroimaging, behavioral, and theoretical evidence, we aimed to establish a conceptual foundation for understanding how these practices might optimize neural resource allocation through systematic network reorganization, particularly in aging populations. Building on this theoretical foundation, the second chapter examines the neural mechanisms underlying TC's cognitive benefits in older adults using source-localized EEG. We aimed to investigate whether TC practice provides compensatory network changes that counteract age-related decline by separating the effects of aging (comparing younger adult controls to older adult controls) and TC effects (comparing TC older adult practitioners to age-matched controls), hypothesizing that TC practice effects will show distinctive, compensatory functional connectivity patterns—patterns that reflect compensatory mechanisms supporting cognitive maintenance. The third and final experimental chapter extends this investigation by characterizing the nature of the compensatory network changes identified in Chapter 2. By comparing TC practitioners with both age-matched and younger controls, we aim to decompose these network changes into specific types of connectivity alterations and compensatory mechanisms. We hypothesize that TC-related network reorganization manifests through multiple forms of compensation (e.g., lower decrease in anti-correlations, lower increase in the magnitude of positive correlations, preservation of connectivity patterns similar to younger adults, etc.) that differentially support cognitive function. This research integrates perspectives from network neuroscience and dynamical systems theory to advance our understanding of how MB practices influence brain health. By developing a mechanistic framework and testing specific hypotheses across different practices and methodologies, this work aims to improve our ability to understand, replicate, and optimize the cognitive benefits of MB interventions, especially in the context of older adulthood.

Graduation Semester

2025-08

Type of Resource

Thesis

Handle URL

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129828

Copyright and License Information

© 2025 Jonathan Cerna All rights reserved. This dissertation or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

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