Yoga probes the brain in prolonged grief
NCT ID NCT05026827
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot study explores how Iyengar Yoga affects the brain and body in older adults with prolonged grief disorder. About 68 participants will take yoga classes or join a social group for comparison. Researchers will measure changes in brain activity, grief symptoms, and natural chemicals linked to mood. The goal is to better understand the biology of prolonged grief, not to test a cure.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Iyengar Yoga
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could reveal how yoga affects the brain and body in prolonged grief, pointing toward new ways to understand or help treat the condition.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early pilot study with only 68 participants. It is designed to gather information, not to prove a treatment works, so results may not lead to clear conclusions.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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68 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Aug 2021
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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40 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female greater than or equal to 40 years of age * Bereavement \>6 months * Score greater than or equal to 25 on the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG) * Presence of PGD (subsyndromal and syndromal) * Adequate visual and auditory acuity Exclusion Criteria: * Delirium/unstable medical conditions * Lifetime history of neurological illnesses: seizures, stroke, dementia of any etiology, severe head injury, brain tumor or surgery * Serious back, joint or neck injuries within the past 3 months * Currently practicing yoga * Gross structural abnormalities on T1-weighted images * Lifetime history of the following psychiatric disorders: bipolar or psychotic disorders, including psychotic depression * Current alcohol/drug abuse or dependence * Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contraindications * Acute suicidality
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Medical College of Wisconsin
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, 53226, United States
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