Vol. 2, Issue 2, Part A (2025)

Background: Cognitive development during late childhood is closely linked to academic achievement, yet many school-age children exhibit suboptimal attention, working memory and executive functioning. Ayurveda describes Medhya Rasayana as a class of rejuvenative nootropic interventions for enhancing intellect and memory, while yoga-based school programmes have independently shown benefits on cognition and behaviour.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of a 12-week Medhya Rasayana Yoga intervention on cognitive functions and academic performance in school-age children in a real-world school setting, and to explore associations between cognitive gains, scholastic outcomes and adherence.

Methods: In this prospective, single-centre, open-label clinical study, 80 children aged 9-12 years (grades IV-VII) received a standardized Medhya Rasayana herbal formulation (containing Bacopa monnieri, Centella asiatica, Tinospora cordifolia and Glycyrrhiza glabra) once daily, combined with a 45-minute yoga module (loosening exercises, graded asanas, pranayama, brief meditation and “Super Brain Yoga”) delivered five days per week for 12 weeks. Primary outcomes were composite z-scores for attention, working memory and executive functions derived from a battery of standardized tests. Secondary outcomes were overall and subject-wise school examination scores and teacher/parent ratings of attention and classroom behaviour. Pre-post changes were analysed using paired t-tests, with effect sizes and correlations between cognitive and academic changes estimated.

Results: Significant and large pre-post improvements were observed in attention, working memory and executive function composites (mean changes 0.54-0.64 z-score units; Cohen’s d >1.1). Overall examination scores increased by a mean of 7.3 percentage points, with comparable gains in language, mathematics and science. Improvements in global cognitive composite scores correlated moderately with gains in overall and subject-wise examination performance, and were greatest among children with lower baseline cognitive scores and higher intervention adherence. The intervention was well tolerated; no serious adverse events were reported.

Conclusion: A 12-week Medhya Rasayana Yoga protocol appears feasible, safe and potentially effective in enhancing cognitive functions and academic performance in school-age children in a routine school environment. These findings support further randomized controlled trials and provide a pragmatic basis for piloting Medhya Rasayana Yoga modules within holistic school health and education programmes.